Best Prices on 5-String Resonator “Bluegrass” Banjos
Enjoy huge savings on 5-String Resonator banjos, often played in the Bluegrass style of music. These banjos have a resonator attached to the back of the pot which projects the sound forward, away from the banjo player. These banjos tend to produce a bright and lively sound compared to the more muted tones of the open-back banjo. We carry many 5-String Resonator Banjos, some are right for a professional and some are better suited for a beginner banjo player.
One of our most popular beginner bluegrass banjos is the Deering Goodtime 2, which is a great investment for someone new the banjo scene. More experienced players looking to upgrade should check out the Deering Sierra, Deering Eagle 2, or Deering Calico. Get the best price and low monthly payments when you finance your banjo.
Made in USA
Just like its little cousin, the Goodtime banjo, the Deering Goodtime 2 is rich on sound and value. The Goodtime 2 comes built with a resonator that gives it that bright and big bluegrass sound. Made with care and precision, it offers quality and playability in an affordable package for players of all levels.
Made in USAThe Goodtime Special, renowned for its tone ring and resonator, debuts a revamped aesthetic drawn from the iconic American Art Deco era of the 1920s.
Made in USA
The Goodtime Special Resonator is also built with Deering’s new Tone Ring, which also gives the banjo its powerfully bright and sparkling tone. The banjo’s volume also wins points with players, and helps students hear themselves better during practice.
Made in USA
With a bluegrass resonator back for projection, the Artisan Goodtime 2 banjo has a 3-ply violin grade maple rim and produces a bright and clear tone that projects well and is louder than its open back counterpart.
Made in USAThe Goodtime Blackgrass is the ultimate banjo for players looking for something a little on the darker side. The pure black stain of the all maple wood is accented with matte black hardware and a black head which combine to put a dark twist on an otherwise traditional instrument.
Made in USA
The vintage look and vibrant tone of the patented Goodtime Special tone ring set this banjo apart, as clearly louder than the Goodtime Two and great for playing in a band setting.
It has been one of the highest selling banjos in the Gold Tone line for the last 15 years and is the basis of many inspired additions going above and beyond the call of duty.
Another great Orange Blossom pro-grade banjo, this one features a superb bell brass forty-hole arch-top (or raised-head) tone ring, like the ones in the G-word banjos made from the late 1920s into the 1930s (instead of the flat head ring).
We've designed hundreds of banjos in the last 25 years, but tone-wise, this outperforms every previous model. Includes an archtop hardshell case, lifetime transferrable warranty, and can optionally be ordered with capo spikes, pickup, Zero Glide upgraded nut, or as a left-handed model.
The Gold Tone OB-2 is a premium 5-string banjo, designed for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Crafted with a multi-ply maple rim and a slim, fast-playing neck, it produces a crisp, bright tone. This banjo stands out for its high-quality construction, and traditional, authentic sound.
Made in USA
Available exclusively at Banjo.com! Maple Neck and Resonator stained black.
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Made in USA
This is a light weight powerful sounding instrument. It is designed price wise not to break the bank, but give the player a powerful sound with great tone. It has a burl walnut resonator with black binding, ebony finger board, tone hoop with a 3 ply maple rim.
Made in USA
Manufactured in America by Bishline Banjos exclusively for Banjo.com. A serious banjo with a serious look! Black stained wood with nickel hardware and black tuners.
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Made in USA
Considered the Bluegrass workhorse, we feel like this is the best value for an American made full weight tone ring banjo on the market today. Fancy burl walnut resonator with satin finish, ivoroid binding, MOP inlay, three ply maple rim, nickel plated hardware.
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Made in USA
Hand-crafted in the USA by Rob Bishline, this banjo features a beautiful burl-walnut finish and classic lines. A professional-grade banjo in every way, this model includes a heavy bell-bronze tone ring, a one-piece flange and a gloss finish.
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Made in USA
Designed to have a woody sound acoustically and a great amplified sound at high volume. Comes with figured mahogany resonator with flame maple binding, ebony fingerboard, Bishline/ barnes woody rim/ring, black powder coated hardware and L.R. Baggs bridge pickup.
