bradeinhorn - Posted - 05/19/2016:  13:51:25

Pulled the trigger on a banjo upgrade from Elderly! Excited for it. Sharing with all you banjo heads. That is all.

banjo bill-e - Posted - 05/19/2016:  14:00:05

Great choice, very cool to be getting a new banjo! I didn't even know the Buckbee came in 12".

bradeinhorn - Posted - 05/19/2016:  14:15:52

Thanks Bill,

It's a fairly new model (not sure it's even official model) a few of the shops (elderly, spruce tree, gryphon) have done directly with Bart. Mine is walnut neck and they currently have two others in cherry and hog neck

jbalch - Posted - 05/19/2016:  14:17:08

Congratulations!

GrizClaw - Posted - 05/19/2016:  14:34:19

Very nice, I have owned two Bart Reiters and they are great banjos. Add a John Balch hide head and your jo will be complete. Enjoy!

JayCee - Posted - 05/19/2016:  17:39:10

How will hide head affect the sound? I have a standard and may want to experiment. Best to all, Jaycee

Kimerer - Posted - 05/19/2016:  19:02:05

I thought that Bart had retired. Is he still making banjos? I have a Reiter Special that I bought 20 years ago. It is still my main axe.

ceemonster - Posted - 05/19/2016:  22:11:07

I special-ordered a Walnut Buckbee 12 six months or so ago--it's really the "Round Peak" rim, with BR's walnut "Buckbee" neck.  I wanted a walnut 12-inch, and the Buckbee neck/peghead config is BR's walnut offering.   I was advised to work through Elderly, and when mine arrived, a sibling appeared in their stock listings, along with another sibling at another site.  Several more appear to have turned over since then through Elderly, and, I notice a recent batch with Buckbee 12s in the other Buckbee woods.  I LOVE my 12-inch Bart Reiter walnut!  I really like the Ren head for the 12-inch.  But I'm sure skin would be great too.

Edited by - ceemonster on 05/19/2016 22:18:58

bradeinhorn - Posted - 05/20/2016:  12:29:03

Glad to hear that Cee... I prefer the simple look of the buckbee and the 12 inch over 11, so seems best of both worlds for me. good thinking on your order. looks like it's becoming a fairly regular one for a couple stores. just noticed the cherry one is also out of stock at elderly now too.

GrizClaw - Posted - 05/20/2016:  12:30:59

quote: John, didn't mean to ignore your question. For me, the look and feel of hide heads is more appealing than synthetic heads. I hear a richer deeper tone with them. I have owned four of John's hide heads ( on Reiter Roundpeak,  Tradesman, 1890's Geo Dobson and my Bishline) and have loved them all. You won't find a better guy to deal with than John and there is probably only one person who knows Bart Reiter banjos better than him and that is Bart himself. 

 

---

Originally posted by JayCee



How will hide head affect the sound? I have a standard and may want to experiment. Best to all, Jaycee

---

Craig_B - Posted - 05/22/2016:  04:27:46

Congrats! In a couple of weeks I'll be going to Elderly to test drive some 12" open backs. The Buckbee is one I'm interested in, as is the Enoch Tradesman and one or two Pisgahs. We'll see what they have on hand when I get there.

ceemonster - Posted - 05/22/2016:  20:16:26

I just played a mahogany-neck 12-inch Huss & Dalton Singletree Dobson at an acoustic instrument store out on the Left Coast. It was lovely, but I prefer my Reiter 12.

bradeinhorn - Posted - 05/24/2016:  11:11:45

On the truck for delivery since 630am... slow day.

GrizClaw - Posted - 05/24/2016:  16:22:57

quote:I love the anticipation.....let us know when it arrives.

---

Originally posted by bradeinhorn

 

On the truck for delivery since 630am... slow day.

---

bradeinhorn - Posted - 05/24/2016:  16:31:04

Got it! It's a thing of beauty. Can't wait to get acquainted and tell you all more. Full review to come...

mjt0229 - Posted - 05/24/2016:  21:56:32

The last banjo I bought I played in the store in Massachusetts (on a work trip) and then had them ship it to my home in Washington state. The day it was scheduled to arrive, I had to leave early to drive down to the big city and the banjo was delivered to my porch after I'd left. That was a painful night. Thankfully a neighbor was able to bring it inside and leave it there safely until I could give it a proper welcome the next day. Glad you didn't have to go through that.

Can't wait to hear more about this one. I played an 11" Buckbee at the shop in MA on a previous trip and liked it.

 

Edited by - mjt0229 on 05/24/2016 21:57:01