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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!
7137 reviews in the archive.
Bob Smakula runs a tight ship. He’s very direct and thorough in the way he runs his business. There’s no nonsense whatsoever. Every query gets a straight answer and emails are answered promptly.
He exercises a professional dedication to excellence.
Bob was also very accommodating with regard to my sometimes unusual requests.
In terms of cost I have no frame of reference really as Smakula Fretted Instruments are the only repair experts I’ve ever used but I suspect you get exactly what you pay for and excellence comes at a price. I didn’t find the cost excessive though and I suspect repairing instruments is like renovating a house….more complicated than building from scratch. Another thing I liked is that he was crystal clear on his prices before he commenced the work.
I got two banjos fixed up by Bob’s shop. I think Andy did most of the work. The craftsmanship is second to none. It’s a joy to behold such perfection. These folks really love their vintage instruments and they restore them in a tasteful, appropriate, sympathetic manner.
I think this video says it all really:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR9Fs7672ws
If you want to check out Andy’s work on my two banjos you can go to my homepage and check out my photos. I’ve done a “before and after “ job on it.
Bob is on the Banjo Hangout. His username is ‘SFI’.
I have absolutely no reservations about recommending Smakula Fretted Instruments. I already have another job lined up for them. I wouldn’t dream of even looking elsewhere as you just can’t improve on perfection.
It’s so refreshing to see things done absolutely right. If all businesses operated like this the world would be a very different place.
An unreserved 10/10.
Overall Rating: 10
It is refreshing to know that some businesses still put such a premium on customer service.
I’ll recount my experience with Elderly.
I decided to treat myself to 4 CDs recently and found that Elderly offered the best price.
I mistakenly understood that parcels worth 50 Euro or under didn’t get charged value-added-tax or customs so I carefully made sure that the value of the CDs didn’t exceed that amount. The total purchase price was 48 Euros.
To put it mildly I was very disappointed when the lady at my local post office told me that I had to pay an additional 17 Euros to take my parcel home…..11 Euro value-added-tax and 6 Euro handling charge (of course a post office should charge you extra for actually “handling” your post). It works out that you do get charged value-added-tax at 23% for anything worth in excess of 22 Euro. Most of the time these charges are not applied at all.
At any rate I couldn’t justify spending 17 Euros extra on 4 CDs so I requested that they send them back. I thought I’d then get Elderly to send the CDs to a friend of mine in America who kindly agreed to listen to them (immediately and dramatically reducing their value) before sending them on to me.
To cut an already long story short the CDs travelled, via the postal service’s lost and found section (where it would have stayed had I not persisted and made 3 phone calls a month later), to a PO Box in Malmo Sweden?????????????????
Unbelievable.
Anyway, back to Elderly…..if you’re still with me.
Today I received an email from Corey at Elderly. I had also been dealing with Dawn who was very patient with me and my queries.
The upshot of it is this:
Elderly have agreed to replace my order for free.
I did not request this.
Above and beyond what you could expect of any business.
They essentially fixed a problem they were not responsible for in the interest of their customer.
Touch of class.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Off Will at Clifftop.
Beautiful, elegant and functional.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Krack Tent at Clifftop
Very reasonably priced. I love this thing. It's very responsive and the display is fantastic. You can tune individual strings as you play fairly easily which is great. I think the clip could work better and it doesn't fold easily for storage but these are minor issues for the price. I hope it's durable because it's great. Battery seems to go down fairly fast but maybe it's just the one I have in at the moment.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Used
Year Purchased: 2010
Price Paid: 1250 ($US) (bought USED)
This banjo is well suited to most of the clawhammer repertoire as far as I can tell. Probably more suited to some tunes than others (like most fretless instruments I suspect). To say the tone is rich and full is an understatement. This is the most resonant instrument I've ever come across. It is responsive in the extreme....it literally talks back. The 4th string in particular just growls......it's got a life all of its own. You can physically feel sound when you play this banjo. An unreserved 10.