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Made in USA
Introducing Earth's lightest professional banjo. The Saturn achieves a great bluegrass sound at a fraction of the weight with its Timber-Tronic tone ring. It has a radiused fingerboard and Heli-Mount frame to boot.
Made in USAThe Zeus carries all the great features as the Saturn, but wears a beautiful curly maple neck and resonator and a Nextar peghead. Complete with high ratio tuners for smooth, super-accurate tuning.
Made in USA
Another Blishline traditional bluegrass powerhouse. The Clermont is made of tiger maple with traditional white binding and a cremona finish. Professional in every way, it includes a 3-pound bell-bronze tone ring and a hardshell case. Made in USA.
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Made in USA
An artistic banjo that sounds great and looks amazing. Black stained maple with dark wood binding, three ply maple rim, nickel hardware and koa binding. The fret board has constellation inlays.
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Made in USA
Named after Rob's mom, this has a mahogany resonator with flame maple binding. A warm rich bluegrass tone with 3 ply maple rim and nickel plated hardware.
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Made in USA
Many of our customers have been asking us to build a lighter banjo. Because of that, we have developed a few things to lighten our resonator banjo and are now happy to announce our newest Bishline model...The "Ultra-Light."
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Made in USA
Introducing Earth's most advanced banjo. 21st-century engineering collides with the five-string banjo to make a banjo that is ergonomic, sounds brilliant, and (practically) plays itself. Tradition blends with out-of-this-world innovation in our flagship professional bluegrass banjo.
Made in USA
As beautiful and elegant as its mythical namesake, the Athena is substantially lighter light in weight but with no loss of tone. It is sonically bold and dripping with tone.
The Shelby Whitewater is a masterful blend of classic design and modern refinement. Showcasing a graceful Pearl Wreath inlay on a flat rosewood fingerboard, set against a rich mahogany body with a gloss finish and accented by single cream binding and elegant concentric rings, this banjo is designed to captivate. With its double cut peghead, 20-hole Shelby tone ring, and precision-engineered hardware, the Shelby Whitewater promises an inspiring and balanced playing experience for discerning musicians.
The Shelby Blackhawk is an artisan masterpiece designed to inspire creativity and elevate your musical expression. Adorned with a signature pearl flying eagle inlay, it transforms every performance into a unique experience. Crafted with bespoke details and a refined aesthetic, this banjo is as much a work of art as it is an instrument.
The Shelby Grand Master is a pinnacle of musical artistry, blending classic aesthetics with modern innovation. It features a striking Pearl Flying Eagle inlay on a flat rosewood fingerboard and a sleek double cut peghead, set against a flamed maple body accented by cream/black/cream binding. With precision engineering – including a 20-hole Shelby tone ring, dual coordinator rods, and top-quality nickel hardware – this banjo delivers an unparalleled performance experience.
The Shelby ES-Special is a meticulously crafted banjo designed to enchant both the eyes and the ears. Featuring exquisite Pearl Hearts & Flowers inlays, a sleek double cut peghead, and a striking flamed maple body with a gloss finish and cream/black/cream binding, it embodies artistic elegance and performance. With a 20-hole Shelby tone ring, dual coordinator rods, and top-quality nickel hardware, the ES-Special is engineered to deliver a sublime playing experience for the discerning musician.
Made in USA
Crisp Maple with a brilliant full bodied tone, deep bass, brilliant highs, The Saratoga Star is one of the most elegantly beautiful modern banjos to enter the musical arena of classic instruments.
Made in USA
Beautiful exotic walnut with abalone & ivoroid trim, The G.D.L. (Greg Deering Limited) banjo carries Greg's namesake because he really enjoys the understated elegance of this model.
Made in USA
As you take the Nechville Vintage into your grasp you immediately begin sensing a uniqueness in quality.
Made in USA
The Saratoga Star is one of the most elegantly beautiful modern banjos to enter the musical arena of classic instruments. With Kruger Bronze Tone Ring.
Why would I want a resonator on my banjo?
