Bowlin Fretless Banjo 1865 Model
submitted 3/5/2007
|
Submitter |
Tackhead |
Where Purchased |
From the maker, John Bowlin |
Year Purchased |
February 2007 |
Price Paid |
$795 ($US) |
Sound
|
The instrument produces a deep, rich sound in the lower notes and clear, bright notes in the upper range. |
Sound Rating |
10 |
Setup
|
The setup was spot-on. The banjo ships with the bridge laid flat, but JB marked the head, so I had a starting point. The head and nylgut strings stretched a bit, but John includes a rim wrench to deal with this issue. I had to take some slack out of the strings to get rid of excessive tuner wrap, but I consider this normal with this type of string. Not a plug for nylguts, but the stretching hasn't been nearly as extreme as some posters to the forum have indicated. A good choice of strings, although I will try gut at some point. So to summarize, the stretching has been normal, and given the humidity in Tallahassee, the head has stabilized nicely and after two iterations, it hasn't required any further tightening. |
Setup Rating |
10 |
Appearance
|
Excellent without qualification. Black pot, medium brown finish on the neck, antiqued hardware, translucent head, and John stains the strings slightly. This instrument is simply lovely. |
Appearance Rating |
10 |
Reliability
|
The hardware is bullet proof--period. Brass stretcher band with steel hooks--all antiqued. The Grover tuners look like they'll last forever. |
Reliability Rating |
10 |
Customer Service
|
John Bowlin is the most conscientious artisan I've ever dealt with (and that includes two other custom instrument makers). He sent me the instrument as promised--to the day, even though I encouraged him to take whatever time he needed--and this was over the Christmas and New Year's holiday. I have complete confidence that he'll take care of anything that might arise. |
Customer Service |
10 |
Components
|
The translucent skin head is just what I requested. All of the metal parts are handmade and of outstanding quality. The finish on the neck is impeccable. And the brass wrench that John fabricates is really cool. He even strings it on a leather thong. As an after-market addition, the only feature I could conceive of adding is ebony tuning knobs on the Grover friction tuners (and this is a purely esthetic quirk of mine, and has nothing to do with function), but I don't think they're available anywhere. |
Components Rating |
10 |
Overall Comments
|
I received my JB '65 at the beginning of February after a five-month wait, and I've been playing it almost exclusively for about four weeks now. I would put this 'jo up against instruments costing twice as much--no exaggeration. If stolen, lost, or strayed, I would send JB a full-amount check immediately for a replacement. I love the sound of this instrument, and I say this owning and playing a tackhead and a Boucher from Wunderlich, so I have a basis for comparison here. As RD points out in his review, virtually all of the tunes I can play on other instruments have transferred nicely to the JB, taking on a special character on this instrument. |
Overall Rating |
10 |
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