If you have the craving to play something new and different, (I constantly have this issue). The KMISE Banjo Ukelele is definitely a great instrument for anyone beginning to play Banjolele that plans to play one for awhile. These Banjo-ukes are durable and sound absolutely incredible.
This is my full review covering why I think this is the best banjolele for a beginner, including the good bad and the Ugly. There will be four sections, Body & Neck, Sound, Pros & Cons, and Conclusion.
Don’t have much time to read the full review? I found this YouTube video does a great job covering the basics about the instrument.
Also, if you want to get a better idea of what other people thought about the Banjolele I definitely recommend checking out Amazon and looking through their reviews.
Body & Neck –
The first thing you’ll notice about this banjolele is that not only does it look good, but the build quality is excellent for the price. There is a definite “Wow” factor when you first check the instrument out (P.S. Rumor has it these are priced low to ramp up sales and create interest). This banjolele has sapele wood for the back and sides and rosewood fingerboard which looks great and adds some extra warmth to the tone.
The Banjolele is concert size (23″ or 58.5cm) which is standard size for a Banjolele. It weighs 2.6 pounds, so it is pretty light, and has absolutely no plastic parts other than the nut and bridge. Which was huge for me after noticing that there were other Banjoleles out there with lots of plastic parts that were anywhere from twice as much to three times as much to purchase. Plastic parts usually don’t last very long or work well, and usually have to be replaced as well.
The Banjolele has a wider neck than most, which makes it easier to play on especially for beginners, and comes pre-strung with Aquila string.
Sound
Clean, warm and with a little bit of a twang to it, this is an absolutely beautiful sounding banjolele. I’ve said before that this particular banjolele is a bargain, but here is where it really counts. This particular banjolele sounds great finger-picked or strumming full chords (It’s a common problem for banjoleles to sound a little funky when strumming through chords).
As an added bonus, this model can actually be modded to sound even louder by unscrewing the screws in the back a little providing a small gap making a make shift resonator. If you watch the video above he shows how to do this. I’ve found this to be completely unnecessary though, because this particular model is surprisingly loud just how it comes.
Listen to that feel good twang for yourself.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Inexpensive, compared to other options
- Built to last
- Made of good materials
- Sounds Incredible
- Has a Quality, professional look
- Has a wider neck making it easier for beginners to play chords
Cons
- Clip on Tuners don’t work well with this model
- Strings that come with the Banjolele will need to be replaced quickly because they snap easily
Conclusion
This Banjolele is perfect for someone who is starting out with the instrument, at an extremely low price and made well KMISE did something really right with this particular instrument. The piece sounds absolutely incredible, and has the perfect mixture of twang and warmth you expect from a banjo-ukulele mixture. It’s absolutely a blast to play, and having a slightly larger fretboard just makes it loads easier to play since you don’t have to scrunch your fingers together so much.
Compared to all of the other models out there, this one really sticks out as a solid, quality instrument. If there was anything I could change about it, I guess I’d give it a little more flair. That’s personal taste however. I would also like for KMISE to make a slightly smaller soprano version as well.
This thing is FUN. As a musician I love playing all my instruments, but this one is an absolute blast to play with, I especially love pulling it out around some buddies when we’re jamming. It becomes the center of attention pretty quickly.
All-in-All, great instrument and surprisingly so. One of my better purchases.