Open back banjos can be used for any five-string banjo style, including bluegrass. Usually featuring a more subdued tone and lighter weight than their resonator counterparts, open backs may also be more economical options.
Adjusting these instruments is usually straightforward by loosening their thumbscrews on the resonator, making them ideal for clawhammer and frailing styles of playing.
Variations in the Body
A banjo body typically comprises one of several species of wood. Different wood varieties have differing effects on its tone; generally speaking, harder woods will provide clearer and brighter sound production than their softer counterparts.
Resonators add extra volume to a banjo, making it great for public performances or loud listening situations. Without one, however, its sound becomes more dry and less clear; more similar to guitar than banjo!
Open back banjos are more economical and lighter than their resonator counterparts, making them simpler for beginners to pick up quickly and play. They work best with folk, old time and bluegrass music styles; jam sessions require resonator models. But ultimately it all depends on the style of music you intend to perform: experience both types at a music store before making your decision!
Variations in the Head and Tone Ring
Some players opt for resonator banjos due to the louder tone they produce – this works particularly well in bluegrass music – while others opt for open back models which produce warmer and darker tones (think Ralph Stanley or Stringbean).
Gold Tone’s MM-150 openback banjo offers premium parts at an unbeatably reasonable cost, such as its Whyte Laydie style scalloped three-piece brass tone ring and eleven” Remo Renaissance head. Furthermore, its rim comes equipped with an old Vega armrest which can be secured via bracket hooks on its rim.
Many entry level banjos feature steel tone rings that do not offer the sparkle and responsiveness of USA built brass tone rings, reducing sound quality significantly. Tightening or loosening hardware can have a dramatic impact on its tone – like an old truck, just minor tweaks can transform its sound drastically!
Variations in the Hardware
Banjos traditionally included wooden rings or shells attached to their heads with metal tensioning bolts for tightening up, known as tone rings, that could change their tone while being difficult to adjust due to having to take apart and screw in each bolt individually before seeing if your adjustment was perfect.
Now you can find many open back banjos that forgo these rings and bolts, often known as “goodtime” banjos after two models made by Vega in the early part of the 20th century – Tubaphone and Whyte Laydie – made them more commonplace.
These banjos had heavy tone rings, ideal for old-time string band music but too bulky for modern players. Now there are lighter rings that suit modern as well as old-time styles of playing.
Variations in the Sound
There is more variation than you might imagine when it comes to open back banjo sound due to differences between pot sizes and tone rings, plus whether the head is tuned as an open or resonator instrument.
Resonator banjos produce louder and brighter tones than open back banjos, making them popular choices for bluegrass music as well as more contemporary forms of playing such as shred. Recently, though, a revival in old-time string band music has led to more singer-songwriters choosing more muted-sounding open back banjos without resonators for use by their string bands.
I conducted some simple experiments using two identical banjos of similar weight and design with differing wood species, which demonstrate that wood doesn’t have much of an impact on sound quality; similarly, different bridge designs appear to have minimal impacts.