Overall Comments

I am very pleased with the customer service at Zepp's. I just bought three sets of Aquilla Nylgut strings at a great price with fast shipping to boot! I highly recommend shopping at Zepp's.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I recently bought a 5/8" heavy solid foot bridge from Greg at Buckeye Banjos. It has made a world of difference with my Enoch Tradesman! It is beautifully made and really brings out a fuller sound from my banjo--highly recommended! Plus, Greg was a delight to deal with--great communication, great service, amazing bridge!

Overall Rating

10

Sound

Quick disclaimer: I don't own this banjo, but I had the chance to play it today at a local music store.

With a 12" pot, the BC-120 had a noticeably louder volume and depth than the CC-OT. The BC-120 has a brass tone ring, so the higher notes are bright. Overall, it's a lovely sounding banjo!

I also played a BC-350. Although the BC-120 is supposed to be a stripped down version of the 350, the 350 sounded mellower and fuller--i.e. the 350 is a better sounding banjo.

Sound Rating

8

Appearance

This is meant to be an economical version of the BC-350.

When I spoke with dealers earlier this summer (who contacted Gold Tone on my behalf for additional information), I was told that this banjo would have a (faux) dowel stick and planetary tuners. It has neither. Instead, the BC-120 uses the same cheap guitar tuners that are on the CC-OT. There are dual coordinating rods instead of a dowel stick. The hooks and nuts are the same low quality, cheapo hooks & nuts that are on the CC-OT. Essentially, this banjo is an exact copy of the CC-OT, with only a 12" pot, a better arm rest, and an extra coordinating rod separating the two.

Like the CC-OT, there are side dots and inlaid fret markers, with an inlaid star on the fifth fret. The star on the headstock is painted on, much like the CC-OT's

Running my hand down the sides of the neck, I could feel a few spots where the fret wire had not been fully sanded down. Not dangerously sharp--but definitely noticeable.

On a positive note, the dark brown stain is attractive. The satin finish feels much better than the high gloss finish of the BC-350. And the arm-rest is much more solid than the CC-OT's. It comes with a nice sounding Renaissance head.

Appearance Rating

5

Customer Service

I've e-mailed Gold Tone several times about my CC-OT and with questions about the BC-120. Each time, I've received a prompt reply, usually from Wayne himself.

I have not had to deal with Gold Tone for repairs / replacements. I've heard excellent things about their customer service though.

Customer Service

9

Overall Comments

I want to start by saying that I really wanted to like this banjo. At this price range, I knew some compromise had to be made. However, the final product differs sharply from Gold Tone's initial description.

So, if you are desperate to get your hands on a 12" pot clawhammer banjo, but your budget is limited, then the BC-120 might be a good option.

If you can save a little more, I would advise looking at other models.

Again, I really wanted to like this banjo, but feel that Gold Tone made too many compromises in "stripping down" its BC-350.

Overall Rating

7