Overall Comments

I already reviewed this armrest once (see earlier review). This review is about the company, and Doug. I recently upgraded my banjo, and I was going to put the Thinline on my new banjo. Unfortunately, I managed to bounce it off the floor, and it broke.

I contacted Doug, and inquired as to how much 'just' the armrest would be, as I still had all the hardware. He promptly got back to me and sent me a complete replacement--no charge. When I heard that, I almost fell out of my chair, as I was *not* expecting that.

Shipping was fast, and I cannot say enough good things about Doug and his company--Little Mountain Music. I would recommend them highly, as their customer service can't be beat--I couldn't be happier!!

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

This thing is fantastic! My Deering Goodtime openback did not have an armrest. I chose the curly maple model. The system for attaching works great! So much more comfortable now, and the curly maple compliments the banjo, perfectly! very happy with this.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I was looking for an armrest to replace the 'knife blade' that came with my $300 Greg Bennett banjo, as it gouged the living daylights out of my forearm.

Doug contacted me via the Hangout, and said he had some blemished ones, and would send me one. The next day it was in my mailbox, and I just finished installing it.

Was more aggravating to do than it should have been, due to my banjo being one of the Asian cheapies--resonator being held on by stupid little screws, and tension hooks being wider at the top, and some other minor issues (but not due to the product), but I was creative, and got it installed. So your claim that they wil fit *any* banjo is definitely true--if I could install it on mine, it will fit any make or model.

The armrest is top-quality construction, and *very* comfortable on my forearm--and it looks nice on the banjo, also.

Customer service was top-notch, and Doug was a pleasure to deal with--Instruction page was a very nicely printed page with clear photos--not a badly photocopied illegible 3x5 card.

I would definitely do business with the Little Mountain Music people again.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

What everyone before me has said.
Quick to ship and good instructions, easy to install.
I have my new ebony / corian armrest on my Jedson. With the pot hooks below the rim, the armrest sits right on the top of the tension ring w/out touching the head. It's a clean, minimal look, not obtrusive and color matches my fingerboard and peghead. It's just what the doctor ordered and w/ time and a few scuffs it will look like it came w/ the banjo. Most importantly it provides comfort and gets my arm off the head for better tone. I'll get another for my Ramsey but gotta save some bucks first.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Feb 20 - I was fortunate enough to be online shortly after Doug Campbell [bluegrassjunkie] posted an invitation for 5 people to evaluate the BanjoMate Thinline Armrest. I had just been thinking about an armrest for my Pennington open-back banjo, so I emailed Doug right away to sign on!

Feb 24 - Received a package at the PO from Little Mountain Music. Wow, that was fast! It contained the armrest, nicely packaged in a clear plastic soft case. The armrest is made of Corian. I requested ivory-colored; they are also available in ebony and tortoise. The BanjoMate is well-machined, with nice smooth edges. The armrest is mounted with two mounting pins that attach to two of the hooks on the banjo for an easy and secure installation. The pins dovetail with a machined groove on the underside of the armrest.

The instructions are simple and illustrated with very clear B & W photos. Much better than the crude sketches you sometimes get with assembly instructions. The armrest was simple to install! The instructions were accurate. The components fit together just right, and the mounting pins look fine with the existing hooks on the banjo. The ivory color is perfect. The armrest looks classy yet unobtrusive. My hardware is chrome, but gold-colored hardware is available for those of you with those gaudy gold banjers!

Playability - The armrest is comfortable. All the edges are rounded and I don't notice it digging into my arm while playing. The support is good; it's low-profile, but I can tell it makes a difference. Now I need another one for my Ome. Not sure yet what color I want to order, though.

March 6 - This is an excellent product that does exactly what it's designed to do. If you decide to get one, I know you will be pleased with the quality of manufacture and simplicity of assembly. The Corian material seems like a good choice - if it can stand up to daily use on a kitchen counter top, it should last forever on a banjo!

