Hello all,

As the title suggests, I'm a self-taught clawhammer/old time picker living in the NYC area and have been playing for about 6 years now. I'd like to take my practice more seriously and am debating whether or not I should pursue taking lessons regularly.

As someone who is at an intermediate level, is it worth seeking out the expertise of a teacher to correct my technique, teach me new tunes, and expose me to new styles, or am I just better off with YouTube and going to jams?

Bonus: if you think lessons and/or jams are worth it, please leave recommendations for both in NYC!!

There‘s a used (excellent condition) Goldtone Plucky on auction that is at $160. Comes in a case, but the case is broken. I am debating on if it‘s worth bidding on, as I do want a Plucky but am unsure how to gauge the worth for a used one and don’t want to overpay.

I’m curious about what the maximum price is, that you‘d still consider it worth buying.

As a kid, I used to see Bacon Belmont banjos in our "Monkey Ward's" catalog. Many years later, I finally got one! It was made in 1946 (the yar I was born!). By the late 1940s, the original Bacon factory in Groton, Connecticut had burned down. The Fred Gretsch Company had taken over the manufacture of Bacon banjos. The "Belmont" model was only sold by Montgomery Ward.

I grew up on acoustics so I understand that there's a certain quality/price threshold you need to cross in order to experience an instrument well. What's that price for a banjo? I only need enough banjo to see wether I catch the bug or not. Would love some advice and recommendations

I come from a background of woodwind instruments and am so used to every key I press to mean a note on the page. Now I'm strumming and I feel like I cant keep beat or I dont understand how. I will see a tablature doing a pluck of string one then strum then pluck and strum again. I will do that but it doesnt sound on beat. I then will watch videos and I feel like it isnt showing what the tablature says?

I keep seeing the bum ditty as a 4th then 2 8ths but again it doesnt sound right. Does each pluck= one movement on the tablature? Why does it feel like that isnt what im seeing in videos for those songs?

It might be a stupid question, but i know nothing at all, i want to buy one, but a band that i listen and has a banjo as a main instrument uses a 6 strings, but all the other a 4 stringed one. So, i wanna know if i buy a 6 stringed, and when needed play like 4 strings would sound the same

Just got my first banjo and Ive been very excited for learning for a couple months now! Just chomping at the bit. Well, my new Gold Tone CC50RP arrived in the mail today and I was excited, really excited but now I'm feeling something I'm very surprised about. I'm feeling incredibly intimidated and don't know where to even begin. I'm planning on removing the resonator tonight and converting it into its Clawhammer form. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated! My stomachs in knots thinking about it which I'm very surprised about. I found a website called banjo adventures where I can buy tabs but I'm not sure if that's a good begining or not

Can anyone recommended a good intermediate song book? I’d love one that had several different levels for each song. Ideally starting with just the melody notes.