You are asking about resonator, bluegrass-style banjos from what I can tell, since you did not mention Vega & Fairbanks, Bacon/B&D, Pisgah or SS Stewart, among others. For my part, I play a Clifford Essex, which falls somewhere in the middle of the Well-known to Unknown list.

Well lets hear it all you common name STELLING owners...good grief.

I got to play a matched pair of Gold Star 100 HFs back about 1981 at the Indian Springs Maryland bluegrass festival and they just bowled me over! Played by a young guy (Tice) and a young woman (Moira) who were at least acquaintances and picking buddies. Never found out if they were "an item". It was my first awareness of the Japanese Gold Star flat heads and I was just gobsmacked. Both of the owners were outstandingly good Scruggs/Crowe style pickers.

The next Non Mastertone that impressed me was the Vega Sonny Osborne model I owned for several years. A very very impressive advance in the bluegrass sound for Vega. Quite a banjo indeed.

Since then probably the banjo that impressed me most (non Mastertone again) was at IBMA in either Louisville or Raleigh where I sat in the Huber booth and played every banjo they had there. They were ALL good, which impressed me, but some of them were EXTREMELY good, which impressed me on an individual banjo basis. I was particularly drawn to the maple/gold Lexington model I tried.

Still the absolute top banjo I've ever laid a hand to so far is Joe Deetz' "Ellie" RB 75. That banjo is a bit frightening, up the neck.

I'm no longer "questing" for a better sounding banjo. I have a pre-war Granada Huber conversion, and Greg Rich Granadas that are plenty good enough for me

The day might come where I get an offer to fly somewhere and play, and I would try to buy a California Fender Artist or a Japanese Gold Star as a relatively low-value travel banjo.

Clifford Essex banjos are well known to "classic" fingerstyle players.

Bishline=walnut "rich full tone".

I came across a Mitch "Big E" 38 Special banjo one time that sounded absolutely killer. At the time, I'd never heard of this brand. I've never seen another one since so I can't say they're all really great or I just happened to come across an exceptional example.

Nonetheless, I think Mitch should be more well known.

In December of last year I acquired a Boulder/Ogsbury Style D Ode.  This is a real deal, unmolested 1965/66 Brazilian Rosewood Ode 5-string.   I acquired it from the original owner.  It is different - in a good way (volume, tone, playability, etc.) - from any other banjos, (including walnut Baldwins), that I have played.  And in  response to this thread, it is the best banjo I have ever played!

Take it Easy ... MarK