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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!
7202 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Manufacturer
Year Purchased: 2015
Price Paid: 149 ($US)
Small, bright sound which is intended
Sound Rating: not rated
Came fully set up
Setup Rating: 10
The banjo is unique and particularly beautiful. It is almost a cross between Shaker simplicity and Japanese elegance.
Appearance Rating: 10
It does not appear to be extremely durable and is made for a small sound so you wouldn't use it on a gig, since that is not what is made for.
Reliability Rating: 8
Couldn't be more customer friendly. Needed repair and sent a replacement banjo.
Customer Service: 10
This is a light, inexpensive banjo made for playing by oneself. The parts are basic and you wouldn't dabble in changes.
Components Rating: 7
I love it. The Fireside is a very light basic banjo. It barely weighs two pounds, but except for the light weight and small sound plays like a regular banjo. It is a great deal of fun to play and wonderful to take on vacation. In my case, an injury made playing a typical weight banjo difficult and the Fireside enabled me to play for much longer sessions than I otherwise could have. It is also easier to play than a typical banjo and has a very light action. As a novice, I could learn a tune on the Fireside and then shift to playing it on a regular banjo. It is made for playing alone as it has a limited sound that would be drowned out in jam. But the small sound is an advantage as playing alone you won't disturb others. It has the small sound by design and accomplishes its purpose.
The Fireside is very beautiful. Unique looking. A cherry colored neck, a very light blond pot, surrounded by a black rim. So beautiful that I sometimes keep it on a mantle above a fireplace. When people see it, they look twice.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Backyard Music Website
Year Purchased: 2015
Price Paid: 149 ($US)
Sound Rating: not rated
Setup Rating: not rated
Very simple design with mahogany fretboard, 5 geared tuners, poplar disk, and Remo hoop.
Appearance Rating: 10
Reliability Rating: not rated
David Cross of Backyard Music is very helpful and answers emails quickly.
Customer Service: 10
Components Rating: not rated
I decided to learn clawhammer banjo and went to a local music store where I tried not to faint at the prices of open back banjos. I started to research banjo kits and found this banjo with an assembled price very close to the kit price. The banjo arrived quickly and was ready to play except for tuning the strings to pitch. It holds its pitch well. It has a very pleasant sound, loud enough but not too loud. It's easy to fret and is correct in pitch up and down the neck. It's comfortable to hold. I was going to start with this banjo and then buy a better one later. However, I may not need to upgrade! This banjo may be everything I need.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: EBAY
Year Purchased: 2014
Price Paid: 149.00 ($US)
I will probably buy another of your banjo's in the future...I did leave feedback on ebay when I bought the one I have now....I will say again, its the greatest sound....I own or have owned some expensive banjo's and I like the sound of this banjo better than any I have ever owned. I don't think I have picked up one of the others since I bought this one about a month ago.
Sound Rating: 10
it was well set up. I didn't touch it as far as setup goes. I just started playing it.
Setup Rating: 10
It's a banjo with a wooden head. I can't say a lot about the appearance, its not ugly, neither is it beautiful, but it sounds great. Maybe the hoop or pot could have been sanded a little smoother.
Appearance Rating: 7
I think it is probably reliable over the long haul...I've only had it a month, no complaints. It will probably last me the rest of my life.
Reliability Rating: 8
I e-mailed them about an armrest and they responded immediately with the answers to my question.
Customer Service: 10
I'm satisfied that I got my monies worth.
Components Rating: 9
I will probably buy another of your banjo's in the future...I did leave feedback on ebay when I bought the one I have now....I will say again, its the greatest sound....I own or have owned some expensive banjo's and I like the sound of this banjo better than any I have ever owned. I don't think I have picked up one of the others since I bought this one about a month ago.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Direct from Backyard Music
Year Purchased: 2012
Price Paid: $145 ($US)
This is the ultimate practice banjo. Relatively quiet, with a wood head rather than a drumhead. I bought it for practice rather than performance, and am completely satisfied with it in that role.
Sound Rating: 10
The banjo action was perfect when I purchased it. It is not adjustable and didn't require adjustment. A slight buzzing of the drone string was easily remedied.
Setup Rating: 9
This is a no-frills mountain banjo. That being said, it is quite nice looking for the price. The finish is an oil finish that is easily renewed (and one's hands actually help it).