Support BH members and small, independent music suppliers! If you've been considering an armrest for your open-back, you will be pleased with the BanjoMate Thinline Armrest! Visit www.littlemountainmusic.com to order and view their other products.

Mary Gribbin

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Easy to install on my Enoch Tradesman. The ebony armrest looks like it was made for these banjos. Makes the Tradesman more comfortable to play. Highly recommended accessory.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I am very impressed with the Slimline armrest. It fills a need for openback banjos that we have had for decades. Only the Vegas repro has been available and it is not suitable for every banjo. The black Slimline was very easy to fit to my Riley Baugus banjo although the Baugus is not standard in any way. The attachment system is brilliant...it takes a few minutes and fits solid as a rock. The height is perfect for clawhammer and the look of the black slim design is elegant and appropriate. Although the material is synthetic, it matches the ebony peghead perfectly. I have always been leery of inventions and gadgets for traditional banjo, but this one is a home run. This is the best armrest for openback banjos I have seen in my 50 years of playing. AAA+++

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

This little armrest is very nice. It helps make my banjo so much more comfortable. First off, it was simple to install. Secondly, it is wider where your arm rests, so it does not dig into your arm. Third, it is adjustable as to height so I can push it down closer to the banjo rim.
It appears to be well manufactured and has a fine finish.

Well, after playing with this armrest on my Rover for about a week - I took it off and put back the factory rest. After about 9 seconds of playing with the factory armrest, I had to put the thinline armrest back on. It is so much better than a thin piece of metal. The ebony looks good on the banjo and simply is much more comfortable. It is so easily adjusted. I think this armrest is worth every penny.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Simple to install remove to bracketts slide on armrest and adjust height.Put it on my Deering goodtime openback.Its the same color as the goodtime matches real well and comfortable.
DOUG@LITTLEMOUNTAINMUSIC.COM

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Good solid construction, easy to install and comfortable. I got the Ivory armrest to complement the ivoroid buttons and calfskin head and I'm very happy with the look and feel of it.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Was having a bear of a time finding a armrest to fit my Lee Chalk Mountain Banjo, (14 brackets and 3-inch deep pot)...took a gamble, figuring I could add it to the growing collection, and wouldn't you know it fits! Love that it's adjustable for both hook spacing, simple design, easy to use.

Overall Rating

9

Overall Comments

This is the ideal replacement for a Vega-style armrest, no matter how many bracket hooks a banjo has. More than a few regard the Vega-style armrest as uncomfortable and too high above the head. Any Deering Goodtime banjo, no matter which model, will benefit from this armrest. It's easy to install and reasonably priced.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

This is a really great product which was well thought out. This armrest is a very high quality product and was a breeze to install.

I had wanted an armrest for my Deering Goodtime for quite some time. While here on Banjo Hangout I came across the brief product description for this armrest along with a link to Little Mountain Music's website.

After reading their more detailed description I decided to purchase this armrest. They offer it in three different colors and in two different widths for the part that your arm rests on. Order processing and shipping were very quick and I received the product within four days of placing my order.

Installing the armrest is an extremely easy process. Remove the two hooks that will be used to attach and support the armrest. Insert each hook into the dovetail pins provided in the kit. Slide the dovetail head into the mounting groove machined into the underside of the armrest. Reconnect the two hooks and you're done. The height of the armrest is adjustable. There is a thumb screw that tightens the dovetail pin to the hook.

This whole process took me approximately four minutes to complete. All of the components fit well and the whole assembly went together easily. Doug Campbell is the main contact at Little Mountain Music and you couldn't ask for a nicer person to deal with. I had a question after using the product for a week so I called them. I left a voice message and Doug called me back within minutes. This was really refreshing experience after dealing with some of the megacorportations out there.

In short I couldn't be happier with this purchase and I can heartily recommend this product to anyone who wants to add an armrest to their banjo or replace an existing armrest. Little Mountain Music, keep up the good work.

Overall Rating

10