Kmise 5 String Banjo Review

Hands down, the banjo is one of the fun instruments you can ever find. Let’s say you’re craving to play something new and different this time or you’re already exploring the world of Banjos.

Well, no matter the case, KMISE Banjo Ukulele is an ideal choice for beginners or just anyone. Whether you’re just planning to learn banjo or you’re intending to do so for a long time, trust me on this, you can never go wrong with this Kmise banjo and the beautiful sound of it.

The necessity for the artists to have an instrument that could be used with the ease of the ukulele but with additional volume basically encouraged the creation of this fun-sounding instrument, the banjolele.

Now that we’re done and dusted with the intro part, let’s get straight to the review. Here I mostly covered why I think this is a very beginner-friendly classic banjo, including all the good, bad & ugly.

Key Features

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Kmise banjo uses a high-quality REMO drumhead that can produce a pleasant sound. The player can beat the banjo drumhead panel to create a beautiful melody while plucking the string.

It is also designed with a pretty Sapele removable back cover. Of course, you can choose to close or open the back at any time.

Not to mention this banjo is equipped with a caring armrest, which can protect your arm and make you comfortable while playing.

Okoume neck and Sapele back cover perk up the Kmise banjo as shinier and more durable.

I’ve already pointed out how Kmise banjo is perfect for beginners. As it comes with a gig bag, which allows you to take your beloved banjo with you anywhere you go. It also comes with a banjo neck strap, extra strings, digital clip-on advanced tuner, polishing cloth, Allen wrench, and banjo picks as gifts, the whole combination makes the suitable banjos for beginner one-off.

The accessories with the instrument in this price range certainly come as an added bonus.

Tech Specification of Kmise 5 String Banjo

• Size:  38″ Resonator Banjo
• Color: MI2953-KUS
• String: 5 String (Four Long one Short)
• Bracket: 18
• Frets: 22
• Drumhead: Polyester Film
• Drumhead size: 11 inch
• Back: Closed
• Armrest: Yes
• Finish: Satin
• Bridge: Ebony cap
• Batteries: 1 CR2 battery required. (included)
• Item Weight: 4.12 kg
• Tuner: Chrome & sealed

Adjustable Tailpiece: Stainless steel

This banjo is built entirely of wood, including the resonator, giving it a traditional resonator style & classic appearance with a fine bright paint as well as, making the banjo durable. The banjo strings are made of high-quality steel and are very simple to tune.

But wait, there’s more left in my review article you should definitely look into. So, shall we?

Semi-open Tuning

White jade tuning pegs with a 15:1 ratio, the Kmise tuning machine is semi-open in design. It also comes with a detachable 24 chrome-plated bracket cover that helps to resist rust and dust, making banjo tuning more pleasant and precise at the same time.

Phosphor Bronze Strings

Kmise 5 Strings Banjo uses the most popular light loop end phosphor bronze adjustable strings. The entire banjo mostly helps to provide an excellent combination of tone and projection. It makes the banjo sounds smoother and more vibrant. As a result, a very well-balanced acoustical sound comes out from this 5 stringed banjolele.

High-Quality Remo Drum Head

This beginner banjo features a high-quality drumhead panel. It results in a crisp, lively, and classic tone with a loud sound, strong depth, and obvious note separation. These high-quality Remo head also adds a little sustain and overtones to create brighter sound. While playing, when you pluck a string, the player can also hit the Remo head panel and add accents to the music.

Removable Sapele Back Cover

The back can be easily removed to change the balanced tone-making procedure or to articulate sound. For sure, this feature makes this instrument a very versatile one for instrument lovers. The closed-back banjo produces a very cheerful bright tone and softer sound. This definitely carries more volume and the characteristic twang one can expect from a basic banjo. When desired or required, the back is very easy to remove.

One of the finest features of this banjo is that it can be played with or without amplification due to its open-back construction.

This banjo may be played as a regular closed-back resonator banjo or with its open-back banjo design. It is entirely constructed of wood and features high-quality steel strings that are simple to tune, but more importantly, it sounds fantastic!

Not to mention, it allows a more subtle, smooth, and sweet tone, giving you the range and versatility of two different banjos into one single instrument.

Two-way Truss Rod

This five-string banjo has an adjustable Truss rod to keep the neck adjustment in the right place. The flexible truss rod design of the Kmise banjo helps every player to maintain the long slim neck straight. It basically helps by countering the pull of the strings and inherent inclinations in the wood sound chamber.

