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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!
7227 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Elderly's
Year Purchased: 2016
Price Paid: 659.00 ($US)
I'm a Scruggs style,3 finger bluegrass picker. I also have a degree in music, so my number 1 concern was intonation the full length of the neck, I was plesantly suprised that the instrument was in tune perfectly all the way up the neck.
The sound when picking near the bridge was bright ans crisp and moving toward the neck it bacame quite mellow. I was really suprised as I had never heard of the brand before. The action was low enough to allow for speed without loosing sound and fret buzzing. It also felt very comfortable playing. This is not a light banjo, I would guess it comes in at 15 pounds or slightly higher. For me the sound and playability was equal to banjo's costing 3 times this one.
Sound Rating: 10
Elderly did an outstanding job setting it up, any changes I make will be strictly personal choices, not for preformance.
Setup Rating: 10
A big plus is how this banjo looks. It's a beauty ! It has a real nice snowflake inlay on the back of the resanator and some very nice inlay work on the peg head. The peg head, while it gives the impression of a fiddle shape is not exactly a fiddle shape. Overall the banjo is very pleasing to the eye.
Appearance Rating: 10
As for the tuners, really dont know. They seem sturdy enough, but time will tell. But overall this is a well built instrument and I dont anticipate any issues with anything.
Reliability Rating: 9
No interaction as of this writing.
Customer Service: 5
As for stand out components, I'd have to say first off the appearence, like I said earlier, this is one purdy banjo. It is solid, well built. I plan to change the bridge and strings, but thats rotuine stuff. Other than taht, nothing.
Components Rating: 9
When I went to Elderly to purchase a banjo, lost my Deering in a divorce 5 years ago, I had intended to get another Deering. But while tinkering with all the banjo's there at Elderly's I figured I'd give this one a try, never heard of the brand before. Low and behold it's the one I left with. You get a great deal of bang for your buck with this. Strongly reccomended !
Overall Rating: 10