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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!
7232 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Sam Ashe in Raleigh, NC
Year Purchased: 2004
Price Paid: Don't Remember
historic exchange rates / currency converter
I sold it today after 5 years as a practice banjo. I am using a Vega SS-55 "folklore" (not Pete Seeger) as my practice and performance banjo.
The Vega is much more enjoyable to play and to listen to.
The Fender is too "bright" for my current tastes.
I also owned a Fender "Leo." Its action was too fast for my skill level.
I now lay mainly unusual chord progression, and very little single string work.
I guess age really does change one's taste in musical styles.
Sound Rating: 9
All aspects were improved by Joe Hinchliffe, the person I know who hs the best ear and the most skill in setting up banjos, guitars, and fiddles.
Setup Rating: 10
A mint condition 1962 Vega Longneck is a joy to own, play, and have.
Appearance Rating: 9
If I played in public, I would use a more powerful sounding banjo, e.g. a Fender "Leo."
Reliability Rating: 10
n/a
Customer Service: not rated
no bad parts
Components Rating: 10
I count myself blessed to have owned both the Fender FB 55 or the 1962 Vega "folklore". That I kept the Vega and sold the Fender is simply a matter of personal preference.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Elderly Instruments
Year Purchased: 2008
Price Paid: 449.99 ($US)
This banjo suits me perfectly for my bluegrass, scruggs style.
For this price range, it would be hard to find a banjo with this kind of
warm, roundness, depth and crisp. It really rings and doesn't sound tinny at all the way many cheap banjos do. Its quality is consistent all the way up the neck. I like this banjo better than my Deering Deluxe,
which is more than 4 times the price. The Deering is, of course, hand made and perfect in construction, uses finer, expensive wood and materials, but has somewhat of a brash, harsh, two dimentional sound with no sweetness that we look for in good banjos. I will mention that the Fender 56 frets are not perfect the way a 1000 + instrument would be, but intonation is descent. I'll hear the string rattle a bit against a fret once in a while when I slide. But for the price, I expected some minor imperfections. If you have 450 bucks to spend on a banjo,is is a great choice!! One might consider the FB-58 for about 150 more. Its sllightly more solid with a heavier tone ring and brighter sound. I have heard that set-up is a huge factor, and want to suggest that those folks who don't like this banjo very much might not have had a good set up.
Sound Rating: not rated
Elderly Instruments is famous for banjo set-up, and in this case, they met the standard!!
Setup Rating: 10
The FB-55 is a pretty banjo. It appears similar to the Mastertones from a few steps away, and the rosewood fingerboard and well fitting inlay, while not mother of pearl, nevertheless are lovely and colored an off-white as not to look chinsey. Again, for the price, imeccable job in appearance.
Appearance Rating: not rated
Mine is new, but it sees solid and has no hardware problems.
Reliability Rating: not rated
Customer Service: not rated
Components Rating: not rated
This banjo is a fine instrument for 450. If you can afford something much more expensive, its great to have a Gibson or a Huber. Otherwise, this banjo competes with some higher end stuff. Any level banjo player,spoiled or not, will recognize certain attrctive qualities in this number.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: muncie music center
Year Purchased: 2005
Price Paid: 350.00 ($US) (bought USED)
I had a kay riverboat banjo and I traded the kay in on the Fender. The sound is good. although, the 3rd string g goes flat quite a bit. The 5th string g is sharp so alot of times I drop it to d. Expectially when I play clawhammer. Now for scruggs style I would recommend Keith detuners.
Sound Rating: 7
The banjo was set up, at the local guitar store. I took it to a banjo man, and had a snuffy smith, head put on along with a snuffy bridge with JD. Crowe spacing. As for strings I am using GHS Sonny Osborne, signature series.
Setup Rating: 4
The inlay work is almost a Gibson Granda, knock off. It looks like an expensive banjo from a distance.
Appearance Rating: 9
After a couple weeks of playing I started seeing fretware, so I started using GHS fast fret.
Reliability Rating: 5
I have had problems, in the past with fender honoring guitar warrenty's
Customer Service: 1
The tuners are cheap and so are the brackets. Myself I don't care for Remo heads.
