kmwaters - Posted - 11/12/2011:  16:50:36

Just a quick piece of advice for anyone shopping for a banjo.  Don't buy until you check out White Mountain Banjo in Arizona and talk to Ron Grimsley, the owner.  His work is impeccable and his prices are exceptionally reasonable.  I saw the products at a festival out here recently and was totally impressed.  Don't pass up a chance to look at a good operation and deal with some really nice folks at the same time.  Ron can be reached at 480-478-6439 and the website is whitemountainbanjo.org.  And his email is ron@whitemountainbanjo.org.

Jacob Moore - Posted - 11/12/2011:  17:20:15

Thanks for the info. I just checked him out and he's got some pretty sweet banjos.

That RB-20 looks pretty awesome !

Oldpiper - Posted - 11/12/2011:  17:21:50

Thanks. I'm looking for something that they might be able to build. Some good looking banjos and great prices.

Fred

kmwaters - Posted - 11/13/2011:  04:20:37

Jacob and Piper - thanks for the interest.  I promised Ron I would try to let people know about his fine work after visiting with him at the Wickenburg festival.  I feel he deserves it.  This kind of dedication is hard to find these days as we know.  The RB-20 is flawless as is everything else he makes.  But I believe that is the top of the 5 string line and priced excepionally reasonable.  I just picked a few strings and even without picks the sound was bright and clean, and the work is gorgeous.  This man has great attention to detail, does all his own inlay work, and is very selective on components and wood quality.  And he will make whatever you want.

Fathand - Posted - 11/13/2011:  04:33:37

I can vouch that Ron is very good to deal with although I have only bought used things from him and not a banjo.

kmwaters - Posted - 11/13/2011:  07:25:00

I happen to live fairly close to his shop, and we were discussing how banjos can come from the factory brand new and lacking a really good setup.  So he volunteered to look at mine, which is only around 6 months old and never really been checked and I am going to take him up on it.  Bridge and tailpiece upgrades are done, but neck angle, action height etc. are things that I know he is much better at than I am.  And this was a professional courtesy that many people would never volunteer.  A testimony to his character.

Joe the banjo guy - Posted - 11/13/2011:  07:57:05

Somebody else mentioned them in a post the other day. I checked them out and was quite impressed. I really like their internal resonator design, and the prices are really competitive. They are on the short list for my next banjo (which may be a long time away, but it's good to start planning early, right?).

chindi - Posted - 11/13/2011:  08:12:15

Only 850 for the Sholo?! What's the catch? That's a fine looking banjo.

bgdc11 - Posted - 11/13/2011:  14:43:47

I've seen him advertise some of banjos on Phoenix Craig's List.  Right now he's got a listing for a walnut banjo with a rosewood tone ring for $1400.  The walnut is really beautiful.  I'd love to hear a sound clip.

drjack - Posted - 11/13/2011:  18:02:12

I recently purchased a Sholo banjo because the the partial internal resonator and rosewood tonering. It is well made, great sounding   and well worth the incredibly low price. I would certainly recommend them.

J

kmwaters - Posted - 11/16/2011:  11:39:36

The Sholo is cool.  He had a couple of the open back internal resonator banjos at the exhibit I saw, and one was the Sholo and the other was pretty similar except everything was walnut.  Also gorgeous and a couple of pounds lighter.  Different sound of course but both were beautiful.  For bluegrass, his rb-20 has got to be one of the best values on the planet.  Impeccable workmanship from Ron.  And great to deal with as a human being.

Tinfoot - Posted - 11/16/2011:  17:05:42

Not to be the fly in the ointment... but I had seen the Sholo (and the others he put up on eBay) a couple months back. Very pretty, and the internal resonator was fascinating. I was deeply interested.

However, I had emailed him asking if he had any sound clips of it being played, and he responded that unfortunately no. Needless to say, I kinda moved on at that point. I am more than willing to take the leap of faith of buying online, but not without being able to hear what it sounds like in a couple different situations. I heartily recommend he possibly fix that... :P

caddielad - Posted - 11/16/2011:  18:03:50

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tinfoot

Not to be the fly in the ointment... but I had seen the Sholo (and the others he put up on eBay) a couple months back. Very pretty, and the internal resonator was fascinating. I was deeply interested.



