The GT setup is ok enough maybe for now. Do keep in mind that new head need retitling several times before they're done stretching. A Drum Dial will come in real handy for that.

"It's your banjo .... etc."   About all I can say is that if you're dissatisfied get a knowledgeable person to check it out.

I had a "funny" experience with my BG-250W.   We were working on a remote reserve and I'd taken a pawn shop banjo in after Easter break one year.  I was unable to contort my finger so as to fret it cleanly, so I had a relative get the BG250W online and have it ready when we came out to Winnipeg at year's end.   But it sounded so bad that I initially thought I'd wasted the $$. We were on our way west, so at Edmonton I took it to Myhre's music  ... the guy gave it a couple of strums and announced: "Ya... it sounds like a banjo."

He must have seen the dejection on my face... he then  picked a few rolls (?) and said that it sounded as a banjo should, and then added that I'd probably never need an upgrade.* Apparently I'd diddled with the pawn shop one enough to have that sound ingrained in my noggin.

* He was right ... dunno whether it was the need for my initial question or the bare feet and bib overalls that gave it away. 

quote:

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Originally posted by Owen

"It's your banjo .... etc."   About all I can say is that if you're dissatisfied get a knowledgeable person to check it out.

I had a "funny" experience with my BG-250W.   We were working on a remote reserve and I'd taken a pawn shop banjo in after Easter break one year.  I was unable to contort my finger so as to fret it cleanly, so I had a relative get the BG250W online and have it ready when we came out to Winnipeg at year's end.   But it sounded so bad that I initially thought I'd wasted the $$. We were on our way west, so at Edmonton I took it to Myhre's music  ... the guy gave it a couple of strums and announced: "Ya... it sounds like a banjo."

He must have seen the dejection on my face... he then  picked a few rolls (?) and said that it sounded as a banjo should, and then added that I'd probably never need an upgrade.* Apparently I'd diddled with the pawn shop one enough to have that sound ingrained in my noggin.

* He was right ... dunno whether it was the need for my initial question or the bare feet and bib overalls that gave it away. 

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA 

Definitely have it looked at. I bought a gold tone some years back on ebay. It was listed as a year old. The way gold tone was advertising back then it almost seemed like they were built in Florida , but they weren't. Neck needed to be reset and was actually slightly twisted too. I paid $600.00 for the banjo, $350.00 to get it playable and ended up selling it for $500.00.

Things can happen in shipment. How much a setup is going to change in a banjo without a tone ring is anybody's guess.

The obvious things to check for yourself are the same things that an experienced tech will check in doing setup (and I believe in this order): head tension, neck relief, intonation (bridge location), action at the nut and up the neck (12th or 22nd fret), tailpiece height and angle, any loose parts (maybe that comes earlier). Strings, if they're old.

I think that's pretty much all there is to check in set-up of a new instrument.

Gold Tone's original business model was assembly of banjos in Florida of parts made in Korea. That eventually changed to manufacture of complete banjos in Korea, then China, with inspection and setup in Florida. But Gold Tone does have luthiers and a full shop in Florida for fitting and adjustments. For example, they cut heels to fit their necks to your pot.

A set-up is a personal thing. A store or seller can only set a banjo up by using generic guidelines & parameters. Your playing experience, & ears may want something different.

You might want to wait a few months (months when you're playing a reasonable amount) and then have it set up by a banjo-skilled tech. In those months the head will stretch, the wood joints will settle in, and now-under-pressure neck will settle in. Then, a good setup will get the instrument sounding and playing at its best. It will also be a long-lasting setup because you've waited till the banjo did its own adjustments.

Make sure the tech has some real skill and experience setting up banjos, and make sure the tech knows a bit about how you'll be using the instrument. For example, clawhammer players often prefer a higher action than a bluegrass or melodic player, and different playing styles suggest different head tensions.

It's so satisfying to learn how to set up one's own banjo.
Kinda fun,too.
Sometimes a guitar guy sets up a banjo and doesn't get it right.

quote:

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Originally posted by steve davis

It's so satisfying to learn how to set up one's own banjo.
Kinda fun,too.
Sometimes a guitar guy sets up a banjo and doesn't get it right.

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Steve, I would imagine that qulaity set up men in your neck of the woods are few and far between. I am in Southern indiana and if I wanted a quality set up, I would be going to Kentucky or Tennessee. that would be a 4-5 hour drive and we are closer to the hotbed of bluegrass than the poster from Montreal. Is there anyone you know of up that way, that you could suggest he bring it to if and when he decides he wants a quality set up?

Ken

Other than me,i don't know,Ken.
If I were to set it up it would have
Strings:
,011 over 1st fret
.015 7th fret relief
.095 to .100" over 12th fret
.110 - .120" over 22nd fret
2.25 to 2.35 gram bridge (depending on tone wanted)
G# head.
BSACACAT "Be sure all connections are clean and tight.

but I don't get into shipping.

There must be good banjo set up somewhere in Maine,but I am out of touch out here in the woods.

Step 1: try different bridges and head tensions

Yes, before anything else:

1. Better strings
2. Better bridge
3. Properly tensioned head

Having it professionally setup is potentially a waste of time/$ without doing these things first. It might just fix whatever tone issues you're having.

A professional set up would include a bit more than a new bridge and strings.
It shouldn't be expensive or time consuming to go through the banjo making sure everything is set correctly and good for the long haul.

The nut slots might need addressing,truss rod and co-rods checked,tailpiece set and a discussion with owner to find out if they have any preferences concerning string spacing on either end and overall tone.

These things sound simple to those that have figured them out,but can be a great lesson for someone in seeing how to set up their own banjo in the future.

A good working banjo and knowledge gained is never a waste of time.