Open back banjos offer more quiet tones and are ideal for beginners as they lack resonators to amplify sound, making them more affordable than their resonator counterparts. They make an ideal first instrument!
These lightweight guitars make transporting them simpler. Each features a sturdy steam bent maple neck with an adjustable truss rod.
The Sound
Open back banjos without resonators can provide a mellower and quieter sound, making them suitable for certain musical genres. Furthermore, open backs may also be more cost-effective and simpler to construct than their resonator counterparts; making them popular choices among beginners or people on tight budgets.
Your choice of banjo should depend on your musical aspirations and playing preferences. For those learning clawhammer and other frailing techniques, an open back banjo may be suitable; while for genres requiring louder tones such as bluegrass, resonator banjos may provide better projection. You may even be able to retro-fit open back banjos with resonators kits to amp up their sound.
Styles of Music
If you want to play banjo for mountain music and traditional genres, an open-back model is your ideal solution. Its soft yet melodic tone blends easily with other instruments in a band setting; additionally, an amplifier can make its volume louder by installing a pickup into it.
Resonator banjos can also make for great choices; their resonator amplifies the tone, making it suitable for bluegrass music genres such as bluegrass or folk. Their lightweight design also makes travel and jam sessions easier; in fact, more affordable than an open-back banjo; more suitable for clawhammer (frailing) style playing; as well as offering subdued sounds that blend beautifully into an acoustic environment and solo performances/intimate settings.
Size
Your local music store likely stocks both open back banjos and resonator banjos with distinctive sounds and volumes; each can best suit different playing styles and genres of music. When making this decision, consider which banjo best matches up with your style of playing and genre preferences.
Open-back banjos typically produce warmer tones and are generally less costly than their resonator counterparts, making them better suited to clawhammer playing styles and traditional music genres like classical music. Resonator banjos on the other hand tend to have brighter and louder tones, making them suitable for bluegrass music genres as well as other energetic musical forms. Check out both kinds at your local music shop so that you can experience first-hand which type best meets your needs and which type might best serve your genre of choice; hands-on experience will help make understanding this decision much simpler!
Materials
Maple is often chosen as the material for open back banjo bodies and necks due to its excellent durability and lightweight properties – making transportation simpler!
Based on your music genre and style, it may be worthwhile to add a resonator to your banjo. Resonators make the banjo sound louder while helping it cut through other instruments in the mix.
However, open-back banjos can still produce a decent sound without resonators. Furthermore, certain models feature removable tone rings if desired; these metal or wooden rings rest atop the headpiece to alter its tone and can help alter how the banjo sounds.
Affordability
As a beginner to banjo playing, an affordable open back banjo is easy and affordable to find – even full-sized Deering banjos like Gold Tone offer full size Deering banjo models at under $400!
Open-back banjos tend to produce a quieter and mellower sound than their resonator counterparts, making them suitable for clawhammer style music and traditional genres such as clawhammer. Resonator banjos provide louder tones that suit bluegrass music more readily.
The difference in sound and volume between these two types of banjos is easily noticeable and should be carefully considered when making your selection. Your final choice depends on personal preferences, budget considerations and preferred musical genres – choosing your dream banjo can open up a whole new musical journey!