5 String Banjo Mini - Mulucky 26 Inch Travel Banjo Maple, Closed Solid Back Beginner Kit With Gig Bag Tuner Picks Strings Str

4 4 out of 5 stars | 286 ratings

Price: 99.99

Last update: 12-23-2024


About this item

♪ Bright and Percussive Sound - The drumhead of Mulucky mini banjo is made of polyester that has great elasticity to respond quickly.
♪ Beautiful Sound - 5 string banjo mini with geared 5th tuner brings the classic tones, 12 brackets ensure even head panel tension to fusion melodious percussion timbres by gently beating on the head
♪ Easy to Learn - The 26-inch banjo with 5 strings offers a distinctive sound that most players can easily grasp. And the chrome-plated closed tuning pegs are easy to tune and hold
♪ Complete Beginner Kit - 1 x Tuner, 1 x Pick-up, 1 x Strap, 1 x Ruler, 1 x Wrench, 1 x Cleaning Cloth, 3 x Picks, 3 x Finger Picks, 5 x Spare Strings

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5 String Banjo Mini - Mulucky 26 Inch Travel Banjo Maple, Closed Solid Back Beginner Kit With Gig Bag Tuner Picks Strings Strap - B805

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Ron
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic small 5 string banjo with resonator, gig bag, and accessories. It's very cool!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2024
    This is built every bit as good as a full size banjo. It has a resonator, nice inlays, quality tuners. I tuned it to standard banjo tuning and it works fine. It stays in tune and is easy to play.

    I bought mine for travel and for armchair playing. It's a quality instrument and suitable for adults. It would also be a good beginner banjo for a child.

    Previously I bought a slightly smaller one that was less money but no where as nice. I sold that one to buy this one. It's well worth the difference.
  • Bill Pen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Here is an accurate assessment.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2023
    I first bought a Vangoa mini banjo, possibly made in the same factory, with a scale two inches shorter and a total length 2.5” shorter. But several of the frets were slightly misplaced, so it couldn’t be tuned properly, and I returned it. Then I bought this. This one is a keeper, but I made it better. I’m going to respond to some comments other people made, as they don’t always know what they are talking about, and you can probably use the guidance. My other banjos are handmade professional banjos, so I know what a great banjo sounds like. I didn’t expect that level of tone here. However, I also do set-ups and repairs on stringed instruments, and I was able to improve this one quite a bit.

    1. The resonator is NOT PVC, but it is a hard black plastic of some sort. That is fine. The great inventor Lloyd Loar from the Gibson company actually made guitars from a similar plastic, and they sounded pretty good. Most resonators on professional banjos are made of laminated wood—that is, plywood. The resonator has a big effect on tone, but what it is made of is less important. In any case, this one does make the banjo sound louder from the front, but I got this for light-weight traveling, not playing in a concert. The resonator by itself weighs ten ounces. I prefer the sound without it, so I’m leaving it off. One guy complained that it was hard to reach the screws, but I noticed that he was using a thick four-in-one screwdriver instead of a proper longer skinnier Philips head screwdriver.

    2. The ad says the pot is NATO, which is a wood, but mine is plastic. Doesn’t matter very much. You can paddle a canoe with it without damage in a pinch. The shape is maintained by the flange, which is metal. This may also improve the tone a little. Professional banjos often have thick, heavy wood pots and also a tone ring that may weigh three pounds. Not meant for backpacking!

    2. Tuning. The scale of this banjo (nut to bridge) is 19.75”. That’s the standard distance on a standard banjo to where the 5th string is attached. So instead of open G, like regular banjos, this should be tuned to open C. That’s what the ad says! So I immediately tuned it to open C. But banjo strings are supposed to be quite low tension. These strings, tuned to C, seemed way too tight, and they didn’t sound right. So I tuned down to A, then open G, normal banjo tuning. Now the string tension seems to be more like what I’m used to. G D G B D. No, this isn’t with heavier strings. Standard banjo strings.

    3. Head tension. When I tuned this up, it sounded a bit like a sitar, sort of generalized buzziness. Not acceptable. When I removed the resonator, I found that one of the banjo hook nuts wasn’t even attached, and the others were tightened just barely enough to hold the head on. The promised tool for tightening these nuts wasn’t in the box, but I have one already. I tightened all the nuts at least a half turn, aiming at the same tension on each. The sitar sound disappeared! The tone was much improved. Assume that you will need to do this.

