Recording King RK-20 Review
Recording King RK-20
submitted 11/1/2009
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Submitter |
JedNeedsCoffee (see all reviews from this person) |
Where Purchased |
banjo.com |
Year Purchased |
2008 |
Price Paid |
Don't Remember
historic exchange rates / currency converter
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Sound
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My first impression was that it is rather harsh. loud, yes..."bright", no. After installing a fiberskyn head and stuffing a sock behind the rod, the harshness was (naturally) toned down quite a bit and I found that these modifications brought the overall sound to just about where I want it. I like a banjo that sounds well with both Scruggs/Bluegrass and "folk-style" (which, yes, I realize is a nebulous term). The new head and sock provided a sound that lent itself well to both styles. |
Sound Rating |
7 |
Setup
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The first thing I noticed was that this banjo had held its tuning perfectly during transit because I didn't so much as have to fine tune it when I took it out of the box...all strings were dead-on in tune. The only thing that I found very disappointing was the fact that the lenght of the fingerboard was not matched properly to the tension hoop, in other words, it was too long and therefore the heel of the neck didn't come in full contact with the rim. This may or may not be a "set-up" issue but I can't see how the folks at banjo.com could have overlooked this...we're talking about a 1/8 inch gap between the neck and rim! I took the neck off and shaved the fingerboard down, which of course altered the overall action height, which I then had to readjust. |
Setup Rating |
6 |
Appearance
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Generally, a very nice looking banjo. Well done inlays, shiny chrome. Finish itself was pretty darn good except for the cracks (in the finish) which ran from bracket to bracket...almost as if the factory worker overtightened the hooks (or the brackets themselves) although when I got the 'jo, head tension didn't seem too tight. |
Appearance Rating |
6 |
Reliability
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For what it is, a relatively lower-end banjo, it seems as sturdy as one would expect for this price range. I've had it a year or so now and nothing has broken. Tuners hold good. |
Reliability Rating |
8 |
Customer Service
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I had purchased banjos from banjo.com before and was always treated fairly. Still, I am disappointed that the banjo had the obviously mal-fitted neck and finish cracks. One would think that such an item would have been returned to the factory/distributor rather than sold to a customer. I didn't raise a fuss with banjo.com about this, because personally, I didn't feel it worth the hassle of returning/re-shipping the item. |
Customer Service |
6 |
Components
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Personally, I wouldn't invest in any major upgrades. The cost of upgrading in relation to the value of the banjo itself would be disproportionate. I must say however that I AM quite impressed with the tuners, I can play this banjo for quite awhile and even leave this banjo sitting in the corner quite awhile and it holds perfect tune. Swapping out the head is the only "upgrade" I made. |
Components Rating |
7 |
Overall Comments
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I have mixed feelings about this banjo. Other than the mismatched neck and the finish cracks and the fact that I had to change out and stuff the head...it sounds good, plays good and looks good. Were it not fo the problems mentioned, I may have been happier with the purchase. Originally I bought it as a "knock-around" banjo, for camping etc., which it works fine for. I think I paid 375 +or-. My advice though (which you may take with as many grains of salt as you wish) if you are buying this as a "first" banjo, (i.e. to learn on)....save up some more money and get one in the next price catagory up. If you're buying it as a "second" banjo, or a knock-around banjo, I would say it's probably worth the $, (as long as it's under $400). |
Overall Rating |
6 |
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