Let me first start by saying that I am fairly new to banjos. I do not know anything about pre-war sound, or really care either. I just want to play my banjo easily and clearly and do so absent of any detractors from the banjo being able to produce it's natural tones, or playability. So I am writing this review from a new banjo player's perspective, however I have played guitar off and on for 30 years, so I do have a pretty good ear.

If you look at my review of the Presto tailpiece, you will see where this review begins, and the problems I was encountering. Now, on to my new experience with the Fults Pro 5 tailpiece with XYZ mount.

I was surprised there were not many reviews for the Pro 5 but I stepped out on a limb, and based on all the information I read, and what I saw on the product website, and I went with the Pro 5.

My purchasing experience was typical, in that I selected the product and paid online on the website. I got the requisite email response for my order. A day later I got a message from Bob Fults, personally, (which I thought was remarkable) letting me know that my item had shipped, which included a tracking number. A few days later it arrived in the mail. No problems. It was packaged well and in a very professional box with a professional store type label on it, and a set of excellent instructions on installation, operation, and set up.

The unit arrive pre-assembled with the Pro 5 head and XYZ mount together. The mount actually is ordered, by width, to mount on your bottom two tension hooks, so they have to come off. I removed the resonator, and the Presto junk, tail piece. The screw the Presto mounts to was bent, no surprise there. I took of the two tension hooks after marking their location on the flange with a sharpie, so I could tighten them back to where they were.

The XYZ mount has some spacers where you can set the distance from the rim in one of three settings. Those settings are made by moving three spacers. You can set it close to the rim, far from the rim, or in between close and far. I selected the middle setting for starters.

I placed the hooks back on the banjo and tightened them back up to where they were and put the resonator back on. Next I set the side to side adjustment so that the center slot lined up visually with the third string slot on the nut. This centered the unit to the neck.

I held everything in place and tightened the set screws a bit and set the height so there was about 1/16 inch gap between the bottom of the tailpiece and the top of the tension hoop. Then i tightened the set screws on down. This was just a starting place based upon what I read in the tone adjustment instructions.

Stringing up is a little more difficult as the front area, where the strings usually just hook under, now has a sterling silver bar the strings have to pass beneath. It was different but not a problem. I just put some plain Martin light strings on it. Nothing fancy, just what was available locally.

MEAT AND POTATOES

Design: I have always been perplexed about why the third string gets different treatment. If you look at most tailpieces, the distance of free string between the bridge and the tailpiece is longer than the other four strings. Now incidentally, I, and based upon what I read, so do a lot of other people, have had a difference in performance on the third string. This difference in free string distance could be a contributing factor, I propose. I have never been able to get a satisfactory tone when performing a slide on the third string. It always sounds more dead.

Well, the Pro 5, is different. All five strings run under a sterling silver bar that spans the full width of the tailpiece front. It is brilliant, yet so obvious, at the same time. Also the tailpiece is well polished, and quite solid and has reinforcements for strength. It is a very well made piece.

Performance: This tailpiece has really helped my banjo come alive. It is far more loud that before, and I cannot be more pleased to tell you that the third string performance is now 100% on par with the other four strings. It is so new to me to be able to hear it just ring and come alive and sustain so well. The banjo as a whole has much more of a clear ring, and sustain. I hear no imbalance. There are no buzzes. The head just really vibrates in a way I have never felt before.

I hold the belief that this tailpiece, set up the way I have it, has allowed my banjo to do what it has wanted to do all of its life, but was being held back by the previous tailpiece.

So in summary, set up is everything. The XYZ mount allows you the adjustability to set up the tailpiece to change properties to exactly how you want them based on the sound you want, just follow the recommendations in the instructions.

The tailpiece itself is made the way it should be with all strings being treated equally as far as free string distance to the bridge. It is also sturdy enough to stay where you put it, and there is no way it will bend over time. I am unsure what the sterling silver does for the system, but I am certain that many experiments were tried and this must have given the best performance.

Will this tailpiece transform your banjo into a pre-war super banjo sounding machine? Probably not. Will it let your banjo express itself the way it always has wanted to? I believe that so long as you have worked all the other set up problems out of your banjo, that yes, this tailpiece will definitely give you something to smile about.

