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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!

7209 reviews in the archive.

Nechville: Classic Deluxe

Submitted by dpete210 on 4/2/2010

Where Purchased:

Year Purchased: 2006
Price Paid: Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter

Sound

Rich beautiful sound that lends itself to different styles of playing. Can be set up for hard driving bluegrass or to fit in with a more old time or laid back approach. It records very well and can quickly and easily be set up for a loud bright sound or for a fuller more mellow sound.
The Classic Deluxe model comes standard with a 20 hole Bell Bronze Tone ring, however, mine has the 40 hole Megaphonic tone ring with Cyclotronic system.

Sound Rating: 10

Setup

The Nechville folks know how to get the most out of their banjos. While the factory set up is terrific, I tinkered a bit to find more out about the possibilities and capabilities of this banjo. The Nechville is the easiest banjo I've ever seen to make set up changes. This is but one of its innovative advantages. A head change takes from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how experienced one is. The neck can easily be adjusted to suit the action one prefers. The main change I've made is I now tighten the head more than what I previously did. I go between a Remo frosted head and a renaissance head, both sound great on this banjo.

Setup Rating: 10

Appearance

You can see the banjo here: http://www.nechville.com/classic.html
The neck is a curly maple with the diamond wing inlay, which reminds me of maple leaves and fits right in since I live in a heavily forested area. The rim is 3 ply maple, and the resonator is also maple. It has the amber brown sunburst non cracking finish. I switched from a flat to a radiused neck, and while the flat neck was a very good neck, curiosity led me to swapping for a radiused. So now it is a full fledged Classic Deluxe. One thing I really like about my banjo is the black trim and buttons. It really sets the banjo apart from others. My wife noticed that right away and typically she doesn't recognize one banjo from another.

Appearance Rating: 10

Reliability

The fit and finish are excellent. The hardware is quality made, and the craftsmanship is solid and very dependable. It has functioned superbly since I bought it and have never had issues while performing with it.

Reliability Rating: not rated

Customer Service

Tom Nechville is great to deal with. A problem occurred with the pot which had cross threaded when I was replacing a head. He replaced the pot no charge (a $600 item), hassle free, and explained that they had gotten an order of pots from the supplier where he wasn't satisfied with the quality. As one would expect with reputable and conscientious banjo makers, Tom strives to make his customers happy and satisfied.

Customer Service: 10

Components

I have not seen any evidence of any sub standard parts used. Tom uses his own tailpiece design. The tone ring is first class and works great with his cyclotronic system. If I'm not mistaken, Gotoh tuners are used. It comes standard with Tom's compensated Enterprise bridge and beveled wooden comfort arm rest. There is no need to upgrade anything. After having the banjo a couple of years, I did upgrade to a radiused neck, however that was because when I purchased my Nechville I was as a banjo rookie and was unaware of the difference between a standard flat neck and the radiused. I had never given any thought to a radiused neck. I'm glad I switched. My mistake in making that change was I should have kept the flat neck instead of trading it in because I could have used it on another banjo along with the flux capacitor. Nechville necks are outstanding!

Components Rating: 10

Overall Comments

This banjo is a joy to play. Not only is it a very versatile banjo that sounds wonderful, it is easy to maintain and make set up changes. I highly recommend Nechville banjos not only because they are a wonderful banjo, but also because Tom Nechville is a straight shooter and he has a terrific staff working with him. I can't think of any negatives only positives when it comes to dealing with Tom and his staff. If ever in Minneapolis (Bloomington), stop in to see Tom's workplace and meet some of his people. Gentle warning: you just might end up with your own Nechville. :)

Overall Rating: 10