---
title: "Banjo brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the banjo brands people buy. Share of Search among Fender, Ibanez, Epiphone, Gibson, Deering, Recording King and Gold Tone, the banjo brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-banjo-brands"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Banjo brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?

Compare the banjo brands people buy. Share of Search among Fender, Ibanez, Epiphone, Gibson, Deering, Recording King and Gold Tone, the banjo brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Banjo brands
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Brands compared**: 7
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Fender, 45.5%

## Which brand is most popular in search among banjo brands in New Zealand?

- In September 2026, Fender was the most searched among banjo brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 3.1K branded searches, 45.5% of all searches for the seven we track.
- Ibanez is in 2nd place, 26.1 percentage points behind at 19.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fender’s share of searches among banjo brands in New Zealand increased from 42.6% to 45.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ibanez’s share of searches among banjo brands in New Zealand decreased from 20.3% to 19.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Epiphone’s share of searches among banjo brands in New Zealand decreased from 20.5% to 19%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gibson’s share of searches among banjo brands in New Zealand decreased from 16.1% to 15.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fender’s share of searches among banjo brands in New Zealand peaked at 47.8% in May 2026 and was lowest at 40.8% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ibanez’s share of searches among banjo brands in New Zealand peaked at 23.3% in January 2026 and was lowest at 17.8% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Epiphone’s share of searches among banjo brands in New Zealand peaked at 22.6% in February 2026 and was lowest at 17.5% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gibson’s share of searches among banjo brands in New Zealand peaked at 18.6% in March 2026 and was lowest at 14.5% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ibanez rose from 3rd to 2nd among banjo brands in New Zealand.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Epiphone fell from 2nd to 3rd among banjo brands in New Zealand.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Deering rose from 6th to 5th among banjo brands in New Zealand.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Recording King fell from 5th to 6th among banjo brands in New Zealand.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gold Tone held steady: its share of searches among banjo brands in New Zealand moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top banjo brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Deering and Gold Tone were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Deering was recommended most often, coming first in one out of four answers that gave a list. Gold Tone was second, and Recording King was third. Fender, which ranked first in searches, was not mentioned at all.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Deering | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Gold Tone | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Recording King | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Gibson | 4th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Epiphone | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Fender | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Ibanez | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about banjo brands

- Asked ChatGPT "Which banjo brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. Recording King, 2. Gold Tone, 3. Deering, 4. Epiphone
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best banjo brands in New Zealand?": 1. Deering, 2. Gold Tone, 3. Recording King, 4. Gibson
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best banjo brand in New Zealand for beginner players?": 1. Gold Tone, 2. Deering, 3. Recording King, 4. Epiphone
- Searched Google, AI Overview "banjo for beginners": named none of the brands we track
- Searched Google, AI Overview "bluegrass banjo": 1. Gibson, 2. Deering, 3. Gold Tone