Appearance Rating: 9
It is darn near indestructible. I regularly carry it around in the roughest of conditions, e.g., in a backpack. The wood head is not something to worry about. I bought it because I knew I was going to bounce it around, and it has stood up well. I have not owned it long enough to know whether the setup is stable. But so far, the action is fine.
Reliability Rating: 10
The company was very accomodating and satisfaction is their primary goal.
Customer Service: 10
The banjo is intended for practice and as a low-cost entry instrument. I would not have bought it if it were more expensive. It serves its purpose well and at a very desirable price point. I would not "improve" it at the cost of making it too expensive.
Components Rating: 10
This banjo has served its purpose so well that I bought another for my office, and a fretless. I have another fretless on order for my office. It is not a "performance" instrument, but for my purposes of quiet clawhammer practice, it is ideal.
Update: A few years have gone by. I own four of these (one of each of fireside, fireside fretless, basic, and basic fretless) and they get played daily. The basics are at the office and the firesides at home. Their incredibly light weight and durability has encouraged me to hang them where I'll pick them up and play them. The only thing to watch out for is that the fretted instruments lose intonation rather frequently because the wood head is slicker than a drum head and the bridges tend to slide around as the banjos are retuned. I am amazed that the necks are still straight after several years of being kept tuned up with no truss rods!
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: http://www.backyardmusic.com/Welcome.html
Year Purchased: 2011
Price Paid: 135 ($US)
This little banjo has a light sound but I find it to be very nice. It's not like a regular banjo but more like a front porch mountain sound. If you want to relax with out a big banjo sound blaring everyone out of the living room, this little banjo gives you a soft enjoyable experience.
Sound Rating: 9
The set up was fine. This is a basic banjo so don't expect a professional grade banjo. The fret edges were a little sharp and I got my dremmel out and softened them up a bit.
Setup Rating: 6
It is a nice looking basic banjo. The up side is you can finish it out any way you want it. In fact you can even paint it. Check their website to see some nice designs. I just put a little oil on it to keep the wood treated but I didn't put anything else on it. I think it's fine just like that.
Appearance Rating: 8
I bought this little banjo because I was traveling up to North Dakota a lot to work on the oil boom that's going on up there. I've taken it on probably 10 flights and knocked it around a lot. This little banjo can take a beating and keep on ticking. Plus you don't really care if it gets a ding because it is a front porch banjo. It kept me playing in places I would have never taken my better banjos. It is small and light enough to easily travel with it.
Reliability Rating: 10
Backyard music was very good. There was actually a slight problem with the delivery of my order, they remedied it with a quick fix and included a free banjo strap as well.
Customer Service: 10
It's just a very basic banjo. Many people have concerns about the round pot being made of a fiber board. It is actually very strong and can take a beating.
Components Rating: 9
To be honest, I have much more expensive banjos and I find myself picking this little banjo up more often to practice and play. It has a very enjoyable mellow sound. You won't be taking this thing to a jam but for sitting out on the front porch and simply enjoying yourself, this little banjo is a gem. I was looking for a travel banjo and was shocked at the tranjo travel banjo prices. This banjo is a very good travel banjo and actually I think it sounds better than the tranjo.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Backyard Music
Year Purchased: 2004/2008/2011
Price Paid: Don't Remember
historic exchange rates / currency converter
The sound is understandably light, given it's design, but intonation is decent and has an overall sweet quality.
Sound Rating: 7
There is attention to detail that you might not expect to find in a "kit" model. The woodworking is quality, the design is well thought out - the 5th string tuner being arranged straight up from the fingerboard shows the maker's ingenuity.
Setup Rating: 9
Again, this is more than just a simple kit model. Attention is paid to aesthetic design to a degree beyond expectation for this type of banjo.
Appearance Rating: 9
Surprisingly durable. Like any instrument, do not expose it to extreme cold, heat or dry air.
Reliability Rating: 7
Very friendly, reliable, easy to contact and quick to respond to inquiries. Maker takes pride in his work and wants to make things right.
Customer Service: 10
I've dealt with multiple Fireside banjos assembled and kit models since 2004. The maker has consistently upgraded and tweaked the design, materials used, etc. These banjos continue to get better and better.
