Dogwood Banjos: #66 The nuclear

Submitted by aleli on 11/16/2016

Where Purchased: directrly from Dogwood Banjos

Year Purchased: 2016
Price Paid: 1650 ($US)

Sound

The sound is perfect. It is clear withour being "sharp", full but without being unbalanced. Really enables playing all kinds of clawhammer music.

Wooden tonering and 12" pot, 25,5 scale and good bridge helps!

Sound Rating: 10

Setup

It was set up exactly the way I wanted it, action perfect.

Just place the bridge, tune it up and play. Despite being sent over the Atlantic there were no isses whatsoever with the setup.

Setup Rating: 10

Appearance

It is outright sensational. The woods used are fantastic!

Super nurly maple neck, bocote headstock and fretboard etc. Selected with with outmost care.
When comissioning tthis banjo, it was one of the few things I iterated; I am a "wood nerd". Mike answered the call and delivered the wood the way I wanted it!!
The only inlay is a nuclear radioation symbol on the fith fret but it was nicely made and exactly the way I wanted it.
Mike added a small fun engraving on the hoop, based on all the emails we sent between us, it made me smile and showed that it is really MY banjo.

Appearance Rating: 10

Reliability

Real quality hardware, brass ball shoes and a Galbraith tailpice. Tuners etc ar what you expect from a seriuos instrument.

Reliability Rating: 10

Customer Service

I don't know how many email that has gone across the Atlantic during the build process and Mike always responded and understood what I wanted.

Have no issues with the banjo but I am confident that any potential issues would also be dealt with professionally.

Responses to questions are quick and to the point.

Shipping to Sweden was fast (4 days) and without any trouble.

Customer Service: 10

Components

What is most outstanding is the woods used, in the pot, neck, fretboard and headstock. The bocote headstock is so nice it derserves to shine without inlays and the curly maple neck is very beautiful

The are no weak choices in terms of hardware and nothing will need to be replaced.

For a design point of view, I wonder how it will look with a darker head and may change it in a year or three just to see..But not because of quality issues.

Components Rating: 10

Overall Comments

The banjo is a testament that a small builder can capture my vision and deliver the instrument I wanted.

I didn't give exact guidance on measurements on action height, tone ring material etc but rather open statements on the playability, sound and feel I was looking for.

The only thing I truly specified when ordering was:

Really nice wood. Radiation symbol inlay in the fifth fret. Non-sharp tone and also not what I call cookie jar tone (Dobson style tone ring). 25,5" scale.

And I got it!

Overall Rating: 10

Banjo mutes: Mike's Banjo Mute

Submitted by aleli on 7/20/2016

Where Purchased: directly from mikesbanjomute.com

Overall Comments

It is a really good mute.

 

I own several other mutes (Ultimate, Iucci) and this is clearly the best.

The tone is still there and is ok but the volume is really muted. Love it!

Seems really well made, excellent build quality

Shipping to Sweden was no hassle at all 

Overall Rating: 10