Overall Comments

Mike was great to deal with. He was great on the phone and shipped the mute quickly. The mute works great: easy on/off, will work on different bridges, allows the banjo to still ring, and you can hear any pick noise. If you need to practice without bothering others, you need one of these.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Great little item that works as advertised. It allows your Snark tuner to be mounted on the hooks of your pot assembly. The price was cheap, fast shipping and quality made. It actually improved the Snarks response time too, as a side benefit.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Didn't expect to find a comfortable way to hold my new (old) 1/4 ton banjo until I acquired a 3" Buffalo hide cradle strap. Picked until bedtime much to the dismay of my neighbors.

Price was more then fair considering the quality and the savings on future Chiropractor fees. And the fact they make them on the Pine Ridge Lakota Sioux Indian reservation (the poorest county in the US). They say "The purchase helps provide income for people on the reservation. Truly a 'cottage' industry, Lakota Leathers straps are assembled in living rooms and on kitchen tables of the people who make these wonderful straps."

Planning on buying additonal straps for my guitar, dobro, and mandolin.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I have attended the Ghost Ranch Bluegrass Camp for three of the four years it has been in existence. As a chronic low intermediate banjo player, I wanted to increase my speed, improve my singing, and get to be a better ensemble player, and the faculty has been a great help to me in these endeavors. Ghost Ranch (the home of Georgia O'Keeffe) is an incredibly beautiful, serene place in Northern New Mexico about 2 1/2 hours from Albuquerque.
The faculty has done an incredible job in bringing a "family feeling" to this camp. Mike Finders (guitar), Erin Youngberg (bass and vocals), Aaron Youngberg (banjo) and Ryan Drickey (fiddle) play in the Fort Collins, CO band Finders and Youngberg. Gregg Daigle (guitar) heads the Gregg Daigle Band in Albuquerque. Matt Flinner (mandolin) is a Grammy Award Nominee from Nashville TN. I cannot say enough about how warm, friendly and encouraging they all are. Campers feel that they are not only instructors but friends.
Ghost Ranch Bluegrass Camp will be an annual event each May (the weekend before Memorial Day weekend). If you are a "closet picker" or someone who wants to become a better jam player, I strongly recommend this camp.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I am a banjo builder/repair and setup guy in North Carolina.
Wanted to submit a review of a gentleman that is doing all my pearl cutting as well as inlaying for my neck builds.
His work is as good as I have seen and since he cuts each pc by hand, he is able to produce nice intricate sharp points and delicate sized cuts that capture the prewar look, which up to now I have never been able to get from my other vendors that were using a cnc process.
He gives me a super quick turnaround unlike the 2 month wait period I used to have to endure.
His inlaying is very tight, as good a job of hand cutting and inlaying as I have seen.....
His pricing is very competitive and he is a gentleman to work with in every way!
I am truly glad to have him team up with me as my main supplier and to anyone that is needing this type of service, I highly recommend your contacting him for you inlaying needs!
You won't be sorry!
His name is Clifford Seales and he goes by petemonster.334s

Don Bryant NC Banjo Luthier

Overall Rating

10

Sound

A variety of voices. You really had to "dial in" the tone that you wanted. With a loose head it sounded "plunky" (I imagine an Amber Elite head would really make it sound good this way) and with a tight head the sound was piercing. With a tighter head the sound was piercing. It really had a bark and a pop but it wasn't overly loud and powerful. Not mellow exactly either.

Cut through a mic and recorded like a dream. No unpleasant overtones whatsoever. When you hit it you got just what you needed. Barley needed to play it to make a sound. Very even up and down the neck. This banjo was also good for clawhammer believe it or not. Very versatile and pleasing banjo. Crisp and clear.

Sound Rating

8

Appearance

Fit and finish was spectacular. Beautiful traditional inlays. The stain was done to perfection. However in this price range I would expect some fancier binding, perhaps even of abalone. The fit and finish and traditional appearance are good enough keep it from being a seven instead of an eight. Mine had the older black "flange" (not really a flange) which was different and not what some people prefer. They now make them to look like a regular flange. It looked pretty good to me though.

