Recording King: RK R80

Submitted by Jesse C on 3/8/2009

Where Purchased: banjohut.com

Year Purchased: 2009
Price Paid: Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter

Sound

Sounds great. Much better than two Morgan Monroe Cascades that I tried out (although they also sounded good). I switched out the stock bridge for a Roger Seckler locust bridge and the banjo has a real bluegrassy pop. I love the way that it sounds.

Sound Rating: 10

Setup

The banjo was set up very well. Banjohut.com has a reputation for a good setup and they did not disappoint. My only issue is that the nut needs to be slotted a littlebit lower -- the action at the first fret is too high.

Setup Rating: 9

Appearance

If anyone has seen these banjos they know that they look great!! No visible flaws at all.

Appearance Rating: 10

Reliability

The hardware seems like it will last. The tuners are much higher quality than the tuners on the Morgan Monroes that I tried out. However, only time will tell so I'm gonna give 'em a 9.

Reliability Rating: 9

Customer Service

Haven't dealt directly with Recording King.

Customer Service: not rated

Components

I think that the best parts are (1) the neck...the inlays and binding are beautiful, and (2) the peghead. Of course,the whole banjo is gorgeous.

Components Rating: 10

Overall Comments

I'm not mentioning the price because I got a really good deal. I would recommend it at MSRP and below. If it was stolen I would immediately replace it. I highly recommend Recording King banjos they are much better than the Morgan Monroes I tried in the same price range.

Overall Rating: 10

banjohut.com

Submitted by Jesse C on 3/8/2009

Overall Comments

I highly recommend banjohut.com. I originally ordered a Morgan Monroe Cascade from banjohut.com. It arrived well setup but had some cosmetic flaws. Banjohut.com immediately sent me a replacement at no cost. Unfortunately, the replacment was damaged during shipping. When I called to get another replacement, banjohut.com gave me a deal on an even better banjo (Recording King RK-R80). All of the the replacements were shipped at no cost to me and the returns were shipped back at no cost to me. All three of the banjos were well setup. In summary, the setup and customer service at banjohut.com are excellent and I highly recommend them.

Overall Rating: 10