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!
7225 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: mikesbanjomute.com
Saw this mute recommended on this forum. What convinced me to order is the member who actually used a decibel meter to see how much less sound there was with the mute on. Was looking for something to use so that I don't annoy the neighbors when I pick on the porch. I did have some difficulty getting the mute on initially but contacted the owner who helpfully told me I had a nonstandard bridge size! It still worked, just takes a bit more wrestling to get on but WOW - what a difference. Makes me feel more confident that I can whale away without causing pain to anyone else's ears. What a great practice tool.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: online Mike's site
Okay--here's another believer. I just received my Mike's Mute in the mail and tried it out on my 1930's Gibson with the Sullivan tone ring. The brutal loudness was tamed and it still had a nice tone. And I didn't have to wear earplugs when I played! Huge.... This purchase was long overdue.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: www.mikesbanjomute.com
I bought Mike's Banjo Mute- Standard 5-String model. I have been using for three days now and I really like it. Simple to put on and remove from the bridge. My banjo still sounds good but is now quiet enough for late night practice. I think it's worth every penny and I highly recommend Mike's Banjo Mute.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: www.mikesbanjomute.com
I was hesitant to spend the money for a Mike's Mute but after reading all the positive reviews I decided to take a chance. I'm glad I did! This high quality mute does exactly what it's supposed to do. The best part is I find myself playing more knowing that I'm not bothering anyone else. The purchase of this mute was money well spent.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Amazon
Crossrock Fiberglass Banjo Case-Fits Mastertone & Most 5-String Styles, with Interior Compartment, Backpack Straps, Hygrometer, TSA Lock-Black (CRF2023MBJBK)
I saw this case offered on Amazon with a very attractive price and free returns, so I ordered one to try out.
It arrived in good condition with the exception of the hygrometer bezel , which was detached and loose in the case. It is attractive and mostly well-designed. This case seems as sturdy as my similar-appearing Superior fiberglass CF1530B case and the body was about one inch deeper. It weighed nine pounds empty compared to the Superior’s 8.2.
The fit on my Mastertone was good with the exception that when I stood it on its nose and shook the body end of the case from front to back there was an audible bumping sound. The lid strap was a little short, so the lid did not stay securely open. The handle seemed placed a little too far forward, causing the case to assume a nose-up position when carried.
The latches and lid alignment were good. The storage compartment is 10.5” long inside. The case cannot accommodate a banjo with a capo left at the second fret, behind the nut is fine. There is no peghead support.
All in all, if something happened to my Superior fiberglass case I would consider this as a replacement. Since it was not an improvement over my present case, I returned it.
Overall Rating: 7
Where Purchased: Mike’sbanjomute.com
After receiving this mute I am wonderfully surprised at the ease of installing and removing it. The quality seems very good and most importantly the sound quality while muting is most acceptable. Brad, at Mike's Banjo Mute website, was excellent in delivering great advice and prompt service as well. I highly recommend this mute if a noise factor is an issue for you. It does its job.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Mikes Website
So new clawhammer player here, bought a Deering Goodtime Openback about a week ago. Suffice to say I've a long way to go before I can play it well enough that anyone in my house is gonna want to listen. I have another mute which has been great but still a little loud and read about Mikes and I'm glad I did it definitely does a better job with reducing volume without messing with the overall tone and the build quality is fantastic.
If you live within 100 ft of anyone else and especially if you are learning and more dissonant than an experienced player, I highly recommend this as an essential accessory.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Lemon Banjo and Supply
I had reached out to Hunter as I was in need of a plectrum neck to replace missing neck on my old TB100 pot. I've ordered from Lemon Banjo fairly early on and was pleased with the communication and quality of work.
For this reproduction neck, I send my old Gibson pot to Hunter. He turned the order around in extremely reasonable time - well within his posted time expectation.