Appearance Rating

8

Customer Service

Just call Tom and he will bend over backwards.

Customer Service

10

Overall Comments

This is one I'd still like to have in the stable. With it's tuning capability, reliability, versatility, construction, and sound it would be a great performing banjo.
IMHO the fact that the rim is more shallow than other banjos and the fact that the neck does not contact the rim sacrificies the volume of this banjo. To me those are two of the strongest components in a banjos sound. Overall still a great banjo as the price reflects.

Overall Rating

8

Overall Comments

This is a great Mute. I can play in the next room and the wife cant hear my jo at all. Get one!!!!

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Top notch CNC program and cut of pearl and other. Check out photo's of Randall's artistry and work on my homepage. Simply put it is professional and precise. Above and beyond willingness to tweak until you are satisfied and kindness unheard of in today"s world.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

If any members need a product made by Randall Wyatt by all means go for it. I have nothing but praise for his worksmanship,his help in other banjo matters. Are all BHO members this nice? Thanks ,Randall

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I've tried them all, and for the beginner, or advanced beginner, Geoff Hohwald is the BEST. He takes you by the hand and leads you through the lessons at your speed. As you advance, he takes you up a notch to the next level. It doesn't get much better than this. Even better, the price is right! Give Geoff a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Dr. Gerald Calvin

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Cons: It is expensive ($70)
Pros: The strobe readout is the antidote for all those cheaper tuners that drive me crazy. You know, the ones where the needle or the lights waver from sharp to flat. Very accurate tuner.

Overall Rating

10

Sound

I love it the sound was better than I expected. My instructor said that it has
Got the brightest and best sound that he has heard come from a banjo and he's
Been teaching 40 years. I considered buying a 7 or 8 thousand $ banjo. I'm so
Happy with ob 250 arch top. Thanks go to Mr Ross!

Sound Rating

10

Appearance

Fine wood mother of pearl inlay just a perfect instrument

Appearance Rating

10

Customer Service

Lifetime warranty to me and 5 years to the person I sell it to, but it's not for sale

Customer Service

10

Overall Comments

Try a arch top banjo and I think gold tone has the best for the
Money. And do check out mr Ross Nickerson he has the best banjo lessons!

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I wanted to let everyone know I am a new banjo player but I have played guitar for years. not prof. but for fun. I had been looking at banjos for a long time and decided to get a Recording King RK R20 to start with. Need less to say I am hooked! After learning to play for the past few months I noticed that my banjo sounded a little flat, so i decided to put on a new set of strings I figured that it might brighten it up again. After I installed the new strings I found that it helped but it sounded to me that my banjo sounded a little bassy. So aftering reading some reviews and getting some tips I decided to buy one of Don New's Dam spillway bridges. I got the Maple with Rosewood cap 5/8" with Crowe spacing . I installed the new bridge as soon as it came in. Man I can tell you this has brightened up the sound on my R20. It took the bassy sound down a couple of notches and brought up the high notes. I will also say it appears that the Crowe spacing on the new one has helped me with a problem I was having with my thumb pick catching 4th string. I know I don't have alot of experience playing but I know great sound when I hear it. I recommend this bridge to everyone. My little Recording King is not the most expensive on the block but I believe she sure sounds like it.
The buying experince with Don is great, if I get another banjo in the future I will definetly be getting another Dam Spillway (maybe the 3 pack) just to see what the others will do.

Overall Rating

10

Sound

Great, bright traditional sound. Plenty of volume.

Sound Rating

9

Appearance

It's gorgeous!

Appearance Rating

10

Customer Service

Really a nice transaction. Quick answers to questions, and quick processing and shipping.

