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Banjo guitar

6 string banjo tuned and played like a guitar

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Source updated April 3, 2026

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A banjo guitar, also known as banjitar or ganjo, is a six-string banjo tuned in the standard tuning of a six-string guitar (E2-A2-D3-G3-B3-E4 from lowest to highest strings). The instrument is intended to allow guitar players to emulate a banjo, without learning the different tuning and fingering techniques required for the standard five-string banjo.

The banjo guitar differs from the standard five-string banjo in the number of strings, playing and tuning methods, and a slightly different timbre. The first versions of six-string banjos were introduced in the late 19th century though did not gain popularity. The concept was reintroduced in the mid to late 20th century.

01Banjo guitar players

Johnny St. Cyr was the first well known player of six string banjo. He used it in Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven, with Jelly Roll Morton, and in his own recordings after World War II.

A number of musicians have played banjo guitars or guitjos, and one a double-necked guitjo.

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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Banjo guitar”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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