The banjos became very popular in the United State in the late 1800s and lasted all the way till the 1930s, when the popularity saw a slow decline. Some of the best banjos ever made were produced by the Rogers Drum Company.
Banjos were actually invented and innovated by the Africans and were introduced into the country when the African slaves started making the ‘banza’ drums as a means to relieve themselves of their slavery. The drums were first noticed by Richard Jobson who first recorded the presence of the instrument made out of a great gourd and a neck where strings were fastened. Through the two centuries of slavery, the banjo was called different names by different men: banjar, banjil, bangoe, bangie and banshaw.
The popularity of the banjo developed from a caricature that white men attempted to make of the black faces of the slaves. They made it as part of their prop, and the popularity of the instrument became a well known form of entertainment. As a point of interest: do you know that Steve Martin, that famous actor who recently co-hosted the 2010 Oscar Awards, is considered one of the greatest banjo players today?
Today, production of the banjo has dwindled to such an extent that there is really not much offered out there that bears any distinction. However, there are still some custom made banjos that a good acoustic drummers use. Although popular with musicians, the cost of making quality calf skinheads banjos are great and not anyone can just buy it off the shelf and expect a quality piece.
For those interested in banjos, there are ways to get hold of used banjos that one can find online. They can be very expensive, especially as new ones are even more expensive. Whether you are looking for 4-string, 5-string or 6 string banjos, they are available online and can cost from $1200 all the way to $17,000 or even more for some really good quality and branded ones.
Thinking that used banjos are cheap is just fooling yourself. Remember, banjos are quality instruments and very few are producing or manufacture them presently. This makes used banjos an expensive commodity. Go online and go through the choices that are offered for used banjos. They are expensive, but they are worth your money if you find the one that is just right for you. Only thing: make sure that the distributor is trustworthy, that they won’t sell you banjos that are not worth anything, that the banjos actually work.