Components Rating: 9
I've used these banjos to teach children and adults in college classes. Across the board, students find them easy and friendly to use. Beginners appreciate their size and light feel, while more advanced players appreciate their portability, sweet sound, consistent string action (all the way up the neck) and overall design. Personally, they make great travel banjos and are handy to keep around the house (or workplace) when a quick frailing or fingerpicking fix is desired!
Essential and highly recommended.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Online (backyardmusic.com)
Year Purchased: 2007
Price Paid: 139 ($US)
I'm learning clawhammer, and this banjo fits it fairly well, particularly if you have a back-porch attitude, as I do. This banjo has a relatively quiet, mellow tone. It's got a wooden head (with medium strings on it) and compared my other banjo (a secondhand "you can learn on it, but it ain't much" job) it has a smooth, not nearly so jangly sound--just right for practicing, because it's quiet and you can hear what you're doing. It rings fairly well, altogether, but it's more a round-the-house kind of sound--not loud enough for jam sessions or anything, but I can sing along with it and not feel drowned out, even though I don't have too strong a voice. My wife calls it "rather pleasant, and not intrusive" (which counts for quite a lot after you've run through "Old Joe Clark" a dozen times).
Sound Rating: 7
Tune it up and go. Nice action, very playable, and It holds tune really well, by the way--much better than my old one--and it retunes real quick and easy. To be fair, I am a novice, and haven't put my hands on too many nice instruments, but I was definitely impressed.
Setup Rating: 9
It looks homemade, but not in a bad way. Nothing fancy, but it doesn't look slapped-together either, if you know what I mean. You can see the pictures on the website (www.backyardmusic.com).
Appearance Rating: 7
It's light in the pot (it is a fiberboard/resin hand drum ring, after all), and takes a little getting used to (it helps to screw a couple eye bolts into either end and put a strap on it), but don't let the "cardboard" bit put you off--it's felt pretty sturdy thus far (a week or two), and I have no intention of leaving it out in the rain anyway. The first one I got had a couple of glue issues (see below), but now that that's all sorted it feels pretty solid.
UPDATE: four years later, and hundreds of hours played, and it's still solid as a rock. No issues at all with reliability.
UPDATE: 2016, still solid. No issues.
Reliability Rating: 10
Best ever, and I mean that. Much more than anyone deserves for a $140 banjo. As mentioned above, I had a couple glue issues with the first one (head came loose), but I was able to send it back and get it fixed up with no hassle at all. Beyond that, I've kept in touch with the maker, and have been able to ask all sorts of questions related to setup, strings, troubleshooting, etc. (he's the one who told me about putting on a strap to counteract the light pot). But here's the kicker: he let me try it out before I bought it, and the glue issue and all the other stuff took place before I'd even paid for it--he's a really nice guy who seems genuinely interested in the wants and needs of his customers, which is far too rare a trait in my experience.
Customer Service: 10
Overall, it feels and plays better than my old secondhand import, and while it's certainly inexpensive, nothing seems weak. The components are working well enough I don't have to think about them, which is all I need.
UPDATE: still rollin' four years later ... The only thing that I've come up with here is that the fifth string can be hard to change, but it's not too big an issue if you're a little patient.
UPDATE: 2016, and no issues with the hardware.
Components Rating: 8
This is a great starter or practice banjo. It's easy to play and has a nice not-too-jangly sound. It isn't loud enough for jam sessions or anything, but that also means that it isn't quite loud enough to irritate spouses, housemates, or neighbors when you're playing "Old Joe Clark" for the hundredth time. I haven't had it long enough to tell yet, but I suspect it will hold up for a good long while, and in any case, if you're just starting out, you can probably get pretty good playing this one to death (quietly) before you move on to bigger investments and bigger sounds. In any case, at 140 bucks you're not losing much, and it beats the pants off the secondhand "you can learn on it" banjo I started with. I don't want to overdo the review, because it is what it is, and I don't have a lot of comparative experience, but overall I'm pretty impressed.
As of May 2009, I am still playing the heck out of it, even though I now own a couple of nice "real" banjos. It's held up really well--no issues at all, still solid, still holds tune really well. If it was stolen, I'd definitely get another, and if I ever decide to go fretless, I'll start with a fretless fireside.
As of May 2016, this thing is still rolling ... I don't play it as much as I once did (three kids in, since the last update), but I bring it out a couple of times a week, and it has survived six years of small children trying to help me play.
Overall Rating: 10
