Clareen Banjos submitted 9/23/2007 Submitter ruraltradpunk Overall Comments This little shop is in Clarinbridge, Co. Galway, Ireland. It's run by the always welcoming Tom Cussen. Not only does he make both tenor and 5-string banjos, which are always in stock, he also has a fair amount of used and vintage banjos in the shop, banjo cases and accessories, along with some mandolins, fiddles, tenor guitars and the odd bouzouki, and an assortment of banjo CD's. Tom is an absolute gentleman, and visitors are always encouraged to play any instruments they like. I have literally spent HOURS in the shop. If you are ever in the west of Ireland you MUST visit this shop, if only to pick up a "Best Pluckin Banjos in Ireland" sticker for your banjo case! The website is www.banjo.ie Overall Rating 10

stromberg Open back tenor submitted 8/25/2007 Submitter ruraltradpunk Where Purchased Clareen Banjos Year Purchased 2007 Price Paid () (bought USED) historic exchange rates / currency converter Sound Has that deep open back kind of sound, bit sustain-y at times but I'm doing the old "stuff something between the head and the dowel stick" trick. Right now that "something" is a small stuffed "Grommit" of "Wallace & Grommit" fame. I play Irish trad stuff mainly and I really like the sound Angelina Carberry gets - my banjo would be nearer to that type of sound I reckon. It's not wildly treble-y, but I have discovered that if I use really pointy picks it gives it more of a treble-y edge to the sound. I'd actually never considered getting an open back banjo prior to this purchase but now I really like the different tonal qualities they possess as compared to resonator banjos. Sound Rating 10 Setup Banjo was very well set up, action and intonation all spot on, lovely to play, only thing I've done is put new strings on it, which made it sound even better than it already did! Setup Rating 10 Appearance I think this banjo is beautiful - very simple looking and the clear head shows off the unique "Cuppo-phone" tone ring nicely. Inlay on the peghead is of a smiling crescent moon with a small star, ebony fretboard. One unusual feature is that the fretboard extends down over the head. This banjo is in excellent condition for it's age, no parts missing or flaws. Appearance Rating 10 Reliability This is a really well made banjo, and if it's lasted this long and still in such good shape, then I don't have many fears about how it's going to hold up over time. I would confidently use it without a backup. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service There is no company to deal with any more - I'm still going to give it a high rating for this category though, since there isn't the option of N/A and I can't bring myself to give it a low rating for anything! Customer Service 8 Components Standout component is probably the Cuppo-phone tone ring. It's one of the first things you notice on this banjo. There are no weak/cheap parts on this, one of the first things I was struck by upon picking it up was just how well made it is. The only thing I'm planning on changing is the arm rest - I had a basic garden variety arm rest put on it when I bought it, but intend to order one of those wire Vega style armrests - very old school looking, I like 'em! Components Rating 10 Overall Comments I love this banjo and if it was stolen I would cry salty tears! My favourite feature would be it's playability - it's just so easy and comfortable to play, has a great neck profile. Only minor quibble would be the ill fitting old case it came with, and then discovering just how difficult it is to find a case to fit a short scale tenor! No worries though, as we speak a fella in Dublin is making a case to order for it, so it'll fit it like a glove! There aren't alot of these Strombergs around so my advice would be that if you find one, grab that puppy and don't let go! Overall Rating 10

Grafton Popular #2 submitted 7/20/2007 Submitter ruraltradpunk Where Purchased The BanjoWorks, Faversham, Kent UK Year Purchased 2007 Price Paid 225 (sterling) historic exchange rates / currency converter Sound I play Irish trad stuff so I got the 17 fret tenor banjo. What I like about the Grafton is that it SOUNDS like a banjo - some of the other entry level instruments I tried out didn't. If it sounded crappy, I probably wouldn't have been inspired to keep picking it up - from the moment it arrived I've played it an average of 2-3 hours a day. Sound Rating 8 Setup Banjo was shipped with the bridge removed - Andy included detailed directions for fitting it correctly, so no problems there. Action is great, this is a very playable banjo. Setup Rating 10 Appearance Very spartan in appearance, satin finsh, no fancy inlay or anything, just a good solid banjo. I don't mind if an instrument is plain looking, some folks might. Appearance Rating 8 Reliability For the short time that I've had this banjo, I reckon it's quite reliable, well built, stays in tune - only refraining from rating it a "10" because I have no idea at this stage how well the hardware/finsh will last, but I suspect it will hold up pretty well. Reliability Rating 8 Customer Service Dealt with Andy over the phone/via email when ordering this and he was very helpful, friendly, easy to deal with. Not sure about warranty stuff, gotta check my receipt for that. Customer Service 9 Components I find the neck very playable, frets are well seated, no sticky uppy ones waiting to catch your fingertips, neck profile is very comfortable too. Components Rating 9 Overall Comments For this price range I think this is a great banjo, especially when compared to others in this price range that to my mind provide alot of eye candy, but once you start playing them just scream "CHEAP!!" at you. I've been trying out alot of pre-war tenors recently and while the Grafton doesn't have the tone of some of those vintage banjos, it can hold it's own in terms of playability, which I think is the main quality a beginner should be looking for. If finance allows when upgrading, I would still hang onto this as a back up banjo. Overall Rating 10