Components Rating: 1
I'm not a professional musician and the fender meets my musical needs. It all depends on a persons price range.
Overall Rating: 5
Where Purchased: Art's Music Shop, Birmingham, Alabama
Year Purchased: 2004
Price Paid: 490 ($US)
The best in the store. My music teacher wife came to me two days before one of her choir performances and informed me she had found a string bass and a guitar, but not a banjo player. "You used to play with one, 25 years ago, so you do it. Go to the store and pick out a banjo. We have dress rehearsal, tomorrow night." No pressure.
Sound Rating: 9
It wasn't set up, at all. I didn't expect it to be, as any new instrument should be disassembled, cleaned, lubed and adjusted before any serious playing. I played the thing at the concert (barring everything, naturally) and looked for a good luthier the next Monday. He hit a few licks on it, declared it had a few problems and he would have it up to snuff by Friday. He did, too. It sounds lovely.
Setup Rating: not rated
Pretty wood, nice looking inlays, tough clear finish on the wood. I don't really care how it looks as it is the SOUND that is important. If you can get any kind of decent instrument, 95% of your sound is you, anyway. Better instruments should make it easier to GET that sound, but you will sound like you, regardless.
Appearance Rating: 9
Compared to my old '20's vintage homemade banjo, an open back type without so much as a coordinator rod (the neck was held to the pot with just a bolt), it is built like a tank. Compared to higher priced banjos, I would be surprised if it wasn't less than state-of-the-art. All I need is state-of-adequate and it is more than that. I wouldn't hesistate to play it at any gig. The only down side would be dealing with the "snob factor" of equipment geeks.
Reliability Rating: 9
Irrelevant. If it isn't broken when I buy it, I always try to deal with a LOCAL technician, regardless of warranty. I will trust a known reputable craftsman over an anonymous "factory" technician, any day.
Customer Service: not rated
The bridge looks spongey, to me, but what do I know? The tuners could use a larger gear ratio for finer tuning, but that just may be me, too.
Components Rating: not rated
I would NOT recommend running out to the store one afternoon to buy a banjo to be played at a dress rehearsal the next day! Desperate times call for desperate measures and, this time, I was it. I never recommend buying any instrument sight unseen, unless you have permission, IN WRITING, to return it, if you are not happy. Had I not liked this one, Art's would have taken it back and kept hunting until they found one I did like. That's why I deal with them. I was lucky, finding this one. You may not be. Go play a couple of hundred and pick the one that fits you best.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Advance Music
Year Purchased: 2003
Price Paid: $379 ($US)
Initially it was very clunky and dull (I was just starting out and didn't know any better). With a few adjustments it started to brighten up. As it is now, it sounds OK for my level of experience. Hope to improve on it.
Sound Rating: 7
The clunkiness was due to the fact that the tension nuts were about to fall off in a few spots. I tightened the head and it sounds much improved. I will be replacing the bridge, tailpiece and strings. That's probably all I will put into it at this time. Someday I'll upgrade (when I can justify it with my skill). Intonation and string height isn't bad.
Setup Rating: 6
I picked this one over the Oscar Schmidt because of it's looks. Not fancy wood, but fit and finish is nice, bindings are done well, snowflake inlays are nice.
Appearance Rating: 8
I'm not rough on my instruments so it should last.
Reliability Rating: 8
No opinion. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt.
Customer Service: 9
No metal tone ring here, just a laminated wood rim. Could have better tuners. I'm sure the new SS bridge and Straightline tailpiece will help.
Components Rating: 6
I think that this is a good banjo for the price, especially for a beginner. I would recommend purchasing from someone who knows how to set it up properly and upgrade a few of the components. Someday this will be my back-up and I'll have a nice one. Don't tell my wife.
Overall Rating: 8
Where Purchased: Toews Music, Abbotsford
Year Purchased: 2002
Price Paid: 350 ($US)
The sound of this banjo is garbage, I do like the sound to play old-timey style banjo as there is no tone ring just a wood rim, and it sounds like some of the cheaper banjos that the Banjo Players of Old played. for Bluegrass its no good.