Customer Service

10

Overall Comments

My first open-back. Don't think I could have made a better choice.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I had Ron refret my old rb100 with new wire. And, man it made a huge differance. I have lost all my buzing issues and my note are a lot clearer. Ron has been my go to guy whenecer I have questions in general as well. He does outstanding work and I highily recomend him to anyone. The best part he will explain what does to your things to make you are getting what you want. He is a down to eath person and I will be going back to him in the future.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I recently tried Scorpion Bridges on my flathead 3 and flathead 12. I just want to say that Silvio is making the very best bridges available today.

The .656" on my style 3 made the banjo louder and dryer than another well known bridge that was very good. It also improved the separation of notes.

And the 5/8" bridge I put on my style 12 made a remarkable difference. If ever there was a perfect bridge for a specific banjo, this is it! Thanks, Silvio!!

Overall Rating

10

Sound

This banjo has a very nice tone to it. It has a walnut resonator so it is not too bright nor is it to mellow. It definitely has a warm tone but will cut through a jam. I use mine with a mojohound contact mic with a Gold Tone ABS pre-amp plugged in to a PA system. Works real nice for the most part, no problems with the banjo in that regard. Pickup system can be a little finicky sometimes.

Sound Rating

9

Appearance

Beautiful banjo. Gold hardware and warm tone of the wood look great together. Inlay and headstock work are beautiful as well.

Appearance Rating

9

Customer Service

NA

Customer Service

not rated

Overall Comments

Great banjo, sounds great, looks great. People are always surprised that is says Fender on the headstock.

Overall Rating

9

Sound

Awesome sound great 4 string bass

Sound Rating

10

Appearance

Beautiful vine inlay superb craftsmanship!

Appearance Rating

10

Customer Service

Customer Service

not rated

Overall Comments

great banjo in every respect it is very heavy

Overall Rating

10

Sound

This is my first banjo and I actually like it alot. Since purchasing it I've played a few other banjos including a Sagmoen, an Enoch Tradesman and a Vega. Does it sound as nice as a high dollar banjo? Actually, it sounds pretty damn good! Seems like what GT was going for was a kind of neutral/generic old-time sound. The Enoch is very "earthy", the Sagmoen with a Dobson ring was very bright, and the CC-OT is somewhere in between. And I think that's the point, really. It's an inexpensive, mass produced, generic (but very good quality) old-time instrument designed for learning frailing and old time music, while being neither extremely bright nor extremely earthy. The neutral sound gives a newbie like me a starting point to decide what sounds I like and don't like for my next upgrade. Or if you are happy with a neutral sound, that's fine too! The only thing I've changed is the strings to a set of brass wound GHS's. I'm very happy with it.

Sound Rating

9

Appearance

It's not a bad looking banjo! The veneer on the rim is nice, but the seem is a bit ugly and poorly executed. The neck is stained dark with black paint faded in from the headstock and heel and a nice matte finish that I like. My only major complaint is that the "Gold Tone" lettering and the star on the head stock are decals, not inlaid. It's obvious and very cheap looking. The star isn't even symmetric. Other than that, I really like it aesthetically. I tend to be partial to a dark finish though :).

Appearance Rating

8

Customer Service

I have never dealt with Gold Tone about this instrument, but will soon about the crummy tension hooks!

Customer Service

not rated

Overall Comments

I think the CC-OT is great! Just don't expect a $1000 instrument for $400 and you'll be happy too. It serves it's purpose as a generic-oldtime-sounding instrument well and gives new players a great starting point without being extremely one way or the other as far as sound is concerned. It's a decent quality instrument that doesn't break the bank, and even looks great! It's got some negatives, sure, but waay waay more positives. I would recommend one to anybody just starting out and not wanting to spend too much money.

Here's a mp3 I made on my CC-OT so you can hear how it sounds! (keep in mind I'm just learning, lol)
http://www.banjohangout.org/myhangout/music.asp?id=87251#

Overall Rating

9

Overall Comments

Just received mikes banjo mute, and love it. Wife works nights and i have to practice, I can now close the door to the computer room and play away and bother no one. The only thing wrong with the mute is, i didnt invent it. Great--Great item--thanks

Overall Rating

10