High End Banjos

I want another banjo.
Sure, I own two banjos already, but the world is a sad place these days and I think extra precautions are needed. - John Kavanagh

Someone said: 


 If you have a Gibson/Stelling/fill in the blank banjo, you better be able to make it sing.
 That is expected when you whip it out of the case.
 My approach is that when your skill exceeds your instruments capability - that's when to upgrade.
August 31, 2017

In my book, a high end banjo is one that costs $1000 or up (and you would be amazed how far the "up" goes). This may have been true back in 2016, but as of 2024 I would bump this up to $1500.

Here are some widely recognized top brands.

Gibson banjos have an odd mystique built around them that goes way over my head. I think if I was to get a big dollar banjo, I would want a Deering Maple Blossom or a Sierra. Some people are nuts about the Gibsons though and the "pre-war" Gibsons are highly sought after by collectors (and players too).

Here is a brief and imcomplete list of Deering Banjos, along with list prices:

Used Sierras go for $1000 to $1400.

Each banjo is an individual. This is true of all banjos at every level, but all the more crucial at the high end. The best thing is to be able to see, handle, and to play any banjo you are contemplating buying.

Have any comments? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's home page / tom@mmto.org