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!
7231 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: via web
Year Purchased: 2016
Price Paid: Don't Remember
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This banjo sounds way better than it has any right to! A humble Maybell pot married to a Gary Schattl 5 string neck. The tone is bright, full and REALLY LOUD!
Sound Rating: 10
Without exaggeration, this is the easiest playing banjo I own. Plays great up the neck. I made a few tweeks, but really just personal preferences.
Setup Rating: 10
Not sure what kind of wood the pot is. The neck is cherry and Gary did an awesome job matching the stain to the pot. All the work on the neck is top notch.
Appearance Rating: 10
The pot's maybe 90 years old, so I think it will last. The neck feels very stable/solid.
Reliability Rating: 10
Gary was a pleasure to work with on this project. He provided useful/creative solutions to a couple problems we encountered.
Customer Service: 10
The neck is super comfortable to play. All of the hardware Gary added is top quality.
Components Rating: 10
This old Maybell tenor was gathering dust on my bookcase for maybe the last 20 years. I got the idea that it could make a serviceable knock around banjo and contacted Gary about building a 5 string neck. It ended up being a far better banjo than I'd anticipated, really exceeded my expectations. Will likely become one of my main players.
YouTube demo:
Overall Rating: 10
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