We wrote a longer blog post on the differences between openback and resonator banjos, but the main difference is sound. A banjo with a resonator will be louder and have a “twangier” sound than an openback. When picked bluegrass style with finger-picks, the sound is very bright.
Popular 5-String Resonator “Bluegrass” Banjo Brands
As you know by know, we focus on American-made banjos. We believe their level of craftmanship exceeds most foreign-made instruments. American brands that we carry include, Deering, Goodtime by Deering, Bishline, & Nechville.
New to banjos? You might also enjoy reading a post we wrote titled, "How much should you spend on my first banjo?"
Bluegrass Banjos Made by Deering
Deering Banjo Company in California has been making exceptional instruments since the 1970s. Banjo.com has had a long history with Deering going back to 2003 when we got started. In fact, we were their first Master Dealer and were recently named their No. 1 Dealer in the World. We can’t say enough good things about the banjos they build. There are many to choose from so we will list a few best sellers below to get you started.
The Deering Sierra has been Deering’s most popular 5-String Resonator model for over 30 years. It has all of the components you would want in a high-end banjo, including the Deering -06- Bell Bronze Tone Ring. The simple styling allows them to keep the cost down. Order this in Mahogany or Maple for the same price. Moving down slightly in price, the Deering Eagle 2 is probably the next most popular resonator model. Other models you’ll want to at least take a look at are the Deering Calico, Deering Rustic Wreath, Deering Golden Era, and one of our all time favorites, the Deeering Tenbrooks Saratoga Star which comes in a couple different options.
Bluegrass Banjos Made by Goodtime by Deering
The same company making beautiful high-end banjos also has a line that’s better suited for beginner players. You’ll get the same exceptional craftsmanship and quality materials without the higher price point. Think of it as no frills, but every bit as reliable. In fact, they use the same rim.
Easily the Deering Goodtime 2 is the best seller here. It sounds fantastic and it’s not too heavy or expensive. If you want something with a little more punch, the Goodtime Special features a patented Steel Goodtime Special Tone Ring.
You might be wondering about the difference between the Goodtime by Deering and the Artisan Goodtime by Deering banjo lines. The Artisan series features a dark stain and some subtle upgrades like planetary tuners. Just like the blonde series, the Artisan Goodtime 2 and Artisan Goodtime Special are the best-selling resonator models of this series.
Bluegrass Banjos Made by Bishline
Made in Tulsa, Oklahoma, these banjos are handcrafted with high attention to detail. There aren’t many of these made each year so sometimes you may have to wait a couple months to receive your banjo.
The Bishline Cimarron is considered a bluegrass workhorse. This American-made banjo features a stunning walnut resonator and full-weight tone ring. The other models we want to mention are the Bishline Coal Dust and Bishline Coal Dust Revenege. These banjos were collaborations between Banjo.com and Bishline and are only available through banjo.com.
Bluegrass Banjos Made by Nechville
Tom Nechville in Bloomington, MN is the genius innovator behind this line of banjos. Again, the high attention to detail is obvious in every banjo he makes. The two models we want to highlight here are the Nechville Phantom and Nechville Meteor.
The Phantom features a beautiful walnut and cocobolo neck that you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll notice the absence of the 5th peg on the neck which makes changing left-hand positions easier.
The Meteor is an electric banjo with a dual pickup designed in part with Béla Fleck. This banjo can be customized with different exotic woods and makes an artistic statement with its unique design.
We Make Buying a Bluegrass Banjo Easy
Just like all of our banjos, you’ll get complimentary professional setup and free spiking if desired. If you are in the Continental U.S. you’ll enjoy free express shipping; reasonable rates apply everywhere else. We also send a free starter pack which includes picks, a tuner, and a strap for your banjo. If there is an issue with your banjo we have an easy exchange and return policy. Our customers are our top priority, check out our 5-star reviews.
Not sure which banjo is right for you or have a question about a banjo? You’re in luck, we are banjo experts! Lifelong musician Barry Waldrep is the proud owner of Banjo.com and ready to answer any banjo questions.