How long have you been playing the banjo?
26% who've played for over one year
10% who've played for over 5 years
21% who've played for over 10 years
18% who've played for over 20 years
8% who've played for over 30 years
1% who've played for over 40 years
After fifty years of playing banjo your picks bond permanently to your fingers, making it difficult to
fill out surveys. Some people started as children, others in their fifties and sixties. Several
mentioned a long hiatus, sometimes as long as twenty years - but the important thing is, they picked
it up again. So if your banjo is gathering dust in the closet, take heart. It may be years before you
find the time to play again, but try to stay in touch with the music world, buy lots of records, and
above all Don't Let Your Subscription to Banjo Newsletter lapse!
What style do you play?
Three-finger players ........................ 72%
Clawhammer players ....................... 12%
Both styles .................................. 16%
OK, there are a lot more three-finger pickers out there than clawhammer pickers, and a few of
them are pretty militant about silencing the minority, but guess who's got more banjos? Those
clawhammer players are hoarders. They're out to give Akira Tsumura a run for his money!
What method did you use to learn how to play?
Instructional books ....... 85%
Teachers ................... 54%
Tapes ...................... 42%
Videos ..................... 29%
The most popular method was the instructional book in conjunction with a teacher, though many
had used all four methods. The relatively low number of video users may be the reflection of the
higher cost rather than of any inherent problem in the method.
Who are your favorite banjo players (other than Earl Scruggs)?
1. J.D. Crowe
2. Béla Fleck
3. Alan Munde
4. Tony Trischka
5. Ralph Stanley
6. Sonny Osborne
7. Don Reno
8. Pete Wernick
9. Tom Adams
10. Bill Keith
11. Alison Brown
12. Allen Shelton & Tony Furtado (tied)
List your six favorite banjo columns.
1. Janet Davis - Back Up
2. Jack Hatfield - Beginner's Corner
3. Robert Piekiel - Earl's Way
4. Harold Streeter - Arrangement Development
5. Murphy Henry - On The Road
6. John Wright - Clinch Mountain Banjo
How many banjos do you own?
1.........28%
2.........35%
3.........17%
4-9......11%
10.........3%
12-15.....4%
30-60.....1%
61-100....1%
Which is your favorite banjo?
Gibsons: (combined).... 37.5%
Mastertones
Scruggs model........... 11%
RB 250.................... 5%
Grandda................... 5%
RB 3....................... 4%
all others Combined .....12%
Various Stelling Models............. 13%
Various Deering Models............. 10%
Homemade............................. 4%
Gold Star............................. 3%
Whyte Laydie.......................... 3%
Ome .................................... 3%
Wildwood.............................. 2%
Tubaphone..............................1%
Bart Reiter..............................1%
Fender ..................................1%
Stew-Mac .............................. 1%
Those are the big vote-getters, although there is hardly a banjo imaginable that is not
somebody's pride and joy. We heard of a lot of small scale builders; the trade is thriving and
appreciated.
What other instruments do you play or own?
Guitar .......... 69%
Mandolin ...... 26%
Fiddle ..........18%
Autoharp .......13%
Keyboard ......12%
Bass ............10%
Dobro ...........7%
Ukelele ......... 2%
Trumpet ........ 2%
Tin Whistle .... 2%
Dulcimer .......11%
Harmonica .....10%
There were Banjo-ukes and Banjo-mandolins, harpsichords, tin whistles and didjeridus, one
accordion, balalika, can-jo, one '59 Bug-Eye Sprite?, two bodrhans, a MIDI, a guitjo, several
tenor and plectrum banjos, a walzzitter, an omnichord, a kalimba, two fifes, an oboe, an ocarina
-- you get the idea. The list goes on and on.
Favorite Strings?
GHS............... 37.5%
D'Addario......... 20%
Vega...............15%
Gibson............. 6%
John Pearse ....... 3%
Stelling ........... 3%
Bill Keith ......... 2%
Martin ............. 2%
5 Star ............. 2%
Favorite Bridges?
Snuffy Smith ............19%
Grover ...................15%
came with Banjo ........15%
Standard 5/8" ...........12%
5/8"Compensated ....... 4%
Custom Made ........... 4%
Moon Bridge ............ 3.5%
Shubb 5/8"............... 2%
Favorite Picks?
Dunlop .................. 46%
National ................. 32%
Kyser ..................... 7%
Ernie Ball .................7%
Golden Gate .............. 3%
Roy's Own ................ 2%
Dobro Thumbpicks ....... 2%
The National/thumb, Dunlop/finger combo was by far the most popular. One person uses an
acrylic nail coating, and some of the clawhammer players, as I said before, were offended by the
very question.