Sound Rating: 10
I bought the banjo used. The skin head seemed a bit loose so I tightened it a little. It was marked clearly for the bridge position. The action is very high but appropriate.....good for playing over the neck.
Setup Rating: 10
Beautiful. It has a simple elegance. The whole thing looks like a Civil War artefact. The head is nicely stained and the hardware is beautifully aged. The rim has a beautiful black satin hand-rubbed finish.I love the shape of the shoes and the nuts. They look so functional yet elegant.....like the whole banjo really. One minor quibble. Another reviewer mentioned it too. The machine head buttons would be real nice in ebony. Would tie in nicely with the ebony tailpiece too.
Appearance Rating: 9
Everything seems solid. If looked after properly it should far outlive me and a few more owners. The finish seems to be wearing slightly on the edge of the neck. There is no fingerboard as such (in keeping with the 1860s) and I'd say it's more to do with the edge being exposed than anything else.
Reliability Rating: 9
An absolute 10 here. I bought this banjo used. However, I was in contact with John numerous times by e-mail and, although he had nothing to gain from helping me, he was helpful in the extreme, answering all my questions patiently and promptly. A complete gentleman, a master craftsman who wants anyone in possession of an 1865 model to get the most out of it.
Customer Service: 10
All good. Tailpiece and bridge are beautiful and effective. As mentioned already the hardware is beautifully antiquated and sturdy as could be. The Grover Champion Friction Tuners were hard to get used to but they're fine.
Components Rating: 10
I've had this banjo four days and I've found it hard to do anything else. John Bowlin has created something beautiful and functional in sound and in terms of aesthetics. I'm going to get many hours of joy out of this one.
Overall Rating: 10
I learned alot at this camp.
The Camp was held at Fur Peace Ranch in Miegs County Ohio, a beautiful musician-friendly Guitar Ranch obviously designed with musicians in mind. The friendly people there are obviously proud of the place and so they should be. The food and coffee were also second to none. This is a top-notch facility.
The Camp was hosted by Dan Levenson and Bob Carlin. I was under Bob's supervision for the weekend and his classes were very valuable to me. To put it mildly this man knows his stuff...he discussed banjo choice/set-up, listening, technique and practice/interpretation and he also explored some clawhammer styles. While I didn't have alot of contact with Dan over the course of the weekend he approached me on two seperate occasions, of his own free will, and helped me with a tune I was working on and with my right hand (which was something I was anxious to address given that I probably won't be in America again any time soon).
What I really liked about this weekend was that no-one tried to teach me a tune. I can do that at home. The emphasis here was in teaching us how to approach tunes in terms of technique and interpretation.....it advertises itself as a skill-based workshop and that's exactly what it is. Tunes were only used as vehicles. At this Camp they teach you how to learn tunes.......not tunes. This is far more valuable to me.
The price was also very reasonable for two night's accomodation, three day's food and all those workshops.
I can't recommend this Camp enough.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Zepp Music
Year Purchased: 2008
Price Paid: 1025 ($US)
This banjo is great for old-time music.It has a real traditional sound.I only have it for 6 weeks but it got to meet other instruments for the first time last night and it performed brilliantly....it really cut through without being one bit harsh.
It had nylgut strings on it when I got it first and I was initially dissappointed in it.I persisted for 5 weeks but it sounded like a plastic basin to me.....tubby in the extreme.The thin 12" pot probably contributes to this aswell.
Anyway, the nylgut strings are obviously what I didn't like because when I put the steel ones on it was a different story.It now has a warm sustain and the tone is somewhere between tinny and tubby.....just right really!If a banjo can sound 'friendly' this one does.
I should also mention that I've stuffed a sponge under the skin to soften the overtones.This obviously lowers the volume (and I'd prefer to not have to) but it's not absolutely necessary, it's just a preference.
It's a half-fretted model and the slides sound great.I think the slides were better with the nylgut strings though.
Edit Nov.2009: I'm a nylgut convert....I wouldn't dream of putting the steel strings back on now.....I think listening to Dan Gellert has something to do with it.
