Recording King: RK-ELITE-85

Submitted by seehad on 2/23/2017

Where Purchased: banjoteacher.com

Year Purchased: 2017
Price Paid: 1599 ($US)

Sound

I don't have a ton of experience with different banjos but I was blown away by the sound of this instrument. I played a couple of banjos in the 1000-1500$ range including the Gold Tone OB250 and a used custom franken-banjo and there is no comparison. Every note on this instrument is near perfect intonation which is something I was told by my teacher only happens when you spend closer to 4-5k. To get the full effect of the sound, I've tested it throughout my house (including the bathroom), and on a stage and this instrument shines. I handed it over to my teacher who has been playing for 40 years and the way he lit up verified I had a great instrument.

Sound Rating: 10

Setup

The banjo shipped with a professional setup, a zero glide nut, and a Snuffy Smith bridge. The arm rest was too far down causing a slight buzz on the B notes so I adjusted it up to fix that issue. The action is perfect; smooth like butter.

Setup Rating: 10

Appearance

Being a violinist, I am partial to highly flamed maple. The Canadian maple on this is flawless and beautiful. The craftsmanship on this instrument is superb and there are no appearance flaws.

Appearance Rating: 10

Reliability

I've only had this a few weeks but it feels like quality hardware that will last

Reliability Rating: 10

Customer Service

Have not had to deal with Recording King but banjoteacher.com has superior service. I spoke to Ross Nickerson a few times before, during and after the purchase; it was always a pleasure and a very informative conversation.

Customer Service: 10

Components

The Gotoh Planetary tuners were a huge upgrade from my last banjo. Much easier to tune and keep in tune. The presto style tailpiece is solid. At this point, there is nothing I would change.

Components Rating: 10

Overall Comments

While I am no expert on banjos, I am no stranger to a great instrument. In high school, my violin teacher let me perform the Mendelssohn violin concerto on his 1760 Gagliano. While not as recognizable as Stradivari, they are every bit as good. Heck, I've even held a Strad at one point. Just like when I upgraded my first violin, this banjo inspires me to practice more as it is a pure joy to play. I don't see any need to upgrade in the future.

Overall Rating: 10