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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!
7211 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Old Town School of Folk
Year Purchased: 2009
Price Paid: 270 ($US) (bought USED)
Great sound, I like the sound better then the Deering of similar price. A little plunky, brighter when you wail on it. It's pretty loud for a banjo without a tone ring. I have low action, 1/2" bridge, Remo top frosted head. The head is tightened down quite a bit, and the tailpiece is as low as it can go. This can be heard on the music section of my homepage.
Sound Rating: 7
The banjo was set up very well, I have made very little changes. I fiddled around with the head tension, bridge position, and strings. It has a stock bridge, guitar style tuners, Remo top frosted head, and D Addario medium light tension strings.
Setup Rating: 9
There is a dark brown finish, which leaves the grain visible. The peghead is simple, as is the inlay. Overall, a very nice, spartan banjo.
Appearance Rating: 7
The whole thing seems very sturdy, this would make an excellent camping banjo. I've done a bit of camping with it and can't see any damage or wear. I've had this banjo for 11 months, and I've played quite a bit on it. During the summer I played a minimum of 2 or 3 hours a night for 2 or 3 months, so its had some good rigorous testing.
Reliability Rating: 9
Old Town was very nice to work with, they didn't try and pressure me into more then I wanted to spend. They worked with me to find an option that would work with me, and were willing to throw in a few extras. They also didn't hover over me like some salesmen tend to do.
Customer Service: 9
The strings that came with it were store brand cheapo's, the tuners are guitar style. The tuners are very reliable, they tune easily and quickly. Some might want to upgrade to planetary, but the guitar style used work great. The Remo head is a pretty standard head, I've worn through the frosting. This doesn't require replacement, but others might like to keep it looking sparkly new. There hasn't been any damage to the other components.
Components Rating: 7
A great sounding banjo for the price, sturdy, reliable, and fun to play. This is a great banjo for a beginner, and is made well enough to last.
Overall Rating: 8
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