Sound Rating: 9
The man at Zepp was very good to deal with but I had requested that the action be lowered.Maybe this was an oversight but it was not done when it arrived!
I subsequently had it lowered as it was set very high.
Edit Nov. 2009: Have had some after-sales experience with Zepp and they are truly fantastic.
Setup Rating: 9
I like the look of this banjo as it is very plain.I'd prefer an ebony veneer on the headstock though and I'm not mad about the fact that the maple rim is painted black (but the maple would probably clash with the cherry neck).The cherry neck on my banjo is really beautiful....really straight grain and a little knot in the wood is a nice feature.The Dobson heel looks great......beautifully crafted neck.
The finish seems to be a natural satin finish.It feels great to touch and it looks great.However,I feel a more traditional laquer finish would probably be more durable.The inlay is basic too.....just dots on the fretboard(I think they're MOP).The tuners look well....they're black.....don't know if they're ebony or plastic?
This banjo is honest. It 'does what it says on the tin'.If you want fancy look elsewhere.The workmanship here has gone into the sound and that's fine by me.It's hard to give it a rating as a result.
Appearance Rating: 8
It seems durable but it's early days.The gotoh tuners are a little shaky and I'd fear for the finish in the long term.No problems yet though.
Reliability Rating: 10
I rang Kevin in the early stages of my research.I was initially interested in his M200 model which he told me is no longer in production(although it's still on the website).Anyway, even knowing that I was no longer a potential customer he was a complete gentleman.He was very helpful.This banjo has a lifetime warranty so absolutely full marks here.
Customer Service: 10
I know gotoh tuners have a good name and they look great but as I've mentioned I find them shaky.Planetary tuners would be an idea.I'd probably prefer if the rim and neck were made of the same material.The no-knot tailpiece could also be upgraded and I wouldn't think the brackets and tension hoop are top quality but again its hard to rate this....if the components were better it wouldn't cost $1025!
Components Rating: 8
For the price I paid I couldn't recommend it enough.It's famous for being a quality,affordable banjo and that's what it is.The exchange rate really helped too!I'm just starting on the fretless so it's perfect for me.If it was stolen tomorrow I'd buy another and I wouldn't have to re-mortgage the house to do it.I'd also be confident the replacement would sound just as good.I got off to a slow start but I'm growing to love this banjo.It doesn't have the punch my Reiter Regent has but it sounds more earthy.I don't prefer either one.They both offer something different.This banjo delivers on sound....the most important thing.Check out the video files on the Zepp Music website for demos....they're great.
It's unfair to compare it to more expensive banjos.For the money it's 10/10.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Music Emporium (MA)
Year Purchased: 2008
Price Paid: 1375 ($US)
To me this banjo is ideal for old-time music.It's resonant but clear and rich with not too many overtones.While it's not as warm as my 1890s no-namer it's certainly not harsh and there's no need to stick a sock in this banjo!It's a very responsive banjo.....chucks and plucks really come off clear.It can be played loud or soft.It's not too bright sounding but that 5th string really sings...punchy.I can't find fault with the sound of this banjo and sound is the most important thing.It's quite tinny and metallic sounding but it is a banjo after all.
Sound Rating: 10
The Music Emporium carried out my instructions to the letter by lowering the action by paring the bridge by about 1/16" but I was getting some buzzing on the 3rd string (and on the 2nd and 3rd when in d tuning).I think this is a common problem with the 3rd as it's quite slack.Anyway, I replaced it with an identical new bridge(I think it's a Snuffy Smith) and the 3rd only buzzes slightly when plucked very hard.Anyway,I've no-one to blame for this but myself.
I don't like the way the tension hoop is proud.It's about 2/16" higher than the head.I'd prefer if it was flush (edit 17/03/2011.....with the Bill Miller head I have on it now it is flush).The notch cut out of the tension hoop at the scoop is also a minor complaint.I've hit it with my finger a few times.I'm sure I'll learn the hard way!
