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7232 reviews in the archive.
Chris Cioffi – Alchemist: The banjo is a mysterious assemblage of wood and metal that when properly fitted together suddenly becomes not only one of the most uniquely captivating musical instruments but a true work of art.
Unfortunately there are many banjos out there that while they may be built with quality bits and pieces, they are assembled quickly in factory settings with little attention given to the proper fitting of the components, thus producing instruments that may range from good to so-so or worse with a few making it through with setups that truly allow the instrument to realize its full potential. There are also many banjos out there that over time have been modified, “tinkered with” or just plain played out to the point they have lost their optimal setup and fit and so do not have the true tone and playability they are capable of.
I have a “94” Rb3 I purchased new right out of the Gibson shipping carton in 1994. While it has always sounded and played OK it has never been what I thought or expected it should be. Since it was more than a little disappointing over all I pretty much put it in the safe and didn’t play it much over the years and was really thinking about just selling it.
This is where the “Alchemist” - Chris Cioffi steps in.
After reading so much about him on the “Hangout” I decided to give him a call and try to arrange a meeting the next time I was in the Nashville area. It couldn’t have been easier or more pleasant. We were in Bowling Green for a few days so Chris set up a time we {myself, my wife, her brother, and our English Cocker - Carrie} could drive down to his shop and get to know each other a bit a let him have a look at my Rb3. Now if you have read any of the reviews of Chris and his work you already know what a friendly, knowledgeable guy he is. We hit it off right away having many common interests and extracurricular activities which though banjo centric also include the art of flying and maintaining aircraft. Flying and maintaining any aircraft is a precise art/science that leaves absolutely no room for error and this is exactly the way Chris approaches the setup and building of our beloved instrument, the banjo. I call him the “Banjo Alchemist” because he can take this mysterious combination of wood and metal parts, mix them with his depth of knowledge and skill and turn them into Banjo gold.
The list of the work he did on my Rb3 would probably fill the rest of the page but I will say that he left virtually nothing untouched! What I found when we returned to his shop was an instrument that I would never have recognized sonically as my old banjo and his incredible setup made it play as it never had before. Chris took this 20 year old banjo from mediocrity to greatness with the wave of his magic wand. I have been playing the strings off it ever since picking it up and I am sure my other instruments are feeling quite jealous by now.
You can surely read through all of the other reviews here and see what he is capable of but I just wanted include my 2¢. If you own and play a banjo you need to know Chris. I am really and I mean really picky about whom I let work on any of my instruments and I can say without hesitation or reservation that Chris will be doing my banjo work from now on! Go visit him if you get the chance. You will find it worth your while and just plain fun to boot. He can turn you instrument into “Banjo Gold”!
Chris Cioffi – Alchemist - really interesting and all around nice guy!
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: http://banjotailpiece.com/
I recently ordered a new "custom" banjo from a well known banjo maker. When it arrived the pot assembly had sunken into the resonator considerably. This was caused by the resonator brackets bending under the weight of the pot assembly which was probably amplified by some "rough" handling during shipping. I simply straightened out the brackets to return the assembly to level with the resonator and thought the problem had been solved. But I noticed that over short periods of time the pot kept lowering itself into the resonator and I kept having to straighten the brackets. I contacted the "builder" and was told they were aware of the issue and that the brackets were in fact too soft and that they hoped to re-engineer the parts to correct the problem. I kept in contact with them but they never offered a solution. That's when I discovered Bob Fults's newest product the "Resonator Tri-Brackets". I have seen quite a few banjos with this same problem especially some vintage instruments as it seems most builders are using the same cheap brackets on their instruments. Bob's new brackets offer a very high quality and very classy solution to the problem. They installed on my banjo in minutes and were a perfect fit. the mounting holes lined up with those already in the rim {they have the option to add two more mounting screws to each bracket for added strength} and they have a formed radius that fits perfectly against the wood rim. In addition they are beautifully polished and plated. If you are already familiar with Bob's "Fults Tailpieces" you know the extreme high quality of his work. These brackets are a both a solution to an aggravating problem as well as a really cool upgrade to your banjo! I think the fact that the resonator is mounted much more solidly to the pot assembly has added some volume and bass response to my instrument. Take a look at them on his web page - http://banjotailpiece.com/ - I think you'll be as impressed as I am. {PS - I told the builder of my new banjo about the brackets and I hear they have contacted Fults to order some to check them out.} Cheers, REM
Overall Rating: 10
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