Sound Rating: 3
Banjo was setup poorly, bad action, bad bridge which cracked. This being my first banjo I learned alot about setting it up myself.
Setup Rating: 2
It seems like all the money went into the inlays of this banjo, which arent even well done. the single truss rod is Poorly machined the wood rim is thin, the metal is all poorly machined. the peghead is big and clumsy looking.
Appearance Rating: 3
this banjo wont last 15 years. and i wouldnt rely on playing a show with this banjo alone. i would sooner call the show off.
Reliability Rating: 3
never dealt with them.
Customer Service: not rated
nothing standsout, and everything is cheaply made, but compared to the FB-54 this is amazing.
Components Rating: not rated
I would only recomend this banjo to someone like me whose only choice was a fender fb-55 or an fb-54. The 54's have sausage necks and non-geared 5th string pegs, which my 55 came with. This is a decent 1st banjo, but u'll probabally want to upgrade withing 3 or 4 months.
Overall Rating: 3
Where Purchased: LOCAL PLACE
Year Purchased: 2001
Price Paid: 319.00 ($US)
DOESNT HAVE MUCH VOLUME. THE SOUND IS VERY FLAT. I DID MAKE IT SOUND BETTER BY TIGHTENING THE HEAD AS FAR AS IT WOULD GO.
Sound Rating: 2
ACTION IS VERY HIGH. IF THE TRUSS ROD IS ADJUSTED TO MAKE THE NECK STRAIGHT THE STRINGS BUZZ TO BAD WHEN FRETTING AT THE 1-3 FRETS. BRIDGE WAS NOT SET CORRECTLY AND HAD TO BE ADJUSTED TO FIX INTONATION PROBLEM.
Setup Rating: 2
NICE FINISH. NICE INLAYS. BINDING ON NECK.
Appearance Rating: 4
HARDWARE IS CHEAP AND CHINCY. SEVERAL OF THE LUGS WERE LOOSE WITHOUT NUTS TO LOCK THEM DOWN. AND THIS WAS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE FACTORY SHIPPED BOX. IT DROPS TUNE LIKE CRAZY EVERY TIME YOU HIT A NOTE A LITTLE TO HARD. YOU COULD NEVER PLAY A GIG WITH IT UNLESS YOU HIT THE STRINGS THE WHIMPY WAY LIKE FLECK...
Reliability Rating: 1
YOU WOULD THINK FENDER WOULD BE GREAT..THEYVE BEEN AROUND FOREVER. BUT IF THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO MFR. BLUEGRASS INSTRUMENTS THEY NEED TO START DOING A BETTER JOB..
Customer Service: 5
TUNERS ARE AWFUL. NO GEARED 5TH STRING TUNER. CHROME IS OXIDIZING BAD. LUGS ARE CHEAP.
Components Rating: 1
IT LOOKS OK FROM A DISTANCE. IT DOES HAVE INLAYS WHICH MAKES IT APPEAR BETTER THAN A $1200 DEERING BOSTON. BUT IT DOESNT SOUND OR PLAY GOOD..
Overall Rating: 2
Where Purchased: London (Mad about Music Show)
Year Purchased: 1998
Price Paid: 229 (UK pounds)
historic exchange rates / currency converter
Initially a bright sound, but without depth, not particularly rich. D (4th string) sounded dead. Anything above the 5th fret sounded muddy. Tried new strings ( Bill Keith ) but no improvement. Then one day it fell off its stand on to carpet and developed a rattle at certain notes. So I took it apart to fix it, many hours work later it now sounds a lot better ( read on ..) giving a bright loud richer sound all the way up the neck on all strings ( Rotosound ).
