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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!
7232 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Meadowwood Music
Year Purchased: 2009
Price Paid: 3400 ($US)
I was looking for a banjo with a warm tone and a rich bottom end. The Golden Era delivered both. It has an awesome ringing bluegrass sound.
Sound Rating: 9
Meadowwood did a great job of setting up the banjo. Everything was adjusted perfectly.
Setup Rating: 10
This is a beautiful banjo. The traditional heart and flowers inlays are done in mother of pearl on the fingerboard and headstock. The curly maple is stained a warm brown color with a sunburst effect on the resonator. There are no flaws that I can discern.
Appearance Rating: 10
This banjo feels like it will last a lifetime.
Reliability Rating: 9
Deering offers a lifetime warranty. I haven't had a need to contact them.
Customer Service: 10
The tuners are very responsive and will stand the test of time. The tailpiece seems a little touchy and could probably be bumped out of position easily. Otherwise, everything feels very solidly built.
Components Rating: 9
This was an expensive instrument, but I got what I paid for. If this banjo were stolen, I would not hesitate to replace it with another Golden Era. I compared this to my beloved Goodtime II Special. The bronze tone ring gives the Golden Ear a much superior sound and presence. I played a John Hartford model with the grenadillo ring at the shop, and I preferred the Golden Era due to the brighter, warmer tone.
Overall Rating: 10
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