Brooks Masten Silver Spun Reviews

Brooks Masten Silver Spun submitted 11/4/2006 Submitter bengal (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased From maker Year Purchased 2006 Price Paid 1700 ($US) Sound I have to say, at the outset, that I am a banjo novice, though not new to stringed instruments. I tried several banjos in my local music shops, and the Silver Spun is simply in another class. The sound is wonderfully bright with great sustain. I've no doubt that I will discover further riches in the sound as I progress my playing. Sound Rating 10 Setup Since it is my first banjo, I have nothing to compare it with, but everything feels just right and the action is perfect for me. Setup Rating 10 Appearance I work as a professional woodworker and artist and am happy to say that the craftsmanship and style of this instrument is of the highest order. Brooks is an outstanding maker and has an artist’s eye for style. The Silverspun is a beautiful combination of brass, silver, walnut and ebony. There is no ornamentation other than the natural grace of perfectly finished elements. Absolutely flawless. As Eric Gill was fond of saying "Look after goodness and truth, and beauty will look after herself" This sums up well the integrity of craftsmanship and the resulting good looks of the Silver Spun Appearance Rating 10 Reliability Can’t see me ever needing to replace this banjo. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service I’ve long wanted to play banjo and decided to go for an instrument of such quality that I would not feel the need to upgrade in the future. I looked around long and hard, and liked what I saw on Brooks’ website. The result is a banjo I will treasure. Whether my playing will ever do it justice is debatable, but I know I have here a modern masterpiece. I needed a lefty model and Brooks was happy to do this for me at no extra charge. Buying from a craftsman like Brooks Masten will always be more satisfying than dealing with larger manufacturers. Furthermore, the price is very fair when one considers that each instrument is custom made. Customer Service 10 Components The components are all of a very high grade, from the quality of the walnut to the goatskin head. Tuners are very smooth. No need to upgrade anything here. Components Rating 10 Overall Comments I'd unreservedly recommend this banjo, and the price was a very fair one by any standards. I had previously considered buying an openback lefty from a big name manufacturer, but the spec was nowhere nearly as good as the Silver Spun and the price higher. Overall Rating 10