SEARCH

Cox Y2K Limited
submitted 9/11/2009

Submitter

Grey Dog

Where Purchased

BHO Classifieds

Year Purchased

2009

Price Paid

Don't Remember (bought USED) historic exchange rates / currency converter

Sound


Excellent!!

A lovely old-school tone.

Sound Rating

10

Setup


I bought it used, so I had to kick it around to suit my tastes.

Setup Rating

10

Appearance


The Brazilian rosewood peghead is stunning. Very well made.

Appearance Rating

10

Reliability


Oh yeah. Jimmy made the parts.
No more comment necessary.

Reliability Rating

10

Customer Service


Haven't been over to the shop for a checkup yet....Trying!

Customer Service

not rated

Components


Very solid.

Some are a little rough, but that's typical of hand-machined parts. It's got great character.

Components Rating

10

Overall Comments


HIGHLY recommend

Overall Rating

10


Ome Bright Angel
submitted 3/8/2009

Submitter

Grey Dog

Where Purchased

Turtle Hill Banjo

Year Purchased

2007

Price Paid

Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter

Sound


Sound is awesome, once I got it setup properly.
(see setup section)

Sound Rating

10

Setup


The banjo was not setup to my tastes, and turtle hill was not all that helpful in helping me find that sound. Luckily, Ome was spectacular for customer service and they got the banjo where I needed it to be: a head swap here, a truss rod tweak there, here a tweak, there a turn.....Now it absolutely rocks.

Ome's rating is the 10
Turtle Hill is a 1

Setup Rating

10

Appearance


Work of art

Appearance Rating

10

Reliability


Reliability Rating

10

Customer Service


Again, as with setup:

Ome's rating is the 10
Turtle Hill is a 1, again

Customer Service

10

Components


almost too nice to play


almost

Components Rating

10

Overall Comments


***** NOTE: This is a megatone, bluegrass banjo. Not the typical openback with the silverspun tone ring. ******

Overall Rating

10


Northeast Heritage Music Camp (NHMC)
submitted 1/21/2009

Submitter

Grey Dog

Overall Comments


Great week-long immersion for all levels of players.
Diverse instrument base, and an extremely capable and versatile teaching staff.

Mostly fiddle, but also includes various other instruments.
Banjo focus is primarily melodic clawhammer with Ken Perlman.

(Great food, too!)

http://www.langston.com/NHMC/

Overall Rating

10


Morgan Monroe Cameron
submitted 8/21/2008

Submitter

Grey Dog

Where Purchased

http://www.banjoshop.com/

Year Purchased

2008

Price Paid

599 ($US)

Sound


Nice and mellow, but can still hold a bluegrass edge. I bought this as a lighter, openback travel banjo. The whyte laydie has a nice pluncky (yes, pluncky) sound to it.

Sound Rating

8

Setup


Needed some minor tweaks, but it was the dead of summer so things could have been loose from the heat/humidity.

Out-of-the-box it is more of a clawhammer banjo, but a quick bridge swap gave it enough of a personality change to be scruggsy.

Setup Rating

8

Appearance


Very nice walnut look and feel.

The engraved metal has a cheaper look/feel to it, but given the price that makes sense.

Appearance Rating

8

Reliability


Solid enough to be considered a travel banjo in my book, so it must be ready for some abuse and bounces.

Reliability Rating

7

Customer Service


http://www.banjoshop.com/ is absolutely excellent

http://www.morganmonroe.com/ were also good: they sent me a free truss rod cover when the original cracked.

Customer Service

9

Components


Some of the hardware was kludgy, barely fitting, and/or poorly matched. For example, some of the bracket holders were loose, but tightening them up pushed the screw through to the channel and prevented the brackets from being properly set.

Components Rating

5

Overall Comments


Yes. I would recommend more for a clawhammer player, but it is definitely sufficient for a bluegrasser as well.

Overall Rating

7


Deering Golden Era
submitted 6/29/2008

Submitter

Grey Dog

Where Purchased

http://www.banjoshop.com/

Year Purchased

2006

Price Paid

Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter

Sound


Unbelievable depth of sound, it sounds and feels like it rings out for a good bit longer than most other I've played.

Suits me beautifully for Scrugg's Style, but others have grabbed it with varying playing styles and they all seemed to enjoy it.

Sound Rating

10

Setup


Al Worthen at http://www.banjoshop.com/ set this banjo up perfectly. He gives them all an immense amount of attention, and I never hesitate to go back to his shop (which is many many miles) for any of my concerns and purchases.

Setup Rating

10

Appearance


It's a work of art to me.
There are enough vibrant tiger stripes from the maple on the back to warrant the name "Hobbes"

Appearance Rating

10

Reliability


It's been two years of hard playing with no issues whatsoever.

Reliability Rating

10

Customer Service


As mentioned above, Al is worth going to no matter where you are.

Customer Service

10

Components


We upgraded the bridge to a Snuffy, but even that was an optional adventure.

Unlike most other Deerings, this one has a very full neck. I have larger hands, so that appeals to me. I generally dislike the extra room of the typical Deering slender neck design.

Components Rating

10

Overall Comments


I have trouble finding a second/backup banjo, since this one sets the standards so high......

Overall Rating

10


You are not logged in.
Log In


Not a member? Create an Account (FREE!)



HOME | FORUMS | MEMBERS | MEDIA ARCHIVE | TABS & LESSONS | CLASSIFIEDS | REVIEWS | LINKS | CALENDAR | STORE919 BANJO LOVERS ONLINE