Cedar Mountain Foothills  Reviews

Cedar Mountain Foothills submitted 3/28/2005 Submitter jbalch (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased ebaY Year Purchased 2005 Price Paid 1100 ($US) (bought USED) Sound Very well balanced tone. Plenty bright (especially for an all- wood tone rim). The bass is rich and tight. The high tones are round and full. The 11" rim holds its own against the 12" banjos I have. It is not quite as open and fat on the low-end as the big pots. But the sound is very focused and plenty rich. It sounds great in front of a mic. Sound Rating 9 Setup The action was a bit high for me. I replaced the 11/16" Snuffy Smith bridge with a 5/8" Sosebee Cotton Mill...just right! I adjusted the head tension. The banjo sounds and plays great. I might try a calfskin head and NylGut strings. This rosewood pot seems like it would respond really well to that set-up. Setup Rating 8 Appearance Very simple design. This is Lo's basic model with no fingerboard or headstock inlay. The style is classic and very pleasing. This banjo has a curly maple neck, dowel stick and rim cap. The wood is fantastic! It has a beautiful rosewood, block rim w/ nice wood inlay around the pot. I really like the unadorned look. Thw wood really stands out! Appearance Rating 8 Reliability This banjo was built in 2002. All the parts are pro-grade. The woodwork is first class! It seems very reliable. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service I e-mailed Lo to ask when this banjo was made. He responded quickly and was very interested to know about the banjo. He maintains a log of owners. I trust the he would be very helpful if needed. Customer Service 10 Components The all-wood, rosewood, block tone rim is the defining feature of this banjo. It sounds great compared to other all wood rims I've seen. The metal parts are pretty standard. The grooved tension hoop is nice. The "foothills" model is a short scale banjo. Other models are more normal. The sort scale neck suits me just fione. Components Rating 9 Overall Comments I really like this banjo. It is comfortable to play and sounds great. I recommend it to anyone seeking a rich, woody sounding clawhammer banjo. Overall Rating 9