Six String Banjos are perfect for adding that swampy country sound to your music, at an extremely competitive price point.
Many people purchase 6-string banjos to create the distinctive sound of Dixieland music, but strumming open chords with a flatpick may result in cacophonous results without fretting or deadening any lower strings.
Price
Although 5-string banjos may be more affordable, 6-string instruments are much more costly. While there may be deals to be had, you could easily spend upwards of $300 for a high-quality instrument from a professional manufacturer – especially if looking for custom or handcrafted banjos.
One cost-cutting strategy is purchasing a six string banjo guitar, which features a guitar-style neck that accepts metal guitar strings. These models are popular among guitarists wanting to switch over from guitar to banjo without needing to learn an entirely new fingering system; they’re also ideal for banjo players looking for electric bluegrass music performances.
An alternative way of saving money when purchasing a banjo is purchasing a resonator banjo with its built-in resonator that adds volume. While technically not considered an actual 6-string instrument, they still produce sound and are much cheaper.
Resonator banjos can be great beginner instruments, but experienced players should avoid them as they tend to produce too many overtones that are hard to control and alter the tone of your banjo. If you decide to purchase one of these instruments, take the time before playing to take apart and clean out its resonator thoroughly; this will prevent unwanted overtones caused by poorly made resonatorss.
Sound
All banjos have their own distinct sound/style/quality that derives from their technical configuration. Six strings provide ample opportunity for modulated harmonic and rhythmic articulation – especially useful in band settings when bass instruments and other harmony instruments are present.
A 6-string’s sound quality is excellent, sounding much like that of a guitar with more overtones than usual. Through strategic palm muting and pick control techniques it is possible to reduce most of the overtones produced by two low strings; and its high string is very responsive for expressive playing that produces plenty of tone.
Many musicians favor 6-string banjos due to the extra bass strings which can be tuned to standard tuning (G or D). Or perhaps they appreciate being able to easily play chords on higher frets – something not easily possible with 5-string instruments.
Some six string banjos are droneless – keeping only one high string and an alternating bass string. These instruments tend to be preferred by jazz musicians and other performers of ragtime, blues, Dixieland or Dixieland music, though they’re perfectly capable of traditional bluegrass (particularly Scruggs-style rolls) and can handle “gutsier” blues patterns well as well as being suitable as double basses for an acoustic guitar (though low strings may make their music sound more banjo-like).
Comfort
Some purists claim that a banjo strung and tuned like a guitar (Banjitar or Six String Banjo) doesn’t count as a real banjo, which is quite silly as at one time banjos had seven strings used across all genres from blues to classical music. Since its revival several years ago, six string banjos have seen increased use across genres of music from blues to classical.
Some may also complain that strumming all six strings with a flatpick sounds “muddy,” though I think this may more of an issue with flatpicking technique than with banjo itself. Some old-timers who played 5-string banjos prior to tenor and plectrum styles used this approach when performing banjo orchestras which were popular around 1900.
At any rate, the six string banjo is an ideal instrument to use when performing Blues, Country, Dixieland or Ragtime music that can be played using either flatpicking or fingerstyle techniques. Guitarists whose roles require them to double on banjo can also benefit greatly; just be sure that when reviewing the score it doesn’t require you to slam down chords that will sound weak when fingerpicked with this instrument.
Accessories
Six string banjos (guitjos or banjitars) provide guitarists who desire the sound of banjo without learning a whole new instrument an opportunity to experiment with chords and fingering techniques on an instrument they already own or may already keep at home or in their vehicle.
Six strings provide opportunities for more subtle modal harmonic and rhythmic articulation that four string banjos cannot replicate, enabling it to serve as a fully fledged accompaniment in chord/melody based applications, provided by other musicians of its band.
Many guitarists who opt for a 6-string banjo will opt to replace its fifth and sixth strings with nylon strings tuned an octave higher; this provides them with a Dixieland style sound without open strings ringing incessantly. This method also introduces bass notes of the instrument without them becoming overwhelmed.
An important consideration for guitarists looking to purchase a 6 string banjo is whether or not the fingerboard is flat or radiused. While flat fingerboards may work better for bluegrass and clawhammer styles, many guitarists prefer the smooth feel of radiused fretboards and may find transitioning to flat harder. Before making your purchase, rent banjos with both types of fingerboards so that you can find out which you prefer better before making the final purchase decision.