Hello everyone. I'm new to the group and this is my first post. I had a banjo I sold several years ago and ended really regretting it because I am determined to learn to play. I recently bought another one. Its a used beginner banjo from a well known music dealer. I'd like to double check what I was told by the dealer. I have looked several times but I can't find any info on it. It's an Epiphone with a 10 digit serial number. I was told it is an Epiphone MB250 and was believed to be manufactured in 2021. Can someone help show me how to verify this information please? I'd sure appreciate it. I'll post a pic of the serial numbers and a shot of the banjo.
Edited by - Texasbanjo on 03/19/2023 08:21:14
That is NOT an Epiphone MB250. The Epiphone MB250 weighs a good 12 lbs and has a tone ring. This banjo you are showing is what’s known as a bottle cap banjo and does not have a tone ring. It is an MB200 . Does it have an Eagle on the back of the resonator? As far as the year , I couldn’t tell you. I had an MB250 and it’s the one banjo I still regret selling to this day.
Slammer!!!
Edited by - slammer on 03/19/2023 02:30:16
IMO, knowing that it is not a 250 is more important than knowing the year of manufacturing. Don't know what you paid for it but hopefully it wasn't the price that a 250 would demand. That might be the angle to work from, rather than the year if you found out that you overpaid for this banjo.
Bobby
Yes it does have an eagle on back. It was $400 with a hardshell Epiphone case. I still have the posting from when it was for sale listing it as a MB250. I screenshot it. Dishonesty goes a long way. They've lost my business. Thanks.
It's an MB-200.
sweetwater.com/store/detail/EF...200-banjo
If it makes you feel better, $400 including a hardshell case is a normal price for this banjo when purchased new from a brick-mortar store. You weren't overcharged, most likely the sales representative just misspoke, unless he presented it as some sort of good sale price.
An MB-250 is $599 when purchased from an online retailer without a case.
Edited by - KCJones on 03/19/2023 08:17:50
Thats fine but I didn't buy it new. It's used.
400 used and they told you it was an MB-250?
Name and shame, then bring it back for a refund based on the fact that they lied to you to make the sale.
An adjustment should be made. You paid for a used 250 and did not get one. They may or may not know what model it is, but now you do. Go back for a discussion.
Well it's a very large online music store. I can't take it there but I can call them tomorrow. Hopefully they'll either take it back by UPS or knock off $100 bucks or something. I checked and I do still have the ad from their website that I did a screenshot of. No denying it. It was advertised as a 250. Heck I didn't know. This is all new to me.
Here ya go.
My favorite part of this discussion is the serial number. That is a 1 billion number!!
Thank goodness the first digit is a one.. imagine that there were 2 billion of those made. :)
$400 for new bottlecap is overpriced. Bottlecaps are cheap mass produced and rebadged for whoever wants them. They seem to add about $100 for the Epiphone name. I wouldn't pay more than $100 for a used bottlecap even one which has a better but wrongly strung tailpiece and cheap planetary tuners.
Musician's Friend is the retailer. Frankly I don't think there's much anyone could say to lower their reputation even further than it already is. Terrible business.
Lonestarpicker you should return it for a full refund including shipping, based on what is basically a fraudulent sale. There is absolutely no reason you should be out a dime for this. It's fraud, plain and simple, and if Musicians Friend won't cooperate you can issue a chargeback on your credit card based on it being not as described.
Take your money and buy a used Deering Goodtime openback. You can find them for $400. You don't need a resonator banjo to start out, they all play the same. The Goodtime is without question the best banjo you can get for $400 used, and it's not even close.
Once you get the hang of it, you can buy the resonator add-on for the Goodtime if you want to go that route.
Back to center
There are various grades of aluminum
They are factory spec banjos
There is a users’ group
I’m sorry your Dream got postponed
You have full rights of return in my opinion. Can or will they deliver
I smell inventory
And try to stay away from entry level wood and vitriol serves only crow
I called the store today and they're sending a return label to me. It was no problem at all getting them to take it back. KCJones It wasn't Musician's Friend. It was Guitar Center. I'm pretty sure they're both owned by the same people though. Thank you all for your help.
