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Pros:
- Great price
- Great for traveling
- Comfortable even for beginners
Cons:
- High action
- Strings
Owning a banjolele is one hell of a way to stand out. As flashy and decorative as this instrument might look, it is much more interesting sound-wise. I mean, a combination of banjo and ukulele? Sign me up. But there is also a very easy way to stand out by owning a banjo ukulele that sounds morbid. Just so that you stand out the right way, let’s talk about TFW Banjolele Ukulele Banjo, one of our favorite, and probably one of the best banjoleles, under $150-200 mark. This is a great instrument for beginners, kids and anyone who travels around and wants a durable banjolele that does not cost too much.
Build
This concert-sized banjo uke with a resonator might seem like a toy but it’s got a lot to offer. The dark mahogany back, sides and neck provide consistency while the rosewood fretboard on top of the neck yield smooth, comfortable experience. With a total length of 24″ and a Remo head with 12 head brackets, this model offers pretty basic but durable materials that pay off in sound. One great feature of this instrument that its resonator is removable. This allows for more versatility in playing.
Hardware
This banjo ukulele is equipped with pretty standard hardware. First of all, you get the geared tuners that work pretty well, are easy to tune and after a week or two will hold the tune pretty well. Of course, I don’t have to remind you… well, maybe if you are a beginner I should… that most string instruments take a little bit of time to stay in tune. So if you have this issue with this instrument, play it longer and it’s going to get better. You also get a rosewood bridge.
Rosewood is a pretty standard material for bridge and fretboard because it does the job well and yield better performance and comfort. Since this is a nice instrument for a lot of beginners I feel that I have to warn you that you will have to install the bridge yourself. This is pretty standard, manufacturers never (well, almost never) ship their banjoleles with the bridge on because it can ruin the entire instrument. But fret not, my friend, there is a very handy instruction brochure that shops with the instrument. And if you need a more visual aid, there are hundreds of instructional videos on Youtube about installing bridges.
Okay, you probably do not expect that an affordable instrument can be flawless. That is definitely the case with this one too. For instance, the nut is a little bit high (a.k.a high action) but it can be sanded down which is a pretty easy fix. The other issue I have are the strings. For some reason, these Aquila strings just do not fit this instrument and don’t really add to the playability of the instrument. For a banjo ukulele in this price range, I think these are minor issues that can be fixed very easily.
TFW Banjolele Sound
To be absolutely honest I did not expect much from this instrument when I first got it. Most beginner instruments tend to have certain flows that can be overlooked for the price. They also do not offer that much sound-wise either. However, TFW Banjolele Ukulele Banjo is here to change the game. Don’t get me wrong, this banjolele won’t be mistaken for a $1000 models, but it definitely can hold its own with models that are twice its price.
The balanced tone with an astounding projection that comes with this instrument has pretty much proved to me that the price tag does not mean a lot. This is a loud, versatile banjolele that will be an amazing starting point for someone who has not had any experience before.
Conclusion
I have said it many times and will repeat over and over again, I am so jealous of people who have recently decided to learn banjoleles or, for that matter, any other instrument. Manufacturers come up with hundreds of ways to create quality models for a lot less price. And while the more affordable models might not have the same features as the more high-end ones, there is so much they offer. The TFW Banjolele Ukulele Banjo is definitely one of those models that you think does not have much but really blows you away once you pick it up.
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