The 5th Tuner

Now, there is one more point I need to make here. This banjo comes with tuning pegs of high quality with a geared 5th tuner. The 5th string tuner plays a role to play a continuous note, also known as a drone note. This certain note the 5th tuner, in a specific key, usually on an open string, causes all the strings to create an open chord.

Comes with Armrest

The Kmise 5 string banjo is an amazing gift for professionals and music enthusiasts as well as beginners. However, it comes with 18 brackets, an Ebony cap bridge, a Polyester Film drumhead. It has an installed armrest to provide comfort while playing. So it is safe to say, this high-quality banjo has a very thoughtful armrest design. The Banjolele has a broader neck than most other instruments, making it simpler to play, particularly for the novices, and it comes pre-strung with Aquila string.

So, during lengthy playing periods, the metal armrest of your beloved banjo will no longer cause you pain or discomfort. You can just play comfortably the longer you want and completely focus on your practicing.

Body & Neck

Speaking of the body & neck part of this instrument, the first thing you are gonna notice about this banjolele is that it not only looks beautiful, but it’s also well-made compared to the current price. When you first look at the instrument, there is a distinct “wow” factor in this. The back and sides of this banjolele are made of superior material, with Sapele wood, while the fingerboard is made of rosewood and the bridge is made of maple wood, which makes the banjo durable and gives your instrument a natural, balanced tone.

Except for the nut and bridge, this 38-inch banjo is made entirely of wood. This was big for me after observing other Banjoleles out there with a lot of plastic parts that cost anywhere from twice to three times as much to buy. Plastic parts often do not last long or perform well and must be replaced after some time.

As I have mentioned earlier, this banjolele has a broader neck than others. It definitely gives a comfortable playing experience by making it more manageable and user-friendly, especially if you’re just starting out in this banjo field.

Sound Quality

“It’s an economical buy with the look of a more expensive banjo.”

Yes, you read that right. This is an extremely lovely sounding banjolele with a classic tone and cleaner sound, especially if you compare the excellent sound quality with its price range. It has a clean tone and has a slight twang to it. I’ve already stated that this banjolele is an amazing deal, but here’s where it truly matters. This banjolele is ideal for fingerpick or strumming full chords (it’s usual for banjoleles, to produce louder sounds or sound a little weird when strumming through chords).

Now that we’re almost done with the detailed review, let’s take a quick look at the part below.

I’m adding these pros & cons lists, which surely help you with your decision-making process.

Pros

• Made of superior/ high-quality materials
• Compared to the other budget banjo, this is very inexpensive
• Bright sounds
• Has wider neck, makes it more friendly for the newcomers
• Comes with adequate accessories for beginners
• It is cheap but doesn’t look cheap

Cons

• Slightly heavy than concert banjos
• The digital tuner that comes with this kit doesn’t pick up notes very well hence cannot provide accurate tuning
• The armrest cannot be adjusted

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kmise a good brand for banjo?

The KMISE brand is an ideal choice for beginners or anyone learning to play the banjolele or who’s here for a long haul. These types of banjo are extremely durable and provide an amazingly softer sound.

Is a 5 stringed banjo hard to play?

No, not really! In fact, this type of banjo is actually the simplest stringed instrument, of course with beautiful sounds to learn to play. The fact that the 5 string banjo’s standard tuning is an open G tuning makes it so simple to learn for the newcomers. It’s a friendly banjo for beginners.

What is the difference between a 4 string and a 5 string banjo?

You’ll find several types of banjos in the market. The 5 string is used for fingerpicking bluegrass and traditional style. The four-stringed instruments, both tenor and plectrum, are used for strumming music such as early jazz, Dixieland, and Irish music. Perform the instrument that is most suited to the music you wish to play or your playing methods.

Final Words

This Banjolele is ideal for someone who is just beginning to learn banjo; for an incredibly cost-effective price and well-made, KMISE is one of the banjo brands that accomplished something really well with this specific instrument.

The piece sounds great, with just the right amount of twang and warmth that you’d expect from a banjo-ukulele combination. It’s a lot of fun to play, and the slightly wider smooth fretboard just makes it a lot simpler to play.

Given all the other versions available, this one stands out as a very good deal. A sturdy, high-quality instrument at an affordable price.