Brandwave

Fender vs Recording King:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Fender had more branded searches than Recording King among banjo brands worldwide. Fender had about 831,000 branded searches, while Recording King had 4,200. Fender made up 68.1% of all banjo brand searches we track, and Recording King accounted for 0.34%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about banjo brands, Recording King appeared in three of the four answers and Fender in none.

Among banjo brands worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Fender, about 198 searches for every 1 for Recording King

Fender 831K searchesRecording King 4.2K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Recording King, mentioned in 3 of 4 answers, Fender in 0

Recording King in 3 of 4Fender in 0 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

Recording King, the only one of the two named

Recording King first in 3Fender never named

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Top banjo brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Recording King was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Fender did not appear in any of the four answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Deering1st
  2. Gold Tone2nd
  3. Recording King3rd
  4. Gibson4th
  5. Fender–
  6. Ibanez–
  7. Epiphone–
  8. Gretsch–
  9. Harmony Guitars–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Deering4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Gold Tone4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Recording King3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Gibson1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Fender0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Ibanez0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Epiphone0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Gretsch0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Harmony Guitars0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about banjo brands

4 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

Is Fender or Recording King more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Fender and Recording King by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine banjo brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Fender and Recording King among banjo brands worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Fender, Recording King. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthFenderIbanezEpiphoneGretschHarmony GuitarsGibsonDeeringRecording KingGold Tone
Oct 202570.3%13.9%9.3%4.2%0.62%0.68%0.46%0.31%0.25%
Nov 202568.4%16.3%9%4%0.58%0.66%0.44%0.32%0.29%
Dec 202568.4%16.3%8.9%4%0.59%0.65%0.54%0.4%0.29%
Jan 202664.8%18.9%10.4%3.8%0.55%0.62%0.41%0.35%0.28%
Feb 202667.3%15.7%10.6%3.9%0.68%0.77%0.52%0.35%0.28%
Mar 202666.2%19.6%8.8%3.2%0.58%0.65%0.43%0.29%0.23%
Apr 202667.3%15.7%10.6%3.9%0.69%0.77%0.42%0.35%0.34%
May 202665.9%19.8%8.9%3.3%0.58%0.65%0.36%0.3%0.24%
Jun 202664.4%23.6%7.1%3.2%0.47%0.52%0.28%0.24%0.23%
Jul 202668.5%16.6%9.1%3.3%0.73%0.67%0.45%0.31%0.3%
Aug 202668%16.5%9%4.1%0.61%0.66%0.44%0.37%0.36%
Sep 202668.1%16.5%9%4.1%0.72%0.66%0.36%0.34%0.3%

How has the Fender and Recording King comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Fender was ahead of Recording King in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fender’s share of searches among banjo brands worldwide moved from 70.3% to 68.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1M to 831K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Recording King’s share of searches among banjo brands worldwide moved from 0.31% to 0.34%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.5K to 4.2K.

How did search popularity change for banjo brands worldwide in September 2026?

1 change
  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Fender worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 1M to 831K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

6 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Fender’s and Recording King’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Fender

4 branded search terms

  • fender
  • fender guitar
  • fender mustang
  • fender strat

Recording King

2 branded search terms

  • recording king
  • recording king banjo

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among banjo brands

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