The ‘banjolele’ and banjo ukulele or ‘banjo uke’ are affectionately familiar as dynamic instruments, creating a unique sound. This blend of the two instruments creates a banjo sound while retaining the lesser appearance of a uke. Indeed, it features a fun and straightforward instrument to play. We are about to show you several types below.
Our research lasted a few days, and we spent about 43 hours experimenting with the various banjo ukuleles on the market. We have researched 33 models and will review some of them in this article. We’ve mentioned what we prefer about each.
Top 5 Best Banjo Ukulele and banjolele reviews for Beginners to Advanced
1. Kmise, 4, Banjolele Ukulele Banjo
We have selected this Kmise Banjolele 4-String for those looking for a banjo ukulele under $100. This model characterizes the concert size and is available in different colors.
The drum head of this 4-string instrument consists of polyester with excellent resilience and responds quickly. Also, the Kmise uke equips it with Aquila strings and high-quality close-gear tuners. As a result, it does not create a brilliant and percussive melody but aids it in staying in tune.
For its construction, this concert-type device uses the Sapele top and back to ensure its durability. Besides, it has a truss rod inside the neck to adjust the action with the wrench as required.
This product includes a smooth fretboard and neat fret wires with comfort and protection in mind. Various playing methods, like the resonator style or an open back style by detaching its back, are among the most common.
Why are we fascinated?
- Multifunctional musical instrument
- A piezo pickup for recording
- Different playing methods
- A low action
Which inconveniences must you remember?
- Unsuitable for beginners
2. Aklot Banjo Ukulele Concert
Now, we are about to review this product from the AKLOT. Our initial opinion is exclusive. The layout becomes excellent. This item provides an unparalleled fit and finish in this price range.
This item features a maple neck and rim with a natural satin finish that looks great and offers a comfortable playing feel. It contains a lovely Remo Fiberskyn drumhead, producing a fuller and richer tone than other instruments.
This best banjolele package incorporates an advanced tuner that aids you in tuning accurately and being in tune. AKLOT puts a two-way truss rod, allowing you to customize your action. This inexpensive uke offers sanded frets with a solid maple fingerboard for comfortable playing.
This pack has a tuner, picks, ruler, gig bag, wrench, strap, and a cleaning cloth. Apart from those, the four-string musical instrument has a 2-year warranty.
Benefits:
- Good sound projection
- Free Accessories
- Quality construction
Disadvantages:
- The string needs several days to settle.
3. Mulucky 4 String Banjolele, Banjo Ukulele
Although Mulucky is not as well-known as other brands, you wonder why we have included it on the list. Honestly, its performance has made us bound to do it.
The Mulucky incorporates a sapele xylophone body with lovely wood grain. This body is robust, durable, and is not straightforward to warp or corrode. Also, it has anti-corrosion chrome-plated pegs, which confirm the 15:1 transmission ratio string pitch.
The brand uses a Remo Head, perfect enough to produce a warm, full-range tone with outstanding definition and enhance mid and low-range resonance.
Further, the BU803 brings an adjustable truss rod to balance the string tensions and to determine the perfect string height according to needs.
What makes it unique?
- Proper for beginners
- Simple to use
- Wonderful sound and intonation
What should have been better?
- Construction quality
4. Banjo 5-String 26 Inch Tenor
This time, we bring an item for those seasoned and professional uke players. It is the tenor banjo from the Lotkey. Indeed, it comes at a reasonable price with accessories.
This 5-string banjo brings a PHL fingerboard and maple bridge, which are stiff, stable, and praiseworthy to deliver a banjo layered sound. Also, the company incorporates Sapele’s sides and back with captivating wood grains to make it last a long time.
The lovely part of this instrument is that its neck is thin and simple to hold. The hand-pressing strings become more labor-saving. The tone of this instrument is firm, and it stays in tune for a long.
The Lotkey supplies plenty of accessories with this product that is necessary to start. Also, it provides a 90-day warranty and lifetime string replacement.
Why is it special?
- 5-string banjo for the price
- Accessories that you require
- Simple to hold
What are the defects?
- Tuners should have had more advanced features.
5. Sapele Travel Banjolele 26 Inch 4 String
There are a lot of musicians who want to take their banjo uke with them on tour, so we put this product on our list. In truth, this banjolele from Lotmusic is lightweight and a fine-looking instrument, suitable for travel.
Lotmusic has used an open-back design to produce a softer sound. Besides, this model with the Remo Drumhead and Sapele Body contains 12 durable chrome-plated brackets to confirm head panel tension.
Like many, it is natural to worry about its tuning. But don’t worry. The company has attached a chrome closed-geared tuner so that its tuning can be more accurate and keep it in tune.
Keeping comfort in mind, it incorporates an advanced two-way truss rod. Consequently, you can customize the distance between the fingerboard and strings far away or close to stay straight and cozy while playing this banjolele.
What are our preferred properties?
- Travel-friendly banjo
- Improved two-way truss rod
- Plenty of extras
Which one is not ideal about it?
- Somewhat weighty at the point of travel
What is a Banjolele?
A banjolele, a small stringed instrument, has a banjo body and a ukulele neck.
Its body is formed of a circular rim with a drum-like head extending upwards.
The rim (also known as the bowl) typically consists of wood. But some banjo ukes are also available in metal or plastic rims. The head usually remains plastic, but some older Banjole’s heads were procurable in animal skin.
