(Updated: Aug, 19th 2018)

IN THIS REVIEW:

You’ll find what we consider to be the Top 5 Banjoleles in the world. We Review each Banjolele and give some extra information about each.

Playing the Banjolele is one of the most fun, rewarding instruments I’ve ever played. They are the center of attention whenever they’re pulled out, and are great for jamming with friends.

Choosing the right one to buy is a little complicated however, just like buying any instrument there are many things to consider before you make a purchase. I’ve tried in this article to go over everything you need to know so you can make the best decision on which banjolele will be best for you.

Read this first:

I wrote this article trying to as accurately as possible review as many Banjoleles to come up with which were the best ones to play. After reviewing each Banjolele however, I’ve come to the conclusion that there really isn’t any that are necessarily better than others, just some that are better suited for certain players.

For instance, if you wanted a really crisp happy but not so twangy Banjolele you could go with a Luna, or if you want to be thrifty try a KMISE which is quite well made and truly a steal.

Each and everyone of these has its perks. It’s up to you decide what’s best. I’ve written a short review here for each and provided a link to a full review as well. I’ve tried to be as least bias as possible on each of these, and also did a lot of research on each.

Note: Don’t skip the “Important things to know about buying your first Banjolele, there are some points I make there that most people just don’t think about when buying a Banjolele, but are crucial for choosing the right one.

What is a Banjolele?

I’m assuming most people know what these are, If say you searched for this and reached this article, but for those browsing the blog, a Banjolele is simply a cross between a Ukulele and a Banjo.

They were originally made in the 1900s, and George Formby made them extremely popular by the 1930s. George was an incredible comedian, singer, Banjolele player and actor.

If you don’t think you’ve heard of him, maybe this song will ring a bell.

originally, the Banjolele was made because traditional Ukuleles were simply not loud enough.

The bottom of the Banjolele looks just like a snare drum, and basically is one without the beads. The rest is the same as you’d find on any normal Ukulele. Pretty simple right?

Note for Ukulele players: If you’re interested in playing the Banjolele because of previous experience with Ukuleles, know that these are tuned the same (some are Soprano sized and are meant to be tuned down to concert tuning however) and are very similar to playing a Ukulele except that these are much heavier than your standard Ukulele because of the metal ring around them, and sometimes the resonators can be quite heavy as well.

Important things to know about buying your first Banjolele:

Like all instruments, Banjoleles can vary quite a bit from one instrument to the next.

As with most instruments, Banjoleles can be quite different from each other. There are many variations of each even under the same brands and model types, you’ll definitely want to try to find out as much as you can about whichever Banjolele you’re interested in so there aren’t any surprises.

Higher Price Doesn’t Equal higher Quality

For a lot of stuff, I simply go name brand and call it a day. This is absolutely not the best way to go about picking up a Banjolele. There are plenty high priced Banjoleles out there that aren’t even close to as good as some of the most inexpensive Banjoleles you can find. These are very easy to spot however, so I wouldn’t worry about it very much.

Quite a few require some assembly

If you’re not into putting together your own instruments, I’d definitely suggest taking a close look at the detail page and reviews on whichever Banjolele you’re thinking about purchasing. Some of these do require assembly, and that’s a bummer if you’re looking to play the instrument right out of the box when it arrives.

My (Top 5) Banjoleles.

1) Gold Tone DLX (Concert-Scale Banjo Ukulele Deluxe)

I put this one first because this is probably the most popular Banjolele I’ve found on the internet. I’m guessing because it so closely resembles the Banjolele George Formby loved the most, the Gibson UB-3. The Gold Tone sound actually resembles the Gibson, a stunning instrument.

So why is this the most popular one on the list? This Banjolele is absolutely phenomenal sounding, even though there isn’t much of a twang at all to it, this Banjolele sounds absolutely incredible. Here’s a quick vid I found of a guy absolutely killing a Formby style jam.

Note: This is the most expensive Banjolele on the list, prices are usually around 500$ New.

Want to find out more about Gold-Tone Banjoleles? Here’s my full review.

2) KMISE (Original Model)

If you’ve done any scouting through the internet you’ll find tons of good reviews on these. They’re a steal wherever you buy them as they are one of the most inexpensive on this list and still a very quality instrument.

If you’re looking to play a Banjolele that sounds like one of George Formby’s but you’re looking for a bargain, this is probably your best bet.

This Banjolele is solid and a good bargain, it’s meant for someone who wants a slight twang but doesn’t want to shell out a lot of dough.

Note: This is the least expensive Banjolele on my list. Also, there’s only one model currently available.

