Barnes & Mullins - BJ300 'Perfect' 5-String Banjo

Barnes & Mullins - BJ300 'Perfect' 5-String Banjo

The Ideal Choice For Beginners

The Barnes & Mullins BJ300 'Perfect' 5-String Banjo is an ideal choice for beginners and pays homage to the original 'Perfect' series of banjos created by Messrs Barnes & Mullins in the early 1900s. These banjos have a rich history and continue to be highly sought after by both antique dealers and musicians.

Key features of the BJ300 'Perfect' 5-String Banjo include a mahogany resonator, aluminum rim, Remo WeatherKing head, and mahogany neck. These components work together to produce a warm and controlled sound with a gentle and mature response. The banjo also features chrome hardware and fittings, an ovangkol fingerboard, and modern closed gear machine heads, ensuring durability and reliability for modern players.

With its blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern enhancements, the BJ300 remains true to the original 'Perfect' banjos' vision and design while offering a high-quality and accessible instrument for contemporary musicians.

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Why Should I buy a 5-string Banjo?

This B&M 'Perfect' 5-string resonator banjo is the standard for bluegrass playing but is also an excellent choice for other musical styles including country, gospel, jazz, folk, classical and rock. It's the go-to style of banjo for 'Scruggs' players who use three-fingers with fingerpicks on the index and middle fingers and a thumbpick for a fast-tempo and lively style.

Its resonator design means this banjo sounds naturally loud and bright and therefore makes for an excellent accompaniment instrument.

Common 5-String Banjo Tunings

• G, D, G, B, D - Open G
• G, C, G, B, D - C Tuning / Drop C

Body & Construction Specifications:

• STYLE: 5-String Resonator
• RESONATOR: Mahogany 
• HEAD: Remo Weatherking®
• FLANGE Chrome
• BRACKET QTY: 30
• RIM: Aluminium
• BRIDGE: Maple with Ovangkol Tip
• COORDINATOR RODS: 1
• HARDWARE: Chrome
• TAILPIECE: Chrome
• ARMREST: Chrome
• NECK: Mahogany 
• FINGERBOARD: Ovangkol 
• FRETS: 22
• INLAYS: Mother of Pearl Dots
• MACHINEHEADS: Closed Gear
• TRUSSROD COVER: 'Perfect' Script
• NUT WIDTH: 30mm
• SCALE LENGTH: 697mm
• WEIGHT: 3kg

The Barnes & Mullins Story

In 1894, Mr Albert Mullins and Mr S. Bowley Barnes started “The Jo”, their famous musical instrument journal.

Specialising in all things banjo, they soon began manufacturing their own banjos as well as importing many other instruments. The original Barnes and Mullins banjos are still sought after today, with collectors seeking them out all over the world. Sadly in 1914 at the age of 40, Albert Mullins drowned when the ‘Empress of Ireland’ sank on the St Lawrence River. He was on the home leg of a 2 year sales trip.

Bowley Barnes continued the business thereafter, and what he had started with his partner years earlier in Bournemouth now moved to Rathbone Place, London. In 1976, Mark Barnes – son of Bowley Barnes – moved the business to Grays Inn Road, Bloomsbury. Sadly in 1986, Mark Barnes died. He was greatly admired and respected by employees and customers alike who were quick to tell of his fair and generous nature.

In 1999, Bruce Perrin – a Director since 1986 – became Managing Director and moved the business from London to the current location – Grays Inn House – a modern 46000sqft warehouse and office facility in Oswestry, Shropshire. Bruce Perrin says “We are excited about the future and are constantly looking at ways to innovate and evolve, yet Barnes and Mullins has always endeavoured to put the customer at the top of its priority list”.