Setup Rating: 9
I love the look of the old Vega Regent models and this is practically identical.It's not flashy but I don't like flashy.The Vega-style headstock is beautifully done and it has the all-important star!I think all the inlay is MOP....the fretboard has dots at the 3rd,5th,7th,10th,12th,15th and 17th.The two-piece Maple neck with ebony strip is a beauty.Ebony heelcap and rosewood rimcap are also nice features.The finish is a traditional satin laquer finish beautifully executed.The planetary tuners are great but I don't like the plasticy look of them...they'd be nice in ebony or ivoroid.I like the look of the bracket band on the old Vega Whyte Ladies but I'm sure that's easier said than done!This Regent model seems to have everything Bart's Whyte Lady has except that ugly Gryphon on the headstock!
Appearance Rating: 9
Don't have this banjo long but it seems solid to me.The finish also looks like it would take alot of abuse.This is a heavy piece of machinery.I certainly wouldn't feel like I'd need a back-up.Time will tell how reliable it is but for the moment I'll gve it a ten!
Reliability Rating: 10
I've never dealt with Bart Reiter but the banjo has a one year warranty.I have to mention Tim at The Music Emporium (MA) here for his patience and professionalism.No question was too annoying!I'm giving The Music Emporium a flawless Ten.Bart Reiter's website is a good resource and the banjo came with a handout on banjo maintenance.
Customer Service: 10
The Planetary tuners hold fast.I'd highly recommend them but as I already mentioned I don't like the plasticy look of them (Edit.17/03/2011...I've changed them out for ivoroid ones).The Waverly tailpiece seems to do its job.The Whyte Lady tone ring lives up to it's reputation if it is primarily responsible for the sound.I wonder if I replaced the five-star head with a skin head would the sound be warmer but I don't really see any reason to do this as it sounds great as is and I wouldn't want to sacrifice any of that gentle brightness.As I said earlier I'd love if there was a bracket band on it.I think Bart's Deluxe WLs have this feature.Nice thick pot but I think I'd prefer hex-bolts to hold the 24 L-shoes in place.
Components Rating: 9
For the price this is top notch!I think money won't buy a better sound at any rate.Most of my minor complaints were not surprises to me.......I bought this over the net and I researched well.As I've said sound is of paramount importance to me and this banjo is a joy to play and sounds great.It may not be the fanciest banjo in the world and there are a few minor things I would change but it's not custom-made and it's not a custom-made price.This banjo delivered on all it's promises.It's a nice contrast to my 1890's no-namer...It's like a clean,clear,professional,new-sounding version of it (which is just what I wanted).I don't know why the WL tone-rings were called "Electric" originally but this banjo has an electric twang to it.I love it and I will not need another banjo......but if a nice,clean 1920s Vega WL that sounded as good as this banjo landed in my lap I'd manage to overlook that hideous creature on the headstock!If it was stolen I would stuggle in vain to convince myself that you shouldn't let your possessions possess you............then I'd save up and buy another!
Edit Nov. 2009: I've since replaced the head with a Bill Miller calfskin head and put a Sosebee bridge on it........the effect is smoky and shimmering...beautiful. I also replaced the hideous plastic tuners with ivoroid and it looks much better.
Overall Rating: 10
I cannot speak highly enough of The Music Emporium and the way they do business.My dealings with them were conducted over the phone and via e-mail.Tim,the employee I dealt with, was courteous and patient in the extreme.Nothing was too much trouble and I asked alot of questions!!!!Apart from being helpful they were also very professional.The requests I made re setup were followed to the letter.I received the banjo well packed and Tim spent some time and effort in finding the best deal available in terms of postage costs.I cannot recommend them enough.I see they are one of the dealers Banjo Bill recommends on his website and I can see why.
Overall Rating: 10
Zepp were very courteous and patient....they answered all my annoying little questions.All my business with them was conducted over the phone.The banjo arrived well packed and in good time.Their website is also a great resource...the video/sound files are great!
Overall Rating: 10
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