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The banjo reviews database is here to help educate people before they purchase an instrument. Of course, this is not meant to be a substitute for playing the instrument yourself!
7232 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Roger Sprung
Year Purchased: 1971
Price Paid: $560
historic exchange rates / currency converter
Very Good sound for many years both acoustically and amplified. I play Scruggs and Melodic styles, I've used pickups and, more recently, a goose neck AKG clip-on mic. Now that I've made a few much-needed changes, this banjo is superb. Very loud, very melodic, no rattles or buzzes, and the overall tone is very near pre-war Granada quality and the action of the neck is incredible.
Sound Rating: 9
I bought this banjo new in 1971, right after the Baldwin Piano Company bought out ODE Banjo Company (before OME) and have had it for over 30 years (actually, this is really an ODE/OME transition banjo) and it was, or so I thought, set up properly for all these years. Just recently however, I replaced the head with a Remo Weather King, torqued it to exactly 9 kg./cm., and replaced the bridge with a standard Snuffy Smith model. After settling in (about three days) the sound started changing and is now magnificient. Incredible overtones, rings like a bell, and pops like a firecracker in a wash tub. I had never heard it sound so good until now.
Setup Rating: 9
Walnut throughout, gold plated, gorgeous inlay, it came with only the armrest and tailpiece engraved in a vine-leaf pattern. In 1972 I sent it to Bob Flesher at the old Liberty Banjo Company and had him engrave the tension hoop and flange, install herringbone inlay on the sides of the neck and resonator, carve the heel, resonator (side and back), and back side of the headstock. The result is one of the most beautiful (without being too ornate or flashy) instruments you will ever see.
Appearance Rating: 10
Of course, some of the gold has tarnished, the gold on the armrest has worn, and I've had to replace several of the hooks. The wood is as solid as a rock and the neck is solid and straight. This banjo has been my sidekick for a very long time and has never failed me in over 30 years.
Reliability Rating: 10
N/A
Customer Service: not rated
All of the parts are very heavy duty, well made, and aside from several hooks, none of the parts has ever failed. Baldwin made a VERY high quality back then.
Components Rating: 10
The price I paid is about 1/6th the value of this instrument today. But, even in today's dollars, it is still an excellent buy and will easily hold its own against any of the current banjos. I expect I will hold on to it and will pass it down to my children someday.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Turtle Hill Banjo/Maryland
Year Purchased: 2002
Price Paid: 1600 ($US) (bought USED)
Wonderful flathead sound, excellent tonal quality, crisp, strong, and mellow throughout the neck, especially in middle range (7th to 12th frets).
Sound Rating: 9
I totally re-set this banjo upon arrival. I replaced the head with a used 5-Star frosted, torqued the head to 9 cm/kg using a Neary DrumTorque (best $45 I ever spent), put on a new 11/16 Snuffy Smith bridge, and reset the action via the coordinator rods.
Setup Rating: 10
Hearts and Flowers inlay on fingerboard and headstock, beautiful curly maple neck and resonator, b-w-b purfling on resonator and neck binding, sunburst resonator back, ebony fingerboard, RR spikes on 7th, 9th, & 10th frets, standard nickel parts, pearl "Sonny Osborne" signature at 22nd fret.
Appearance Rating: 9
This instrument is very solid, built with quality parts and will, most likely, outlast me.
Reliability Rating: 10
Contacted Mark Taylor by email regarding the tone ring and he replied within an hour. Because Rich & Taylor no longer exists, I suspect Mark Taylor at Crafters of Tennessee would still handle a major problem if it arose..
Customer Service: 10
I was initially concerned because this banjo did not have the Tennesse 20 tonering. However, Mark told me he and Greg Rich were using the Kulesh 20 hole tonerings in 1995, when this instrument was built. After torquing the head and making a few adjustments, I was able to obtain, pretty much, the exact sound I was looking for. Not only is Mark Taylor a very delightful person to deal with, he is, in my opinion, the BEST banjo luthier in this country. FLASH: November 2002: I recently installed a gold plated Huber tone ring. WOW !!!What an incredible difference. This is as close to the elusive "Vintage Pre-war Flathead Sound" as you can get. I am very pleased with the sound.
Components Rating: 10
I am extremely pleased with the Rich & Taylor Sonny Osborne model. I have owned two pre-war Mastertones in the past, a 1929 RB-3 archtop and a 1930 Granada archtop. This R&T plays and sounds better than both of the Mastertones and it is, indeed, a "KEEPER".
Overall Rating: 10
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