DVD-quality lessons (including tabs/sheet music) available for immediate viewing on any device.
Take your playing to the next level with the help of a local or online banjo teacher.
Weekly newsletter includes free lessons, favorite member content, banjo news and more.
Premier Sponsors
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!
7209 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: From Maker
Year Purchased: 2023
Price Paid: $1,260 ($US)
Beautiful deep sound but not very loud
Sound Rating: 10
Perfect
Setup Rating: 10
Gorgeous, very simple, no ornamentation. Fine finish. Handsome brass hardware.
Appearance Rating: 10
Looks slightly more fragile than a modern banjo, but it is simple and should last. I ordered with geared tuners to avoid slipping when playing
Reliability Rating: 9
Maker was very easy to deal with and responsive
Customer Service: 10
It is a replica Boucher and it is hard to gauge in comparison to a modern banjo, but the components look beautiful and the geared tuners look like classic friction tuners.
Components Rating: 10
I saw the picture of this replica Boucher and saw the incredible low price. The banjo looked beautiful--very much like the one Rhiannon Giddens plays--but at a much lower price than other replica Boucher Minstrels. It plays beautifully, though there is a learning curve I am still working on. My sense is that I will get better and the banjo will seem even better.
Overall Rating: 10
I bought the Fireside banjo a little over a year ago. It developed a twang and they replaced it immediately and even paid my postage. As for the banjo, it is great fun.
Overall Rating: 10
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
Newest Posts
'No-hole Ryan Ring' 4 hrs
'Good Thursday Morning' 10 hrs
'Song "You Don't Know Me"' 11 hrs
'Kroll 5th String Tuners' 12 hrs
