Grafton: Clipper #3 "White Lady"

Submitted by azfad on 3/8/2012

Where Purchased: www.andybanjo.com/

Year Purchased: 2011
Price Paid: £450 () historic exchange rates / currency converter

Sound

I play mostly old-timey frailing mixed with a bit of fingerpicking for contemporary rock and this is a very versatile banjo - it has the 'scoop' in the lower neck by the pot which is good for me - i dont get up so high on the fretboard when I'm playing and i can rip into the strings when i need more volume in a louder context without worrying about bashing my knuckles!

Slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs are all very responsive - there is a bit more sustain since its a frailer and I really love the tone. It has quite a mellow sound I's say, kind of 'plunky' which i like, with good volume I would say - I tried a Deering 'Good Time' in a shop a while back and found the sound not as rich or complex and the playability not as pleasing as this.

Sound Rating: 9

Setup

Played beautifully out of the box - the bridge arrives unattached but the correct position was neatly indicated by masking tape and I was easily able to set it up in minutes. The action seems absolutely fine to me.

Setup Rating: 9

Appearance

This is a plain-jane white lady! No frills - which I don't really care about I'm more concerned with the sound. I may buy a fancier one down the line when my playing merits it.

Appearance Rating: 6

Reliability

Had it 6 months now and seems like a warhorse to me - stays in tune well and no visible degradation of anything really.

Reliability Rating: 8

Customer Service

Not had any issues as of yet so no complaints. The item was delivered promptly and the email notifications were friendly and 'human'.

Customer Service: 7

Components

As i said this is not a visual stunner - its all about the sound and the playability and everything works really well from that point of view. I have noticed the back of the neck gets kind of sticky after playing a while for some reason - moreso than other instruments i have played for sure but nothing a cloth with some cleaning solution cant remedy. There's nothing I would upgrade really unless it was damaged.

I bought this in a package deal with gigbag, strap, spare strings and tuner - it all came in i think at 500 pounds and great value i would say for the quality of the things on offer.

Components Rating: 8

Overall Comments

If you are into starting playing old-timey and clawhammer then I can't recommend this model highly enough. It's not a beginner instrument by any means but it's one that's utterly solid, very giggable (with a pickup or mic), sounds great and will give years and years of pleasure. I haven't been able to put it down anyway since buying 6 months ago!

Overall Rating: 9