Backyard Music: Fireside (Kit)

Submitted by penswift on 5/19/2017

Where Purchased: Backyard Music

Year Purchased: 2017
Price Paid: 115 + S/H historic exchange rates / currency converter

Sound

Pleasant sound. Somewhat mellow. Have played using gDGBD and gCGCD tuning.

Sound Rating: 10

Setup

Purchased as a kit. Watched an internet video prior to build. End result was good string height and sound. My rating below (of 10) is from my own set up when assembling the kit. No parts needed adjusting.

Setup Rating: 10

Appearance

I used the recommended Danish Oil on the wood. My banjo neck has two tones to it... which gives it an interesting look. I stained the white banjo head with a mixture of tea, coffee, water and white glue, followed later by Danish Oil... then a coating of puzzle glue... the glue was mainly to protect a gryphon image I added to the head.

Appearance Rating: 10

Reliability

I have not had this banjo long; however, it appears to be quite sturdy and durable.

Reliability Rating: 9

Customer Service

Have communicated with Backyard Music two times. Once was to get a few questions answered, the other time was to tell them how pleased I was with their kit. They replied before end of next day both times ... and came across as pleasant and trustworthy both times.

Customer Service: 10

Components

The wooden neck is a real standout... great design. I liked it so much that I couldn't get myself to drill fret marker holes in it... so I ventured to try adhesive markers... which ended up looking good and seem durable... so far. It is no secret that the banjo head rim is a thick cardboard material... but it appears to be quite rugged and there is no stress on it from the instrument. (Rating of 10 is for components as expected in the kit . . . the parts all meet or exceed expectations).

Components Rating: 10

Overall Comments

You can look at these kits on the internet and listen to them too. If you want a nice instrument that you can customize a bit and have a bit of fun making... this is a great kit. At this point in time an image of mine is used as my profile picture. Note that I added brackets on my own, they are not part of the kit... nor are metal wings that I added to the head. The brackets are cosmetic only.... they are not in the least bit necessary. 

Overall Rating: 9