    4. Action. Once the head was tightened, the action on this was very good, and there was no buzzing. However, while the distance of the strings above the first fret wasn’t TOO bad, it was way higher than it needed to be, and this made the banjo harder to play. Here’s the thing: The action at the first fret does not need to be any higher than the action at the second fret when you are using a capo on the first fret. Any more, and you are just making life harder on yourself. But if the slots are just a shade too low, that string will buzz! I have the right tools, and I lowered the first fret action to where it should be. This made the banjo much easier to play. If you don’t know how, do spend $20 getting a guitar tech at a music store to do it for you. It’s worth the investment in playability. Also two of the strings pulled off the tiny dents in the bridge meant to hold them in place, so I used a file to cut all the slots in the bridge a tiny bit more. For the first and fifth strings, I also angled the slots toward the tailpiece. This solved the problem. Oh, I also rounded over the outside corners of the nut and the bridge with a little file and sandpaper so they wouldn’t dig into me. A sharp edge biting into my finger interferes with my concentration. Just took a few minutes.

    5. Tuners. The tuners aren’t expensive, but they will do, and they are very light—nice in a travel banjo. Some people here think the solution is to install banjo planetary tuners, but it isn’t. The real problem is that the strings weren’t put on properly, so they aren’t really locked in place and are slipping a little. Go on YouTube and find out how to properly lock strings when installing. If you do, one or two wraps of string is plenty, and they won’t slip, and they stay in tune much better. These may be cheap guitar or uke tuners, but they are still 1:12 tuners, compared to 1:4 planetary tuners, which tune up fast, but are hard to fine tune. I’d much rather have open-back guitar tuners than heavy sealed tuners, and I’d rather have guitar tuners than banjo tuners. So stop complaining and learn to put on strings properly.

    6. Strap. Yes, it’s a cheap uke strap, but it’s fine for this travel banjo. Most banjos don’t have any strap buttons. This has one on the neck, which is nice. Some complained that this strap only has a string to tie it to a banjo pot hook. But that’s been one of the standard methods for decades! You didn’t know? If you don’t like that, figure out where you want the strap to be, unbolt the closest pot hook, pull it up, insert it through the hole in the strap, and bolt it back together. (See photo of the strap on my beautiful Bart Reiter Whyte Laydie banjo.)

    7. Extras. Extras are nice for beginners. That may be what makes a sale. If a wrench is a little rusty, big deal. Just wipe it off. No problem. These things happen. The strings may work. I just throw them away and use a new set. I would recommend GHS Professional Banjo Strings PF 160 Medium for this banjo. They are are slightly heavier than the light gauge strings most banjo players use, but the neck is shorter here, so they may be a better choice. You can buy them here on Amazon. I had trouble with the tuner that came with the banjo. Barely usable. I tossed it. I use the tiny Planet Waves tuners. Not real easy to read, but tiny. The plastic picks that come with the banjo are the right size for a five year old. Actually, they don’t sound too bad. However, I recommend Ernie Ball Picky Picks for all fingerpicking because of their sharp ends give a souped fast attack and sound best. Thumb picks: Fred Kelly Delrin Speed Pick, Medium, is the best I’ve found for banjo and dobro. Someone complained that the picket on the gig bag isn’t big enough to hold the tuner and other supplies. Really? It’s meant to be sleek, not a backpack. Leave your tuner on the headstock where it belongs. Leave the wrench at home—you won’t often need it. Find a little coin purse on here to hold your picks. Maybe use some Velcro to attach it to the strap. As for the little pocket, just keep a spare set of strings in there. That’s all you need.

    In short, with a little work, a serious banjo player can for a tiny expenditure have a decent enough instrument to take on vacation that will fit nicely in an overhead bin. The tone is quite bearable. For a beginner, especially a child, this isn’t a bad place to start. This is under 3 lbs., while a professional banjo may be 10 to 15 lbs., plus the case.
    Customer image
    Bill Pen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Here is an accurate assessment.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2023
    I first bought a Vangoa mini banjo, possibly made in the same factory, with a scale two inches shorter and a total length 2.5” shorter. But several of the frets were slightly misplaced, so it couldn’t be tuned properly, and I returned it. Then I bought this. This one is a keeper, but I made it better. I’m going to respond to some comments other people made, as they don’t always know what they are talking about, and you can probably use the guidance. My other banjos are handmade professional banjos, so I know what a great banjo sounds like. I didn’t expect that level of tone here. However, I also do set-ups and repairs on stringed instruments, and I was able to improve this one quite a bit.

    1. The resonator is NOT PVC, but it is a hard black plastic of some sort. That is fine. The great inventor Lloyd Loar from the Gibson company actually made guitars from a similar plastic, and they sounded pretty good. Most resonators on professional banjos are made of laminated wood—that is, plywood. The resonator has a big effect on tone, but what it is made of is less important. In any case, this one does make the banjo sound louder from the front, but I got this for light-weight traveling, not playing in a concert. The resonator by itself weighs ten ounces. I prefer the sound without it, so I’m leaving it off. One guy complained that it was hard to reach the screws, but I noticed that he was using a thick four-in-one screwdriver instead of a proper longer skinnier Philips head screwdriver.