Not named in any answer: Fender and Ibanez.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Fender vs Ibanez: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/fender-vs-ibanez): 45.5% against 19.4% Share of Search.
- [Fender vs Epiphone: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/epiphone-vs-fender): 45.5% against 19% Share of Search.
- [Fender vs Gibson: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/fender-vs-gibson): 45.5% against 15.2% Share of Search.
- [Ibanez vs Epiphone: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/epiphone-vs-ibanez): 19.4% against 19% Share of Search.
- [Ibanez vs Gibson: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/gibson-vs-ibanez): 19.4% against 15.2% Share of Search.
- [Epiphone vs Gibson: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/epiphone-vs-gibson): 19% against 15.2% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand banjo brands in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Fender gained share of searches among banjo brands in New Zealand, from 44% to 45.5%.
- In September 2026, Gibson lost share of searches among banjo brands in New Zealand, from 17% to 15.2%.
- In September 2026, Recording King rose from 7th to 6th among banjo brands in New Zealand.
- In September 2026, Gold Tone fell from 6th to 7th among banjo brands in New Zealand.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Deering in New Zealand rose 200% over 12 measured months, from 10 to 30 in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Fender | 45.5% | 3.1K | +1.3% | Fender |
| 2 | Ibanez | 19.4% | 1.3K | -4.3% | Ibanez |
| 3 | Epiphone | 19% | 1.3K | -0.8% | Epiphone |
| 4 | Gibson | 15.2% | 1.1K | -12.5% | Gibson |
| 5 | Deering | 0.43% | 30 | +200.0% | Deering Banjo Company |
| 6 | Recording King | 0.29% | 20 | +100.0% | The Music Link |
| 7 | Gold Tone | 0.14% | 10 | 0.0% | Gold Tone |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Fender | 3K | 42.6% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Epiphone | 1.4K | 20.5% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Ibanez | 1.4K | 20.3% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Gibson | 1.1K | 16.1% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Recording King | 20 | 0.28% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Deering | 10 | 0.14% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | Gold Tone | 10 | 0.14% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Fender | 3K | 43.1% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Epiphone | 1.4K | 20.4% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Ibanez | 1.3K | 19% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Gibson | 1.2K | 16.9% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Recording King | 20 | 0.29% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Deering | 10 | 0.15% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Gold Tone | 10 | 0.15% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Fender | 3K | 43% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Epiphone | 1.6K | 22.5% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Ibanez | 1.3K | 19.1% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Gibson | 1K | 14.8% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Deering | 20 | 0.29% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Gold Tone | 10 | 0.14% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Recording King | 10 | 0.14% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Fender | 2.9K | 40.8% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Ibanez | 1.7K | 23.3% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Epiphone | 1.4K | 20.3% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Gibson | 1K | 14.5% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Deering | 40 | 0.56% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Gold Tone | 20 | 0.28% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Recording King | 20 | 0.28% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Fender | 2.6K | 40.8% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Epiphone | 1.4K | 22.6% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Ibanez | 1.2K | 18.3% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Gibson | 1.1K | 17.4% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Deering | 30 | 0.47% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Recording King | 20 | 0.31% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Gold Tone | 10 | 0.16% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Fender | 3.2K | 44.4% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Gibson | 1.3K | 18.6% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Ibanez | 1.3K | 18.6% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Epiphone | 1.3K | 17.5% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Deering | 30 | 0.42% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Recording King | 20 | 0.28% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Gold Tone | 10 | 0.14% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Fender | 3.2K | 44% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Ibanez | 1.5K | 21.2% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Epiphone | 1.3K | 18.2% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Gibson | 1.1K | 15.8% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Deering | 30 | 0.41% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Recording King | 20 | 0.28% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Gold Tone | 10 | 0.14% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Fender | 3.5K | 47.8% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Epiphone | 1.3K | 17.9% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Ibanez | 1.3K | 17.8% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Gibson | 1.2K | 15.9% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Deering | 20 | 0.27% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Recording King | 20 | 0.27% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Gold Tone | 10 | 0.13% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | Fender | 3.3K | 44.9% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Ibanez | 1.4K | 19.5% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Epiphone | 1.4K | 18.8% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Gibson | 1.2K | 16.3% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Recording King | 20 | 0.28% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Deering | 10 | 0.14% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Gold Tone | 10 | 0.14% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | Fender | 3.2K | 45.8% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Epiphone | 1.3K | 18.6% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Ibanez | 1.3K | 18.3% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Gibson | 1.1K | 16.5% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Deering | 20 | 0.29% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Gold Tone | 20 | 0.29% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Recording King | 20 | 0.29% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | Fender | 3.1K | 44% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Ibanez | 1.4K | 19.9% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Epiphone | 1.3K | 18.7% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Gibson | 1.2K | 17% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Deering | 10 | 0.14% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Gold Tone | 10 | 0.14% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Recording King | 10 | 0.14% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Fender | 3.1K | 45.5% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Ibanez | 1.3K | 19.4% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Epiphone | 1.3K | 19% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Gibson | 1.1K | 15.2% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Deering | 30 | 0.43% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Recording King | 20 | 0.29% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Gold Tone | 10 | 0.14% | 7 |

## What is being compared

- **Deering**: Measured on the search term “deering banjo”.
- **Epiphone**: Measured on the search terms “epiphone”, “epiphone casino”, “epiphone explorer”, “epiphone gitar”, “epiphone les paul”, “epiphone lp custom”, “epiphone sg” and “epiphone special 2”, summed into one figure.
- **Fender**: Measured on the search terms “fender”, “fender jazzmaster”, “fender mustang”, “fender strat” and “fender tele”, summed into one figure.
- **Gibson**: Measured on the search terms “gibson les paul”, “gibson sg” and “gibson sg standard”, summed into one figure.
- **Gold Tone**: Measured on the search term “gold tone banjo”.
- **Ibanez**: Measured on the search terms “ibanez”, “ibanez az”, “ibanez gio”, “ibanez jem”, “ibanez rg” and “ibanez ts”, summed into one figure.
- **Recording King**: Measured on the search terms “recording king” and “recording king banjo”, summed into one figure.

- [Deering](/demand/nz/brands/deering-banjos)
- [Epiphone](/demand/nz/brands/epiphone)
- [Fender](/demand/nz/brands/fender)
- [Gibson](/demand/nz/brands/gibson)
- [Gold Tone](/demand/nz/brands/gold-tone)
- [Ibanez](/demand/nz/brands/ibanez)
- [Recording King](/demand/nz/brands/recording-king)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among banjo brands in New Zealand?

In September 2026, Fender was the most searched among banjo brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 3.1K branded searches, 45.5% of all searches for the seven we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Banjo brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-banjo-brands

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-banjo-brands. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.