Submitted by Vcubed (see all reviews from this person) on 6/14/2010

Where Purchased: Melrose Banjo Company

Year Purchased: 2010
Price Paid: 875 ($US)

Sound

I like the sound. It's right for an openback.

Sound Rating: 8

Setup

I had to deepen the nut slots so the instrument wouldn't fret sharp. (The G string was fretting 23 cents sharp. Others were not so bad.)

The nuts that tighten the head were not even hand tight. The nuts that hold the head-tightening hardware to the pot were loose.

I wanted a tad of bow on the neck and when I tightened the truss rod the thin part of the fretboard under the frailing scoop made cracking noises and started to bulge where the rod end was pushing against it, so I backed off. The neck is dead straight, now, but I wanted just a tad of forward bend so I could lower the action a little more.

Setup Rating: 1

Appearance

I asked Chris, the owner of Melrose, to put regular frets on his fretless model. I was attracted to the extreme simplicity, which to me accords well with openbacks. No inlay at all, except for a mother of pearl star on the peghead. The woodwork is lovely, with killer maple, bloodwood, and ebony lamination work in the neck. 5th string tuner had some of the plastic broken off at the base. Doesn't bother me because I planned all along to switch out for ebony knobs anyway.

Appearance Rating: 10

Reliability

Copied from setup section:

I wanted a tad of bow on the neck and when I tightened the truss rod the thin part of the fretboard under the frailing scoop made cracking noises and started to bulge where the rod end was pushing against it, so I backed off. The neck is dead straight, now, but I wanted just a tad of forward bend so I could lower the action a little more.

This business with the truss rod putting too much pressure on the fretboard could be a big problem later.

Reliability Rating: 3

Customer Service

WARNING: Read the thread on the BH forum before ordering anything from Melrose.

I ordered a banjo from him in very early December with a promised ship date of January 15. He did not ship when he said he would and I went through the same kinds of things that many have described on the BHO forum. I finally got my banjo 75 or 80 days late. I wouldn't dare return it for repairs or standard maintenance, 'cause I might never get it back. I give a 2, saving 1 for a situation where the maker keeps the money and sends nothing to the customer.

Customer Service: 2

Components

The components are beautiful. I believe they are Rickard, except for the Gotoh tuners. Came with a very nice Guardian hardshell case. Custom curved Melrose bridge is a nice touch.

Components Rating: 10

Overall Comments

I am happy with the banjo for the price. I am concerned about the truss rod issue described above. Dealing with a guy who delivers 75 days late is extremely frustrating. It makes you feel so disrespected.

Overall Rating: 5