    2. The ad says the pot is NATO, which is a wood, but mine is plastic. Doesn’t matter very much. You can paddle a canoe with it without damage in a pinch. The shape is maintained by the flange, which is metal. This may also improve the tone a little. Professional banjos often have thick, heavy wood pots and also a tone ring that may weigh three pounds. Not meant for backpacking!

    2. Tuning. The scale of this banjo (nut to bridge) is 19.75”. That’s the standard distance on a standard banjo to where the 5th string is attached. So instead of open G, like regular banjos, this should be tuned to open C. That’s what the ad says! So I immediately tuned it to open C. But banjo strings are supposed to be quite low tension. These strings, tuned to C, seemed way too tight, and they didn’t sound right. So I tuned down to A, then open G, normal banjo tuning. Now the string tension seems to be more like what I’m used to. G D G B D. No, this isn’t with heavier strings. Standard banjo strings.

    3. Head tension. When I tuned this up, it sounded a bit like a sitar, sort of generalized buzziness. Not acceptable. When I removed the resonator, I found that one of the banjo hook nuts wasn’t even attached, and the others were tightened just barely enough to hold the head on. The promised tool for tightening these nuts wasn’t in the box, but I have one already. I tightened all the nuts at least a half turn, aiming at the same tension on each. The sitar sound disappeared! The tone was much improved. Assume that you will need to do this.

    4. Action. Once the head was tightened, the action on this was very good, and there was no buzzing. However, while the distance of the strings above the first fret wasn’t TOO bad, it was way higher than it needed to be, and this made the banjo harder to play. Here’s the thing: The action at the first fret does not need to be any higher than the action at the second fret when you are using a capo on the first fret. Any more, and you are just making life harder on yourself. But if the slots are just a shade too low, that string will buzz! I have the right tools, and I lowered the first fret action to where it should be. This made the banjo much easier to play. If you don’t know how, do spend $20 getting a guitar tech at a music store to do it for you. It’s worth the investment in playability. Also two of the strings pulled off the tiny dents in the bridge meant to hold them in place, so I used a file to cut all the slots in the bridge a tiny bit more. For the first and fifth strings, I also angled the slots toward the tailpiece. This solved the problem. Oh, I also rounded over the outside corners of the nut and the bridge with a little file and sandpaper so they wouldn’t dig into me. A sharp edge biting into my finger interferes with my concentration. Just took a few minutes.

    5. Tuners. The tuners aren’t expensive, but they will do, and they are very light—nice in a travel banjo. Some people here think the solution is to install banjo planetary tuners, but it isn’t. The real problem is that the strings weren’t put on properly, so they aren’t really locked in place and are slipping a little. Go on YouTube and find out how to properly lock strings when installing. If you do, one or two wraps of string is plenty, and they won’t slip, and they stay in tune much better. These may be cheap guitar or uke tuners, but they are still 1:12 tuners, compared to 1:4 planetary tuners, which tune up fast, but are hard to fine tune. I’d much rather have open-back guitar tuners than heavy sealed tuners, and I’d rather have guitar tuners than banjo tuners. So stop complaining and learn to put on strings properly.

    6. Strap. Yes, it’s a cheap uke strap, but it’s fine for this travel banjo. Most banjos don’t have any strap buttons. This has one on the neck, which is nice. Some complained that this strap only has a string to tie it to a banjo pot hook. But that’s been one of the standard methods for decades! You didn’t know? If you don’t like that, figure out where you want the strap to be, unbolt the closest pot hook, pull it up, insert it through the hole in the strap, and bolt it back together. (See photo of the strap on my beautiful Bart Reiter Whyte Laydie banjo.)

    7. Extras. Extras are nice for beginners. That may be what makes a sale. If a wrench is a little rusty, big deal. Just wipe it off. No problem. These things happen. The strings may work. I just throw them away and use a new set. I would recommend GHS Professional Banjo Strings PF 160 Medium for this banjo. They are are slightly heavier than the light gauge strings most banjo players use, but the neck is shorter here, so they may be a better choice. You can buy them here on Amazon. I had trouble with the tuner that came with the banjo. Barely usable. I tossed it. I use the tiny Planet Waves tuners. Not real easy to read, but tiny. The plastic picks that come with the banjo are the right size for a five year old. Actually, they don’t sound too bad. However, I recommend Ernie Ball Picky Picks for all fingerpicking because of their sharp ends give a souped fast attack and sound best. Thumb picks: Fred Kelly Delrin Speed Pick, Medium, is the best I’ve found for banjo and dobro. Someone complained that the picket on the gig bag isn’t big enough to hold the tuner and other supplies. Really? It’s meant to be sleek, not a backpack. Leave your tuner on the headstock where it belongs. Leave the wrench at home—you won’t often need it. Find a little coin purse on here to hold your picks. Maybe use some Velcro to attach it to the strap. As for the little pocket, just keep a spare set of strings in there. That’s all you need.

