Learn the Banjo

Learn to play with Geoff

Geoff’s beginner books take a new player from first roll to full songs, and every one includes free online video and audio.

• The Banjo Primer Book for Beginners by Geoff Hohwald$19.95
• Beginning Banjo Warm-Up Series by Geoff Hohwald$19.95
• Easy Banjo Songbook for Beginners by Geoff Hohwald$19.95
• Easy Banjo Gospel Songbook by Geoff Hohwald$19.95

Start here

• How Much Should I Spend on My First Banjo?What you get at every price point, and why setup matters more than what you spend.Read the guide →
• Best Beginner Banjos 2026: My Honest PicksGeoff’s honest picks for a first banjo, organized by what matters to you.Read the guide →
• Open-Back vs Resonator Banjo: Which Should You Buy?Open-back for clawhammer and old-time, resonator for bluegrass, and how the two differ.Read the guide →
• Best Banjo Under $300: An Honest AnswerWhat $300 actually buys at a real banjo shop, what to avoid, and where the value starts.Read the guide →

Buying guides

• Best Bluegrass Banjos for Every Budget: My PicksThe resonator banjos Geoff would point you toward for Scruggs-style picking, at every budget.Read the guide →
• Best Clawhammer Banjos for Old-Time Music: My PicksOpen-back banjos with the warm, woody voice clawhammer asks for, at every budget.Read the guide →
• Best Banjos Under $1,000: Ranked by a Banjo ShopOur picks by use case, from the inventory we actually sell.Read the guide →
• The Best Banjo Brands: Who Makes the Best Banjos?What Gold Tone, Deering, Recording King, Gibson, Huber and Stelling are known for, and who each is right for.Read the guide →
• Left-Handed Banjos: A Buyer’s GuideWhat makes a true left-handed banjo, what to look for, and the best ones for every style and budget.Read the guide →
• Mahogany or Maple Banjo? How to ChooseMahogany is warmer and rounder, maple is brighter with more cut, and neither is better.Read the guide →
• The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Gold Tone BanjoFind the right Gold Tone banjo for your playing style and budget.Read the guide →
• Where to Buy a Banjo Online: What Actually MattersAn honest look at your options, including when the other guys are the right call.Read the guide →

Head to head

• Gold Tone vs. Deering: Which Banjo Brand Is Right for You?American-made Deering or Gold Tone with more features per dollar, from a dealer who has sold both for decades.Read the comparison →
• Gold Tone vs Recording King: Which Banjo Brand Is Right for You?Recording King is focused on pre-war-style bluegrass banjos, Gold Tone is broad, and the right one comes down to what you play.Read the comparison →

• Gold Tone AC-1 vs AC-5: Which Beginner Banjo Should You Buy? →
• Gold Tone CC-BG vs CC-100R: Which Cripple Creek Model Banjo Should You Buy? →
• Gold Tone OB-Grandee vs OB-300: An Honest Comparison →
• Gold Tone OB-150 vs BG-150F: What’s the Difference? →
• Gold Tone OB-2 vs OB-2+: Which Bowtie Banjo Should You Buy? →
• Gold Tone BG-150F vs BG-175F: Which Bluegrass Banjo Should You Buy? →
• Deering Blackgrass vs Blackgrass Special: Which One Should You Buy? →

Know your banjo

• How to Date an ODE BanjoDate an ODE from its serial number, once you know which of its three formats you are looking at.Read more →
• What Makes a Parts Banjo? Inside This Reissue Gold Star GF-85 BuildWhy a well-built parts banjo can outperform instruments costing twice as much.Read more →
• What Is a Top Tension Banjo? Inside Gibson’s 1937 RedesignA top tension banjo tightens its head from the top, so you never have to take the resonator off to adjust it.Read more →
• How Banjo Bridges Are Notched at the Huber Banjo FactoryOur banjo tech Tara notches bridges with Steve Huber and Bennie Boling in Hendersonville, Tennessee.Read more →
• We Found a 1979 Stelling Field Service Manual in Our ArchivesA well-worn copy of Geoff Stelling’s 1979 field service manual, with his hand-drawn diagrams.Read more →
• What Is a Pre-War Gibson Banjo Worth?Value comes down to the model, the originality of the parts, the tone ring and condition.Read more →
• The Salstrom Banjo Company: How a Small Illinois Town Built the Banjo Fender Couldn’t IgnoreThe story of a small Illinois banjo maker most players have never heard of, told through a 1960s Salstrom B5-C.Read more →
• Greg Rich’s First Gold Tone Designs: What You Need to KnowThe designer behind celebrated Gibson, Recording King, Saga and Rich & Taylor banjos has joined Gold Tone as a Product Development Specialist.Read more →
• OME Banjos: America’s Oldest Banjo MakerThe oldest active banjo maker in the United States, building banjos since 1960.Read more →

Wondering what your banjo is worth? Ask us for a general idea of its value, or sell your banjo to us.