Hello everyone. I currently play clawhammer uke. Its a soprano ukulele so its not big and bright. I'm toying with the idea of either getting a tenor uke, a banjolele, or a tenor banjo as my next instrument. I know that runs a very strange little gamut of sounds and choices but the truth is I really dont know what I want yet. I like the compactness of the three instruments so if there's a common denominator, it would have to be the shorter the better. The second common denominator would be clawhammer style. I love it and want to really explore it as much as possible. So here are my questions:
1) Do they make a 5 string banjo in a 17 fret version? (what is the shortest 5 string they make that doesnt sound like a toy).
2) What do I lose when I drop down to a 4 string? (in other words, what is the droning string on a 4 string?)
3) has anyone here transitioned from a uke to a banjo? If so, was it hard?
4) am I better off with a banjolele?
Thank you everyone for any advice you could offer.