I resolved to play in the garage where I was either very hot, or very cold. Then I found out the neighbors could still hear it. Sadly, I played less and less as a result.

A year or so ago, I decided to try to find a solution again and found out about mutes. After reading all over the web, I decided to shell out a few more dollars and try the Mike's Mute.

Having this mute gave me the opportunity to play again. Playing with a mute is no substitute for playing without, though. There is just so much the mute hides, and it can hide bad habits too, that you will hear when you take it off. That being said it is still far better than the alternative, that being no playing at all.

The mute is excellently designed and made of great materials. It does not damage my expensive bridge in any way. The volume reduction has actually allowed me to identify a vibration problem with my tailpiece! It is a little louder than what an electric guitar sounds like when it is not plugged in, and far quieter than an acoustic guitar. It is still too loud to play inside medium size houses while people are sleeping.

I have since moved to a quiet place where the properties are spacious enough that I can play on the porch with out disturbing anyone. If I miss the chance to play before it is too late, I still find it quite useful to use the mute. It should be in every Banjo player's kit.

Do yourself a favor and buy this mute!

The clamping surfaces are non marring. The string bearing surface is a rubber type material. The neck bearing surface is covered in a plastic / rubber sleeve. The side surface is covered by a type of cloth tape.

I believe the body is made of aluminum. It is quite lightweight. The finish is either a powder coat, or heavy paint. My capo is black. The two main components are held together by a single brass rivet, which has held up well.

For function alone, I would give the capo a 10, however, I deducted 1 point for esthetics. While the shape is not offensive, the finish / color options do not work very well with the traditional styling of a banjo. The capo would certainly detract from the beauty of an ornate banjo. Even though it would weigh more, I would be very excited to see this capo made of solid brass, so much so, I have though of making one myself.

In summary, if you want a fast, cheap, easy to use capo that is reliable, this is for you. If form is more important than function to you, look elsewhere.

I am quite dissatisfied with this item.

Let me start off clarifying that I have only been around banjos a couple of years, and have never owned or played any high end banjos, or messed around with tailpieces. My Goodtime tailpiece was just fine, though, and never gave a moment's consideration.

I have been a gunsmith, machinist, tool / die maker for a number of years, though, and am no stranger to good mechanics. I can tell you that the key to building an accurate rifle is to eliminate all the little things that detract from accuracy. You can't just go add in accuracy, you solve the problems. I have to believe that to a certain extent, the same holds true to a banjo. So that the major components are a good quality and design, they key is to put them together in such a way that is correct and you get the best sound feasible for that instrument, is my thought.

So I looked at the tailepiece, the Presto, and right away, I see a problem. There is a screw loose that looks like it is supposed to bear against my tone ring. That make no sense whatsoever to me why anything should contact the tone ring and disrupt the beautiful sound waves traveling through it, but perhaps I don't know anything.

Moving on, I look at the strings and their respective grooves, and am baffeled. There are five hooks for strings, and only four grooves indented for the strings to lay in. One string (the center one) is pulled over and laying over another string. This is now disturbing me, as this certainly cannot be right, but yes it is the way this one was made. I go back to look at the Goodtime, and none of the strings are touching each other, for contrast.

The way the piece is mounted to the banjo is very unstable. One small tension hook sized bolt holds the tailpiece to the flange. The Goodtime has a big nut that mounts the tailpiece solidly to the coordinating rod sticking through the rim.

Lastly, I look at this lightweight piece of potmetal cover that lays over the strings and think, well it should be okay, until I start to play and hear this awful buzzing sound coming from the tailpiece. Well the cover is pressing down on one of  the strings so I flip it back. It stops buzzing for a  bit. Then it starts buzzing again, so i flip it back some more. The buzzing completely stops when I flip the cover all the way back. Such crap.

In summary I think this is a junk quality tailpiece of questionable design. If I hadn't already ordered a Fults, I would be cutting the cover piece off altogether. The old ones must be a whole different animal than the one I have.

Stay away!