    In short, with a little work, a serious banjo player can for a tiny expenditure have a decent enough instrument to take on vacation that will fit nicely in an overhead bin. The tone is quite bearable. For a beginner, especially a child, this isn’t a bad place to start. This is under 3 lbs., while a professional banjo may be 10 to 15 lbs., plus the case.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Nice instrument, takes some doing to set up.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2022
    This is a nice banjo, but takes some doing to set up. No instructions came with it. Banjo action was too high so needed the coordinator rod adjusted to lower the action. The tailpiece set screw nut was missing, got one at the hardware store. The electronic tuner was inoperative. The finger picks included were child-size and too small for an adult. Had to fiddle with head tension for best tone. If you buy this banjo, Google some videos on banjo setup and you shouldn’t have any trouble. I didn’t have any difficulty setting up this banjo, but a beginner wouldn’t know how. Mulucky should have included an instruction pamphlet. Banjo plays fine and sounds good. I’d rate the instrument as a 4, value as a 4, for beginners as a 3.
  • Becky Stephenson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great little banjo
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2023
    This is a great little banjo. I’ve got many others - including the far more expensive mini Gold Tone Plucky - and this little guy is a keeper. I’ve been playing it nonstop since I got it. It came with everything you need to get started, including a gig bag, tuner, strap, strings, pickup, and even a handy guide for placing the bridge, which can be challenging on these small instruments. I did make some modifications to fit the oldtime style, like taking the resonator off and stuffing cloth in the back, but it holds a tune and plays beautifully. The tone is surprisingly good for a small banjo. It also has no sharp frets, which is more than I can say for most instruments in this price range (and even some more expensive). You’ll see people calling these toys, but this is most definitely a real, functional instrument. My only complaint is cosmetic: The maple rim is an aged yellow while the neck is younger blonde maple which makes an awkward demarcation (see photos). But the figuring on the fretboard is lovely. If you’re on the fence about buying one, in my humble opinion it’s worth every penny.
    Customer image
    Becky Stephenson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great little banjo
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2023
    This is a great little banjo. I’ve got many others - including the far more expensive mini Gold Tone Plucky - and this little guy is a keeper. I’ve been playing it nonstop since I got it. It came with everything you need to get started, including a gig bag, tuner, strap, strings, pickup, and even a handy guide for placing the bridge, which can be challenging on these small instruments. I did make some modifications to fit the oldtime style, like taking the resonator off and stuffing cloth in the back, but it holds a tune and plays beautifully. The tone is surprisingly good for a small banjo. It also has no sharp frets, which is more than I can say for most instruments in this price range (and even some more expensive). You’ll see people calling these toys, but this is most definitely a real, functional instrument. My only complaint is cosmetic: The maple rim is an aged yellow while the neck is younger blonde maple which makes an awkward demarcation (see photos). But the figuring on the fretboard is lovely. If you’re on the fence about buying one, in my humble opinion it’s worth every penny.
    Images in this review
    Customer image Customer image Customer image Customer image
  • M H
    1.0 out of 5 stars Arrived with fret plate separating from cracked neck
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2022
    I wanted to love this little banjo so badly, but as soon as I took it out, I could see that like another reviewer experienced with theirs, the fingerboard was separating from the neck. Upon closer inspection, I could see that mine also had a pretty substantial crack in the neck. It looks like it got thrown around quite a bit in transit without nearly enough cushioning as the soft case has a hole from the tip of the (dented) peg head poking through it. So sad to be returning this busted banjo. It was otherwise perfect for a beginner like me: small and easy to transport 5 string with resonator, mylar head, case and accessories to get started.... I love that the head and fingerboard are black. I'm so bummed.
    Customer image
    M H
    1.0 out of 5 stars Arrived with fret plate separating from cracked neck
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2022
    I wanted to love this little banjo so badly, but as soon as I took it out, I could see that like another reviewer experienced with theirs, the fingerboard was separating from the neck. Upon closer inspection, I could see that mine also had a pretty substantial crack in the neck. It looks like it got thrown around quite a bit in transit without nearly enough cushioning as the soft case has a hole from the tip of the (dented) peg head poking through it. So sad to be returning this busted banjo. It was otherwise perfect for a beginner like me: small and easy to transport 5 string with resonator, mylar head, case and accessories to get started.... I love that the head and fingerboard are black. I'm so bummed.
    Images in this review
    Customer image Customer image Customer image

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