Check out my full review here.

Or, just watch this shorter version and hear for yourself the quality on this absurdly cheap Banjolele.

3) Recording King’s U-25

Recording King puts out quite a few good instruments, and has a few lines of Banjolele as well. This particular model of Banjolele sounds the most like a Banjo, so if that’s the sound you’re looking for this is the model I’d recommend. This company in general is incredibly underrated in my personal opinion, and also not as well known as they should be.

The aesthetics of this Banjolele are quite nice and it has a vintage look and feel to it, which is actually what Recording King strives for. Most of Recording King’s instruments are styled off models from the 30s.

This particular model is made well, plays great and sounds good to. All in all a great model of Banjolele, I do think the price is slightly high however.

Note: When I looked through reviews for this model to see what other people thought, I was surprised at how many left really absurd reviews. It seems like a lot of people who owned this instrument are new instrument owners and were just overly harsh. For instance I saw many reviews saying how the strings would go out of tune when they first got the Banjolele (You have to let the strings stretch).

Take a listen to this twangy BR-U25 or check out my full review Here.

4) Kala (KA-BNJ-C)

One of the most loved and obsessed about brands by Ukulele players around the world, Kala makes just as good a Banjolele. Chances are you’ve heard about the instrument makers before, but in case you haven’t heard of them here’s my quick spiel:

Kala’s History is rich…..

They say the company started in 1995 in July when Mike Upton (A true Ukulele aficionado) decided he needed to make more money to provide for his family and three year old daughter, but I’d say there history actually starts with Mike was two, and picked up a Ukulele (Which I assume was his first instrument).

From there, Mike became a great Ukulele player, with real attachment to the instrument and experience. This of course, was a huge advantage for when his company finally was official in 1995.

Things really took off when he started the company. (This might’ve been from his experience working before at the Hohner company where he was an influence in adding a line there of Ukuleles that were better than the standard ones currently on the market.)

Since then Kala has consistently and at a furious pace set out new instruments each and every year. This year they will be launching four more Ka-15s and many more models including a long-neck soprano (Personally excited about). This is their 13th year of success, and hopefully will be stay that way for years to come.

Now, on to their Banjoleles…..

When you first start listening to these Banjoleles, one of the first things you’ll notice is the tone is drastically different than what you’d expect from most Banjoleles, and I really struggled coming up with a word to describe the tone of this Banjolele. I’ve decided to go with earthy (You’ll definitely have to listen to this one yourself), and maybe you could describe it as natural as well.

The thing is about these Banjoleles is that they don’t seem to be made so much different than other ones, so how that tone sounds is slightly a mystery to me.

My only guess, is that since so many Banjoleles are Soprano sized and then tuned down to concert tuning, that since this Banjolele is concert sized and tuned that way that’s what causes the tone. (Which is beautiful, and would sound great played with older classic songs).

These Banjoleles are quality, just like all of Kala’s other instruments. If this is the tone you’re looking for, I’d definitely suggest getting one. I also highly recommend checking out their other instruments as well, especially their U-Bass line.

Listen and hear for yourself:

5) Luna: (Ulu)

The Luna Ulu stands out as the most versatile Banjolele on this list with a crisp, bright tone with only a slight bit of twang.

It also stands out the most with a beautiful etched design on the back that you can see through the clear head. A very unique instrument.

Since the tone isn’t extremely twangy or dull, this Banjolele is the most versatile on the list and would sound good played with many styles of music.

This piece is probably the best for someone who wants a really sweet, happy tone. My girlfriend describes it as sounding very “Hawaiian and pretty”.

Hear it in action, and fall in love.

Get a more full review of the Banjolele here.

Note: This Banjolele usually goes for around 200$, so it puts it in the medium price range.

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Conclusion:

Picking the right Banjolele for you is really based on personal preference and budget, even though these are my personal favorites there are tons of other great Banjoleles out there.

If you’re on the fence about getting one, I definitely suggest you do. Especially if you already have experience playing a ukulele or any stringed instrument really. These things are a blast and they’re always the center of attention any time I’m jamming with some buddies or even when I’m sitting around wondering what I should practice on.

They’re just stupid fun to play.

I also strongly strongly suggest buying these from a music shop, I saw quite a few reviews saying they bought theirs from larger internet sites that did a very poor job in handling their instrument. An actual music store will know and hire people that know what they’re doing.

Hope you enjoyed reading, thanks so much

-Cameron Broke and Talented

P.S. Leave a comment below if you have any questions! I’d love to answer any questions anyone has!