Hunter Lemon's attention to detail and customer service cannot be exaggerated. The neck feels great and I'm eager to do the finishing work myself, as I had requested to do so.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: www.banjomart.com
These straps are amazing and will hold your expensive, heavy banjo with the durability that you need, with the comfort that you want, and with a classic style that is timeless. Richie Dotson has worked tirelessly to perfect the building of necks, bridges, fingerpicks and now straps. Each item he's produced is top quality and makes the banjo picking experience even better.
These straps have no problem fitting in a snug case. They are full Grain, heavy, 9-10 oz Bourbon Brown Bull Hide, which is stronger than cow hide, Tanned with Natural Vegetable Oils. Fully Adjustable and built to last. I use this strap on a near mint 1930's TB-11 with a Dotson neck. It's my favorite banjo and I don't have to worry about the strap breaking due to the high quality.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Gift
I got a G7th banjo capo as a gift, put it away and never used it as I am a Shubb guy. When I came across it I thought I'd give it a try, it looks well built and I'm sure there may be fans out there but the first time I used it the black plastic release button just started flopping around and the capo is stuck in one position and will not move, good luck trying to reach the company as they are in Britain, I completed the online form for issues, took pictures and sent them, no luck haven't heard a thing and the site says if they do in fact send you a new one there is a 15 dollar charge, staywith the Shubb or McKnney do yourself a favor and don't waste your money.
Overall Rating: 1
Where Purchased: L R Baggss
So I've used a lot of different pickups : Schatten blended, EMG, Kavanjo, mounted mics, Jones-Hatfield, Rare Earth. All with pros and cons. I play in a band with percussion and often have feedback or volume issues, so the mics (which are the best) usually don't work. And I don't like the magnetic pickups because they make the banjo sound like a guitar. So I've landed on preferring a piezo modeled through a ToneDexter (when I can't use a mic).
For piezeo, I've also landed on liking the L. R. Baggs pickup with the pickup in the bridge. I've found it to be the best piezo that I've tried and to not modify the sound of the banjo acoustically by having something mounted on the coordinator rods or glued under the head. The only drawback was you have to use the bridge with the pick up in it.
However, I recently learned that you can send them your favorite bridge and they'll install the pickup into it for about the same price as buying the bridge/pickup from them! I had called them because I bought a Nechville with a radius neck and asked if they had a radiused bridge. They said no, but they could install it in whatever bridge I wanted. So I sent them my best one and it sounds great. They were very good at keeping me updated and turned it around in about three weeks.
I give it a 10 rating based on my experience with pickups. Again, amplifying through a mic is #1, but when you can't, or if it isn't convenient, I've found the L R Baggs + Tonedexter works best for me when competing with plugged in guitars, mandolins and fiddles.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Eagle Music (UK)
I believe these were made with guitars in mind, but they work on banjos and other similar instruments too (depending on peghead layout, I guess). I play clawhammer and 2FTL exlusively by myself, so I don't need expensive Keith tuners for anything, but this was cheap enough to try out.
It didn't take long to attach it and fine-tune it (on the B-string to move between G and sawmill), but it was a frustratingly fiddly affair. After that, it goes between B and C quite accurately, even on strings that are about 6 months old. Amazingly, it doesn't upset the stability of the other strings -- they stay in tune. Which is amazing, because this particular banjo always liked to go out of tune when I changed the tuning of just one string. So it fixed a problem it wasn't designed to fix (for me, at least). By contrast, I gave one to a friend who put it on a telecaster (or maybe a jazzmaster) and got the opposite result: his previously stable guitar drifted out of tune if he used it as intended (electric guitar, low-E string). To be fair, he also doesn't play in a style that would really make use of it (as intended) so he didn't stick with it very long to try and get it to work as intended.
I haven't ever tried real Keith tuners, cheat-a-keys, or anything of the sort so I can't really compare. I suspect that the wheel (and the 200 degree turn to change tunings) would be inferior for changing mid-tune. But at £16-20 it's worth trying. Oh, on the upsaide it works fine whether it's sitting down at the nut or up by the tuning peg post (or in between) as in the photos.
