Hatfield Buck Creek
submitted 9/22/2004
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Submitter |
gbkyser |
Where Purchased |
Private seller |
Year Purchased |
2004 |
Price Paid |
1875 ($US) (bought USED) |
Sound
|
This has a rich, open mahogany sound, comparable to one Crowe RB75 I tried. I've torqued the head way up and tried to play like Ralph, then loosened it up and tried to sound like Doc Boggs. I think it's best in the middle, where you get a little of both high and low freqs, leaving a valley in the midrange so you get that hollow sound.
This banjo sounds more classic, bluesy, and gritty than clean & jazzy (though it can sound very pearly-pure up the neck). I'm not saying one sound is better than the other, just trying to show where this one sits. |
Sound Rating |
10 |
Setup
|
It came to me second hand. The action is good, a hair on the high side which is where I like it. I have the head tuned to just under A and am using 10-12-14-22-10 strings. |
Setup Rating |
not rated |
Appearance
|
The mahogany is a medium brown finish, lighter than typical. Shows a pretty grain. Binding and buttons are ivoroid, a nice touch. Trimming of the binding is a wee rough in one spot. The inlay on the fingerboard is pearl in a snowflake pattern, and the peghead has an awesome pearl...snowburst...sort of...shape. (You can recognize a Hatfield peghead from a hundred paces.) |
Appearance Rating |
9 |
Reliability
|
This is a reliable, professional instrument. |
Reliability Rating |
10 |
Customer Service
|
Mr. Hatfield has been good to correspond with, both early on when I dropped him a question about maybe getting a banjo built, and more recently when I got this one secondhand. We haven't talked about the warranty, but judging by his reputation I should be able to work with him should anything come up. |
Customer Service |
10 |
Components
|
Mr. Hatfield builds an outstanding neck - not too thick, not too thin. Other parts include a Cox resonator & rim, Huber ring (assume this was built before Mr. Hatfield developed his own ring), Prucha metal parts, Presto tailpiece, and (I think) Waverly two-band tuners. Hatfield compensated bridge with Crowe spacing. I'm editing my review a year after getting the banjo. I've seen no weak spots. |
Components Rating |
10 |
Overall Comments
|
I'd recommend this banjo without hesitation. I shopped around for about 6 months before buying. I tried a bunch of names, including most of the better known independent makers. This banjo is as good as any and better than most, quality wise; it feels better than most; and its sound is in the top 2 or 3 of individual instruments I played. Now I've had my Buck Creek for a year, played out a few times, played it amongst plenty of other banjos. I would still pick this one out of a crowd. It still lifts me up just to look at it. |
Overall Rating |
10 |
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Iida Aluminum classic
submitted 2/4/2004
|
Submitter |
gbkyser |
Where Purchased |
The Music Man in Ridgecrest |
Year Purchased |
1977 |
Price Paid |
129 ($US) |
Sound
|
It's a starter banjo with pretty good intonation. |
Sound Rating |
5 |
Setup
|
It was 20 years old before I started fooling with it. By then the head was a little saggy. The nut was way too high. |
Setup Rating |
5 |
Appearance
|
Neck appears to be mahogany. I really like the little "Made in Japan" sticker. There are no ugly banjos. |
Appearance Rating |
10 |
Reliability
|
I have replaced all moveable parts and now we're good to go. The finish is a little sad - soon I will have a "speed neck." |
Reliability Rating |
5 |
Customer Service
|
I understand the company may be overseas. |
Customer Service |
not rated |
Components
|
The worst component was the original tuners - cheap tin guitar tuners and a friction peg. Once I replaced those, and also the nut, head, bridge, and tailpiece, the only things I worry about are the neck, flange, and resonator. Oh, and the J-hooks threaten to straighten out if I tighten them too much. |
Components Rating |
3 |
Overall Comments
|
This banjo lurked in a closet for many years then jumped out and grabbed me one day. For that, I owe it my loyalty. It's lighter than air. I keep it all over the house, at the office, in the car, on the train, on a boat, with a goat. It's worthless and irreplaceable. |
Overall Rating |
10 |
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Gold Tone Orange Blossom longneck OB-250LN
submitted 4/25/2003
|
Submitter |
gbkyser |
Where Purchased |
Folk of the Wood |
Year Purchased |
2002 |
Price Paid |
880 ($US) |
Sound
|
I'm updating my review after a year with the banjo. It is loud and clear but the notes don't have the 'roundness' and character you hear in top-end banjos. I've been capoing the 3rd fret full time to learn Scruggs style, but this banjo really sounds best with the strings open. Then it has a rich sound with a lot of sustain, almost halfway to a guitar. ('Course it's tuned to E - the guitar key!) |
Sound Rating |
7 |
Setup
|
Sort of a mess. The fifth-string capo was poorly installed so it buzzed, and in the wrong place. When I moved it I found a screw or a drill bit broken off in the neck under the capo. The strings were mismatched, one was really old. FOTW shipped it tuned up to G, and I bet they kept breaking strings during setup. |
Setup Rating |
4 |
Appearance
|
Very nice, pretty simple. A couple of the inlays a little crude, and a couple of galvanized parts have rough edges. But that's nitpicking. |
Appearance Rating |
8 |
Reliability
|
Seems sturdy. In the long long run, I'll keep my eye on the tuners, but I wouldn't hesitate to play out with it. *$#!# keep sticking the head into the ceiling fan! but it's holding up fine. |
Reliability Rating |
9 |
Customer Service
|
Wayne from Goldtone sent me new tuner buttons free within a week when one of mine cracked, so this rating is for him. On the other hand, FOTW rates a 4...the order from start to finish took over 3 months (first banjo broke in shipping; reorder from Goldtone; couldn't find a case; wrong strap...) and they never once contacted me to let me know what was going on - I had to call them. I hung in there because of the good price. Did I get a warranty? I dunno. |
Customer Service |
10 |
Components
|
I like the Price-licensed tailpiece. I replaced the the Grover bridge with a Sosebee and I got more volume. The tuners are less smooth than my 5-Stars. The resonator attachment hardware seems a little clumsy. The neck feels good but doesn't fit all capos. |
Components Rating |
7 |
Overall Comments
|
A good banjo at a good price. |
Overall Rating |
8 |
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