However, I had emailed him asking if he had any sound clips of it being played, and he responded that unfortunately no. Needless to say, I kinda moved on at that point. I am more than willing to take the leap of faith of buying online, but not without being able to hear what it sounds like in a couple different situations. I heartily recommend he possibly fix that... :P

---

Hi Tinfoot, this may be useful:

hicklerbanjo.com/Testing.html

Last I heard they were using Mark Hickler's rims, the link brings you to some sound samples, including rims with internal resonators.

I actually got one of Mark's maple internal resonator rims and had him build a neck (nice!) to go with it. My local luthier put it all together

with Bill Rickard hardware and did the final finshes and setup. Came out fantastic. The rim is bright and throaty with a little sweetness

over the frailiing scoop. Easily keeps up with a fiddle, volume-wise. Haven't played a White Mountain personally but if they're still using

Mark's rims that's a plus in my book.

Cheers - Bill

BTW, my total outlay was probably $300-$350 more than the Sholo price owing to the custom neck, Waverly tuners and Rickard parts.

Absolutely no regrets.

Edited by - caddielad on 11/16/2011 18:10:55

bgdc11 - Posted - 11/16/2011:  19:14:31

Here's the link to sound clips of the White Ladye, which looks like it's the next model up from the Sholo:

hicklerbanjo.com/articles/arti...57816.htm

desert rose - Posted - 11/17/2011:  00:22:39

Personally Im highly impressed with a builder who doesnt do soundclips.

NO soundclip can do any insturment justice and NO soundclip can sound like the banjo in person

Why enguage in hype.

Just a builders perspective

Scott

DGEBanjo - Posted - 11/20/2011:  22:40:33

Thought I would chime in here, I have a banjo that was just built in collaboration with Mark Hickler and White Mountain Banjos and I can tell you that they are both top notch people and a pleasure to work with and are very resonalby priced, , and as far as sound, Mark has done tons of research on tonal wood propoerties.
I would recomend them highly

pot assembly

Completed Banjo

Banjo Front

Tinfoot - Posted - 11/21/2011:  06:00:08

quote:

---

Originally posted by desert rose



Personally Im highly impressed with a builder who doesnt do soundclips. NO soundclip can do any insturment justice and NO soundclip can sound like the banjo in person Why enguage in hype. Just a builders perspective Scott

---

So, you are far more likely to buy a banjo (non-specific to any particular one) without being able to hear it than having a clip to give you an idea of what it sounds like?  o.0  This of course excludes any opportunity to play it in person, which is the assumed position of selling via Online.  Just buyer's perspective which the builder's perspective should take account of.

Dog Break - Posted - 02/24/2012:  18:21:42

Ron is a pleasure to deal with.  We finalized a deal today, and I couldn't be more excited.  Can't wait for it to arrive!

This very talented young woman got second place at the Arizona State Championships playing a White Mountain Banjo:

youtube.com/watch?v=EzKJkuZcrqE

Thank you to Ron for all the help with my questions (and of course the banjo), and thank you to kmwaters.  It was this thread that pointed me in that direction.

My name isn't really Dog Break

Sorearm - Posted - 05/04/2012:  18:46:14

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tinfoot

Not to be the fly in the ointment... but I had seen the Sholo (and the others he put up on eBay) a couple months back. Very pretty, and the internal resonator was fascinating. I was deeply interested.



However, I had emailed him asking if he had any sound clips of it being played, and he responded that unfortunately no. Needless to say, I kinda moved on at that point. I am more than willing to take the leap of faith of buying online, but not without being able to hear what it sounds like in a couple different situations. I heartily recommend he possibly fix that... :P

---

Check Youtube now for sound clips...

Sorearm - Posted - 05/04/2012:  18:49:52

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tinfoot

Not to be the fly in the ointment... but I had seen the Sholo (and the others he put up on eBay) a couple months back. Very pretty, and the internal resonator was fascinating. I was deeply interested.



However, I had emailed him asking if he had any sound clips of it being played, and he responded that unfortunately no. Needless to say, I kinda moved on at that point. I am more than willing to take the leap of faith of buying online, but not without being able to hear what it sounds like in a couple different situations. I heartily recommend he possibly fix that... :P

---

Check Youtube now for sound clips...