Overall Rating: 8
Where Purchased: Little Mountain Music
After posting on BHO that I was having difficulty finding an armrest to fit a Vintage Harmony banjo, Doug Campbell sent me his BanjoMate Thinline Armrest. At first glance, I thought it was not going to fit, but following the instructions, I was able to attach it in only a few minutes. It is a very clever piece of engineering!
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Direct from Mike's Banjo Mute website
I love this mute! It works very well and is easy to use. I have a radius model as well as a standard bridge model. Both are outstanding.
I ordered them direct from the website and they arrived quickly. They are very well made and do an excellent job!
Great product! I highy recommend them!
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Deering Banjos
For this price its all you need if you want a cheap strap. Easy to adjust and come with instructions.
It does it's job, but you need to adjust the strap in a a good position on the brackets of the rim if you don't want your banjo to slip because of the weight.
Overall Rating: 7
Where Purchased: Direct
Quality product, solid make, easy to attach, and great sound. I'd buy it again.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Online
I like to practice my banjo in my office, but always feel guilty when playing loud and fast (even when sometimes people actually like to hang outside my door to listen...). I looked at a lot of banjo mute options and Mike's Banjo Mute kept coming up to the top of the list. I was hesitant because of the price, but ordered one to try it out. Man, I am impressed! I design products for a living and like everything about this mute. It is well machined, easy to install, and I love how it not only quiets the banjo enough where I can really jam with YouTube videos and not hold back, but also lets me hear each individual note. This has helped me clean up my right hand picking and finally hear where I was scratching the banjo head with my thumbpick. I highly recommend this banjo mute to anyone who wants to "level up" their banjo playing.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Musicians Friend
Advertised at $129, as I ordered it dropped to $79. Arrived quickly (3 days). Looks good, good hardware, handle, condition, lining etc. HOWEVER I had to SQUEEZE my Gibson Mastertone into it. Extremely tight fit of the resonator into the "pot"" section of the case. Then could NOT close the cover on it to latch. This was mentioned by some customers in Musicians Friend on line reviews. They had removed the neck cradle by the string box and carved out the styrofoam to get cover to close. I did this until back of neck set flush on top of the string box. Cover closes with difficulty, only with significant pressure. I measured the case depth at 5 1/2" just like all my other cases of various brands. The problem is the padding under the cover and in bottom of the case under the resonator. MUCH MUCH too thick. Easily twice as thick as the padding in my TKL cases.
I have decided to keep the case in the hope of the banjo crushing the padding until case will close and latch without pressing down on cover. We'll see... I shared this feedback with Musicians Friend.
Overall Rating: 5
Where Purchased: Factory direct
I have the honor to have two Steve Martins in my life. One of them, my pal the attorney and Bluegrass DJ (Steve Martin's Unreal Bluegrass) called me last week and excitedly told me of the Paige Pro banjo capo he just received. "It really WORKS!", he cried. "It does NOT alter the tuning! It's a miracle!" So... I ordered one, and waddaya know: it DOES work. I received mine an hour ago, and I haven't been able to stop placing it at various frets and in various tunings. This is the first and only capo I've used in the past sixty-odd years that fulfills the oft-made claim of "will NOT throw off your tuning". The workmanship and materials are first class all the way. The complexity of the thing's design DOES make this gadget quite expensive (US$230.00), but I've been longing for the perfect capo for decades so... In short, this thing is not for everyone, and it MAY be limited in availability due to its intricate design and high-precision execution. However, if you appreciate exceptional design and workmanship, are a professional or just a really avid picker, want the very best and have an expendable two hundie and thirty clams, this is for YOU.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Online
Got my 1st mute as a Christmas gift - completely floored by it. I live in an apartment in NYC, so sound is always an issue, especially at night. Mike's banjo mute is like a freaking ninja. Really well constructed, and I couldn't love it more.
Overall Rating: 10