Mastercraft Classic
submitted 2/3/2007
|
Submitter |
old al |
Where Purchased |
Banjo Hut |
Year Purchased |
2007 |
Price Paid |
419.00 ($US) |
Sound
|
Beautiful sound with good sustain for plqaying bluegrass Scruggs style. Set up head for rich full sound. Bass and treble notes very well balanced. Not too punchy. |
Sound Rating |
9 |
Setup
|
Action set low with no buzzes. Bridge placement and intonation were perfect. Head bolts were loose on one side of head, but I tightened them to match the other side. Great sound after that. Armrest was loose on the banjo. I later got a Drum Dial, tuned the head to between a G and G# and evened off the tension. This really brought out the sound and minimized wolf notes. |
Setup Rating |
7 |
Appearance
|
Finish was beautiful . Mahogany rim and resonator had no flaws that I can see. Hearts and Flowera neck inlays look fine. |
Appearance Rating |
10 |
Reliability
|
It seems like a beautifully crafted Korean banjo that should be reliable for years. Armrest is nickel plated. Banjo made of quality parts. |
Reliability Rating |
9 |
Customer Service
|
Paul was great at Banjo Hut. Took back another model that I didn't like and exchanged for the Classic no questions asked. Will probably buy from him again when I upgrade. |
Customer Service |
10 |
Components
|
Banjo came with rolled brass tone ring and one piece fllange. The neck and headstock were inlaid with Hearts & Fllowers . Resonator,was bound with white trim. Briidge appears to be rosewood tipped maple(I might be wrong.). I might replace it with a maple-ebony tipped bridge, but the rosewood sounds wonderful for now. Planetary tuners work well. On 2/12 replaced bridge with Snuffy Smith Type 1 and put on medium guage strings, Tone and punch are dramatically improved. One thing about banjo I don't like is that it only has a single coordinator rod which is a cheap setup and makes it more difficult to adjust the neck if necessary (this one's right on). |
Components Rating |
9 |
Overall Comments
|
For a complete starter package with hard shell case, tuner, picks, etc it fits the bill perfectly. If it were stolen I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. Great banjo to learn on as well as intermediate and advanced skill levels. |
Overall Rating |
9 |
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