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The banjo reviews database is here to help educate people before they purchase an instrument. Of course, this is not meant to be a substitute for playing the instrument yourself!
7238 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Private Seller
Year Purchased: 2004
Price Paid: 1850 ($US)
I just bought the banjo to replace a Deering Sierra as my primary banjo. I play bluegrass pretty exclusively on the banjo, so it suits my style great. It has a very loud, bright sound. Much louder and brighter than the Sierra. It has a great deal of range, too. Sounds terrific up and down the neck.
Sound Rating: 10
It was not set up to my liking -- a bit too dark and mahogany-ish. I plan to take it in to my set-up guy and have it tuned up to sound like what it is: a powerful, clear maple banjo. I'm sure he'll adjust the head and tailpiece.
Setup Rating: 5
It is a gorgeous banjo. Elegant, beautiful inlay, without being gaudy. Love the ebony headstock.
Appearance Rating: 10
The hardware looks great and seems of very high quality.
Reliability Rating: 10
Haven't dealt with Crafters yet (I've only had it a day!).
Customer Service: not rated
Came from seller with Remo head, Presto tailpiece, and Scorpion bridge. I think they normally come with a Snuffy Smith bridge.
I will very likely have a TonyPass rim put in.
Components Rating: 10
Absolutely yes, I would recommend it. I think I got a good deal. Only two years old and in virtually mint condition. It's in a completely different class from the Sierra, so I'm digging it in a big way. Its sound is so powerful that I can dig in less, which makes my playing more sensitive. This is just matter of taste, but I liked it better than any new Gibson I've played, and I even liked it better than the Stelling Red Fox, which is saying a lot.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: House of Musical Traditions
Year Purchased: 2003
Price Paid: 1250 ($US)
I play 3-finger Scruggs bluegrass and some melodic style. On stage I use an AKG C1000 mic either with the house PA or with the band PA (Mackie 808S stereo powered mixer with 8 low-impedance inputs and 2
600 watt outputs; 2 Yamaha cabinets with 15
Sound Rating: 10
It was very poorly set up when I purchased it, which is what allowed me to bargain the store down to a good price. I took it to Mike Munford and he set the banjo up from scratch, replaced the factory bridge with a Snuffy Smith, and put in a bone 5th-string nut. It was very easy to make set-up changes with. I give it a 10 for the Munford set-up.
Setup Rating: 10
The Sierra is often called
Appearance Rating: 10
All the hardware seems very high-quality. So far (a few months) I see no wear and tear on the finish -- just the usual scuffing on the head. My one complaint is that I get some skips in tuning, which I suspect has to do with the widths of the nut grooves rather than the quality of the tuners. I would recommend slightly wider grooves so the strings don't catch. Yes, it's very dependable and it's my working banjo.
Reliability Rating: 9
I haven't had any experience with Deering on this banjo yet. However, when I tried to get a response from them about an issue I was having with my first banjo, the Goodtime II, they didn't answer my phone calls.
It's got a lifetime warranty.
Customer Service: not rated
So far, I haven't found any weak or cheap parts.
Components Rating: 10
I did a lot of research before I bought this instrument, and I played a lot of banjos. In the end I had gathered the opinions of many people, some of whom urged me toward the Sierra, some of whom urged me elsewhere, for example toward the GT OB250+. In the end, I used my ear, eye and instincts and made the leap. I've never looked back. It is a great banjo, and I would recommend it without hesitation. Someday I may be able to afford an even better banjo, or at least a banjo with a different kind of sound. But for now, the Sierra works perfectly for me. I have a lot of work to do improving as a player before I need a better banjo than this one.
Overall Rating: 10
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