I got a banjo!

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I got my banjo on the 4th. Ordered it from Banjo.com. It is a Gold Tone CC100R, and it sounds terrific. I already know one short song called "Bile Dem Cabbage Down."

(Mind you, bile and cabbage are not words I care to associate. Better to say "boil" and let the regional accents sort themselves out.)

I had to  order it on line because when shopping I found hardly anybody in Monterey County sells banjos. Music Unlimited in downtown Monterey only had one 6 string (for guitar players who don't want to migrate to a real 5 string banjo). The stores in Salinas had one expensive Fender between them, plus one electric which wasn't an option.

Sylvia Williams in Seaside had a used Epiphone for $350. But I thought it sounded kinda dull and plunky. She didn't have much banjo knowledge, other than to say "Epiphones are good." Nice lady, but she didn't inspire confidence. I found out later the Epiphone has an aluminum pot instead of a wooden one, hence the plunky sound.

My new Gold Tone is all maple, and has a really nice ring to it. John at Banjo.com was a great help. (I actually ordered over the phone, not on-line, so I could ask a bunch of questions and get direct advice.) Everything arrived in good condition and it was ready to play. After some minor tuning it was ready to go. I love it!

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NB: See also this earlier entry: Do I Need a Banjo?

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