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Originally Posted by Carpe Mortem
I've been checking out a few banjos myself, now that I have a running car again it's probably gonna be my next $100+ purchase. Torn on 5 or 6 string, as someone who doesn't play guitar I guess either or would be equally challenging?
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A 6 string banjo is just a guitar with a banjo body. The low E string sounds cool, but everything else sounds more or less the same. I don't really have that high of an opinion on them, mostly because the large stores always seem to carry two or three for every one 5-string banjo.
Seeing as how you don't play guitar I'd say get a 5-string and the Hal Leonard Banjo Method Book 1. Most Guitar Centers will carry the Epiphone MB-100 banjo which is an open back, so it's not quite as loud and it has a far more mellow tone, but it sits on your lap comfortably and is incredibly light.That's pretty much the entry tier in terms of cost and is generally pretty good. Make sure you get someone at the store to set up the bridge for you and get it in tune. If you can get National thumb picks, get them. I use a medium and they fit just fine and aren't as long as the Dunlop brand ones.