Sound Rating: 2
Action OK but the bridge was badly cut allowing the G (5th string) to slip out. The tail piece was poorly fitted. Neck was clamped up tight against the stretcher ring. When dismantled to replace the damaged head*, I found that the single contour rod was loose and badly machined. The lag bolt nut had been over tightend bending the retaining brass / chrome wood screw that passes through heel, bending it. The tone ring was out of shape and its brazing weld left unfinished causing a high spot when the head was tightened. The pot (body) had a hole 3 times the size needed for the lag bolt. Looked as if some one at the factory had tried to drill the hole in about three different places, then fill the void by over tightening the nut on the washer. I had to make up a plate to fix this mess, I added extra screws to alighn the neck. I drilled and tapped the lag bolt and replaced the wood screw with 5mm (metric) steel studding ground to a point one end and a slot cut in at the heel end to screw it in. I covered this with a 5mm chrome cap nut to finish it off. Shaved off about 1/32inch from the neck to allow clearence between the stretcher ring and neck. So you could change the head without dismantling the neck. Shimmed the neck by 0.5mm. Ground off the excess brazing on the tone ring and bent it to shape so it fitted the drum correctly. Fitted a new head, carefully tightening to get a clear drum sound. Finally adding an extra nut ( ground thin ) to the tail piece assembly to set it right on the rim. All this transformed the instrument. It now has a great sound I can live with. Not so far from the sound of Banjos at £600 to £1200 UK Pounds ( I know ive tried them ). Proving that all this FB 55 needed was an extra 5 dollars of engineering and a bit of care at the factory to get a good instrument. No I won't buy another Fender, lifes to short.
Notes, When removed I found the head (Remo WeatherKing) had split away in places from its ring causing the rattling. Also, if you need help check out Bill Palmers web site for set up info ;- http://www.banjowizard.com
Setup Rating: 1
Great appearence, I like the inlay, not as ornate as the FB 58 but a lot better than you see on other banjo's in the UK in this price range. Neck is nicely finished as is the edging on the resonator. The Chrome has 'run' like poorly applied paint in places on the stretcher ring but you don't notice it unless you look.
Appearance Rating: 7
Hardware, The fine threads on the stretchers and resonator screws won't stand too much asembly / dismantlement without wearing or stripping. I think the finnish will last the life of the instrument I would not depend on this FB straight out of the factory given what I know now about the assembly of the lag bolt and its retaining screw. Although my modifications improved my confidence in the instruments reliability.
Reliability Rating: 1
Arbiter distribute Fender in the UK. They where simpathetic but just didn't have the technical knolwedge to help. I was on my own with this one.
Customer Service: 2
Poorly machined truss rod parts.
Major weakness is the chrome plated brass screw securing the neck to the lag bolt. ( Replace it )
Tone ring very badly finished out of shape. Watch out for dodgy threads with bits of chrome plate in them.
Components Rating: 2
Its potentially a good instrument for the money. However no recomendations until Fender get the quality control and engineering right. Stolen ? open a bottle of beer, collect the insurance and buy a Deering. Love / hate ? equal measure. I put a lot of effort into keeping it playable. It looks good though. I should have done more research before I bought it, particularly back up from the factory. If it was put together correctly this would be a very good entry level banjo.
Overall Rating: 3
Where Purchased: Ridenhour music
Year Purchased: 2000
Price Paid: 550.00 ($US)
The sound is good when played a little soft,it dosn't seem to like being played hard,.After changing to light strings and a Snuffy Smith bridge,and a few"minor" changes it's starting to have a very mello sound now.
Sound Rating: 7
Banjo wasn't set up at all...The only thing tight was the strings.and they were so tight as soon as I touched one it actually broke.
Setup Rating: 1
The finish is great,couldn't ask for anymore.
Appearance Rating: 8
It seems like it's going to hold up but being only a couple years old I can't say.
Reliability Rating: 5
After a bad experience with customer service I wouldn't have gotten anything from Fender..but I called a second time and got a customer service rep that actually seemed to care,he answered all my questions and even just talked for a few mins.I have to say if he's the rule and not the exception then I have a new found faith in Fender.
Customer Service: 7
alot of the parts are good looking but seem alittle cheap when you compare them to other models from other comapnies in the same price range.
Components Rating: 5
A good beginners banjo,or for someone who just picks with the family,After making the changes I found that playing it is alot more fun..and the sound is alot better.
Overall Rating: 5
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