Most banjo ukes consist of a soprano or concert ukulele scale, even though tenor scale ones are also available.
Differences Between a Banjo And Ukulele
Banjo Features:
- Strings: Five metal
- Tuning: G-D-G-B-E
- Scale: 26″ to 28″
- Playing: Fingerpicks
Ukulele Features:
- Strings: Four soft nylon
- Tuning: G-C-E-A
- Scale: Short 13″ or 15″
- Playing: Fingers
Considerations when buying the best banjo ukulele
Well, we have picked up several instruments in our review and mentioned some qualities about each. Yet, there is much more you have to learn about banjoleles.
Think about what kind of materials you are comfortable with, your priority for design, what type of instrument you like to play overall, and other relevant factors, such as whether your instrument brings extras. These factors sometimes might settle your purchase of a banjo.
Type of Banjolele
In our article on the best banjo uke, we’ve reviewed concert and tenor banjoleles. Typically, there is no main distinction between the tenor and concert banjolele types.
The first difference is the tenor remains long compared to the concert variety you’ll immediately find. For example, its fretboard remains notably large, making it somewhat straightforward to play.
The bigger size of the tenor implies that you’ll enjoy much volume and bass compared to the concert. Indeed, a tenor banjolele type will be an ideal option for those with large fingers or those who like additional space.
Construction
As with anything you purchase, one of the main factors to consider is the materials used to build the product. In an ideal buying, you intend to explore a banjolele crafted from the best materials at the lowest price. Although it’s not a simple task, we notice many similarities in the materials used for the banjolele construction.
The body becomes like the wood construction of a banjo because the banjoleles feature a half-breed between the body of a banjo and the neck of a ukulele. The maple, rosewood, and mahogany are the most common woods used in banjolele construction.
Accompanying metal parts often aids in adding stability to the design. Manufacturers usually use polyester, sapele, and some polyvinyl materials to build heads, although rosewood and walnut go for fretboards.
But choosing the best one with mahogany construction available in the market is not a bad option, according to our opinion.
Design
The noticeable thing about these banjoleles is that they contain their distinct personality and style. Many respect their roots, whereas others are prone to include a more classy and impartial design. Regardless, you can check out the design ranges and decide which adapts to your style best.
Also, there are colorful designs available on the market. Usually, the colorful designs are lovely for children who wish to master the banjolele and intend designs that will be distinct.
Number of Frets
For music lovers who have no idea, the number of metal strips on the fretboard or neck of the banjolele is the frets. Having 18 frets for banjo ukuleles is the most common. But having more frets does not necessarily imply it is a better or better thing. The bottom line is which banjo is comfortable in your hand.
What we want to say by it is that on a short (in length) concert-style banjo, the frets remain nearer together due to their shorter neck. For the long ones like tenor-style banjoleles, the neck is long, and consequently, players get a little more space between the frets.
Anyway, while buying one, finding more-spaced ones is not necessary for players because many of them get relaxed on the smaller scale that a concert delivers. As you understand, it depends on personal preference.
Strings
Currently, there are various types of strings on the market. Nylon ukulele strings or synthetic Nylgut strings are the most popular among them. The Aquila is one of the prime brands of quality strings. You understand if your instrument brings this brand, you own some solid strings. They manufacture the mentioned Nylgut strings, and a few contemporary ones come with them.
Like guitar strings, you have to tune them as long as they are not stretched.
Accessories
From the perspective of extra accessories, you might require a tuner, gig bag, and tools, and some banjos are available with them, whereas others don’t.
We begin with a gig bag. It might become a better accessory as it will aid you in transporting your instrument to different places. Indeed, these bags are not always equal. For example, some are available in padding to defend your instrument.
For electronic tuners, these are fantastic for spending less time finding out how to get your instrument to sound right.
Each banjo package comes with a difference. All have various accessories. So double-checking is always best to notice what you’re gaining from the best banjo uke.
Price range
Like any product, you are about to see a wide range of prices, and there is no new thing with these banjoles. Decide how much you intend to spend on a banjo. We have shown three price categories to make your decision simple.
At the lower end of Banjo prices, one might hope to spend under $125. These are superb for those hesitant about spending more dollars on a hobby they might or might not require long term.
At mid-level prices, you will get banjos in the $125-$300 range. At this level, you will see an increase in the quality of the components of this banjo.
In the higher end of the price range, $300 and up, premium banjo, crafted from the highest quality ingredients, inhabits this category.
Warranty
Another crucial factor in buying a banjo is a product warranty to make your purchase more productive. Warranties vary widely for each product. Some products offer a 30-day Warranty. On the other hand, some have lifetime warranties, while specific conditions need to be followed to enjoy the lifetime warranty. If anything occurs with your uke, keeping this feature in your pocket becomes beneficial.
FAQs
Q: Are Ukulele and Banjolele Chords the Same?
Yeah! The chords of the ukulele and banjolele are just similar.
Q: How Can I Play a Banjolele?
Many musicians play the banjolele just like they play the ukulele using their fingers.
But someone likes to utilize a pick for a brighter and louder sound.
Q: What is the Best Banjo or Banjolele?
The reply relies on your budget, like most things.
If you are unwilling to invest more in the banjolele, you can opt for the Kmise and Aklot banjo mentioned above.
Conclusion: Best Banjo Ukulele
Choosing the correct one depends on personal preference and budget. Honestly, these mentioned banjos are our favorite, but there are many more banjos out there.
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