Banjo & bluegrass, researched and compared
Find the right banjo — without the hype.
Independent banjo reviews, brand comparisons and buying guides — plus mandolin, resonator and fiddle. Carefully researched, clearly explained, no hype.
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Our core guides
The best banjo brands
Gibson, Deering, Recording King, Gold Tone and more — who each one suits and what you pay.
Best banjos for beginners
Five honest first-banjo picks that will not hold you back at a jam.
How to tune a banjo
Standard open-G tuning for the 5-string, plus tenor and plectrum, step by step.
The different types of banjos
4-string, 5-string, tenor, plectrum, banjolele and hybrids — explained plainly.
Banjo chords for beginners
The handful of chords that get you playing real songs in an afternoon.
Bluegrass instruments
How the banjo fits with the mandolin, fiddle, resonator and upright bass.
How we work
Researched properly, explained plainly.
We are not a workshop and we do not claim to have played every banjo on this site. What we do is read the maker’s specs, the setup notes techs and teachers publish, and what long-term owners actually report — then say plainly who each instrument suits and where it falls short. How we research →
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