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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!
7228 reviews in the archive.
For the past couple of months I have been playing and enjoying a neck that John has re-shaped and re-stained. I was taking a few Skype lessons with John when I happened to ask whether the profile of the neck on one of my banjos could be re-worked to be more comfortable and user friendly. The answer, I can attest, is a resounding yes, and John did a first-rate job of shaving down and thinning a far-too-beefy neck into one that is a pleasure to play. He matched the original stain exactly, and I am a happy dude. His work comes highly recommended.
Overall Rating: 10
I would like to add my voice to the chorus of praise for Mr. Don Bryant. There are many other banjo builders and craftsmen who doubtless deserve their reputations, but after reading what other BHO members had said about Mr. Bryant, I felt he would be right for my project. Well, I am quite sure of that now, and definitely glad of my choice.
I had an old Deering Boston that I liked because of its lighter weight and indestructible rim, but I wanted to tone down its somewhat metallic acoustics. I acquired another Boston rim, added a Remo Renaissance head, Fults tailpiece, and new flange plates, and sent this assembly off to Mr. Bryant with the daunting task of making me a sweet sounding banjo. Because the Boston rim has non-standard spacing of the bracket-shoes and does not employ co-ordinator rods, there were already a number of issues for him to deal with besides just making the neck and fitting a resonator. To say that Mr. Bryant was meticulous in engineering this feat of banjo-building is a huge understatement. He patiently helped me work through issues of intonation through choice of woods and the thickness/tolerances of the neck and resonator. He corrected faults in the rim itself. He figured out how to adapt the resonator's attachment to the non-standard flange plates. The list could go on.
All this magic was superseded only by the fit and finish of the completed banjo. He started with a commercial neck blank and resonator, but the final contouring, binding, sanding, and finish were his work, and all superb. At his suggestion, the mahogany of the neck and resonator were left unstained. When lacquered, they just glowed. The binding is flawless, the fretboard perfect, and frets seamless along the edges of the neck. While there were some unavoidable delays along the way, the finished product was well worth the wait. Mr. Bryant is a true artisan.
How does it sound? I think even Mr. Bryant was surprised at what he had done. With a somewhat heavier bridge this hot-rod Boston has plenty of volume and bark, but not as much of the edgy metal sound of its predecessor. To my ear, up the neck is about as sweet as I could ask for. I'm still a relative new-comer to playing, but sometimes when I am picking this banjo, I feel like it sings. Well done, Mr. Bryant.
I cannot say enough good things about the experience of working with Don Bryant. He takes the time to do it right. If you want a rush job with sloppy work, he is not your man. He will work with you as long as it takes to make what you are going to be happy with. He will check and double-check your specs. He will call you if there are choices to make or potential problems to consider. Before the final sanding and finish he will, if you wish, send you what he has done to be sure you are completely satisfied. I cannot count the number of times he said--either in email or personal calls--"I'm not finished until you're pleased with it."
If you are looking for someone who does fine and professional work, treats you with kindness and concern, and will do his utmost to produce exactly what you were hoping for, contact Don Bryant.
Overall Rating: 10