RomanS - Posted - 01/22/2026:  15:57:24

As we all know, Recording King went out of business last year, due to their parent company, The Music Link, closing its doors. The brand name was bought by SLM.



Well, apparently they're going into production again - while browsing the Thomann website, I noticed, the RK R20 is already available, and the R35 and R36 are scheduled to arrive in a few days. I checked various US dealers, and the R20 is available there, too; various flat top acoustics and resonator guitars, too!

Didn't see any of their higher level banjo models, though.



I was looking forward to maybe getting one of the new OB100s that Gold Tone announced recently, but those Recording Kings are really enticing, too! Seems like Recording King models are about 25-30% less expensive than their similarly spec'd Golf Tone counterparts at Thomann (in the US, prices seem to be closer between both brands).

Edited by - RomanS on 01/22/2026 15:58:44

Bill Rogers - Posted - 01/22/2026:  16:27:19

Question: Who is making them?

Eric A - Posted - 01/22/2026:  16:38:13

I would bet that the quality will be just trash going forward. It got so bad in recent years that Greg Rich just didn't want anything to do with them. I used to be a big fan, but I wouldn't touch a new RK with a 10 foot pole now.

Edited by - Eric A on 01/22/2026 16:39:06

Bob Smakula - Posted - 01/22/2026:  16:55:49

I have had many quality control issues with Saint Louis Music, the current importer of Recording King, since 2019. My latest issue was trying to get replacement Perfection (brand name) geared violin pegs for some that had 1/4 turn of play before the gear engaged. It took more than 3 weeks to get replacements and one of the tuner sets had two incorrect tuners in the package.



From my experience, my opinion is to be cautious about the next wave of Recording King instruments. I want to be optimistic, but....



Bob Smakula

Edited by - Bob Smakula on 01/22/2026 16:57:30

klgera - Posted - 01/22/2026:  19:06:28

You know, if anyone is choosing between a Recording King and.a Goldtone, , it’s a no brainer, you can callGoldtone and I even talk with the owner, that is a real plus!

pastorharry - Posted - 01/22/2026:  19:18:08

I prefer Gold Star of these 3 choices. My JD Crowe model is a killer banjo in every respect.

KCJones - Posted - 01/22/2026:  19:22:45

Time will tell. The RK flathead tone ring is one of the best out there, if they're still made the same way they still are. I've never seen public info about who actually makes Gold Tone banjos either, they don't own their own factories or anything that I know of, and nobody seems to mind, so I don't know why that would matter with RK.

Edwards - Posted - 01/22/2026:  19:36:05

Good evening Bill,
That would be St. Louis music, here’s the URL. I read it a while ago, but I think they acquired the rights end of summer last year.
stlouismusic.com/st-louis-musi...the-loar/

Bill Rogers - Posted - 01/22/2026:  20:06:01

St.L. Music, as the linked press release says, distributes RK. It does not make them. My point is that quality depends on the actual maker(s) of the instruments. That may well differ from prior
actual manufacturing facilities. @Edwards

Mickhammer - Posted - 01/22/2026:  23:02:15

quote:

---

Originally posted by KCJones

Time will tell. The RK flathead tone ring is one of the best out there, if they're still made the same way they still are. I've never seen public info about who actually makes Gold Tone banjos either, they don't own their own factories or anything that I know of, and nobody seems to mind, so I don't know why that would matter with RK.

---

Back when I first started playing banjo and stumbled on this forum, people here still turned up their noses at Gold Tone. Nowadays, the brand seems to get a lot more love. Maybe it's because of the Gibson effect? Back when Gibson was acquired by the MBA crowd, they raised the prices of their Les Pauls (by a lot), and they suddenly became must-have guitars. 

Otherwise, it's all in the specifications. If Gold Tone or RK or any other brand tell the manufacturer to make a high-quality instrument with high-quality parts, that's what you'll get. 

GrahamHawker - Posted - 01/23/2026:  00:37:13

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bill Rogers

Question: Who is making them?

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I believe it's the same facility that made instruments for Music Link. I think I read that here.

Brian Murphy - Posted - 01/23/2026:  04:52:36

St. Louis Music is not going to put out trash. (Rumor was they rejected the entire first shipment of RK product shipped here). They have revived other brands here and have improved quality on their other lines. The biggest headwind they will have is our friend Greg changing jerseys and helping GoldTone. The volume for that line is at that -20 -35/36 value level. And that is only if you can keep it below the used market for USA handcrafted banjos, which has to be really challenging right now. GoldTone is already tweaking and redesigning its banjos. And "new and improved" typically wins over standbys in the market. But I would be surprised if St. Louis Music accepted shipments of defective banjos, or allowed them to leave China. I think they will do it right. Acoustic Shoppe has done some videos on St. Louis Music and they are very complimentary of it.

GrahamHawker - Posted - 01/24/2026:  05:15:18

Thomann's range is increasing with all the standard models listed and the R35 now in stock. However considering these haven't been there long they already have three B stock items which it says are customer returns.

It was always rumoured in the past that stock that failed quality control but was ok was sent to Europe and sold for good prices. Which would explain my RK-OT25 with the non scooped O25 neck. And as it was £214 I wasn't complaining. This was particularly said with the guitars

Brian Murphy - Posted - 01/24/2026:  05:40:08

quote:

---

Originally posted by GrahamHawker

Thomann's range is increasing with all the standard models listed and the R35 now in stock. However considering these haven't been there long they already have three B stock items which it says are customer returns.



It was always rumoured in the past that stock that failed quality control but was ok was sent to Europe and sold for good prices. Which would explain my RK-OT25 with the non scooped O25 neck. And as it was £214 I wasn't complaining. This was particularly said with the guitars

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If you Google (and the threads are still there) there was a big controversy about the Flinthill banjos that were carbon copies of RK models and the allegation that RK blems were being rebadged and sold without RK (Music Link's) knowledge.  Apparently, in China there is an issue with companies contracting for production and some plants just using the designs etc. to make knockoffs from the same production line.

RomanS - Posted - 01/24/2026:  18:10:08

quote:

---

Originally posted by GrahamHawker

Thomann's range is increasing with all the standard models listed and the R35 now in stock. However considering these haven't been there long they already have three B stock items which it says are customer returns.



 

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One thing is weird about those customer returns, though (at least about the R20 - the other two are open backs, which I'm not interested in): 

I've been checking Thomann's new arrival listings in the resonator banjo section quite often (probably every other day), and that "customer return" R20 was listed at the same time as the new R20 was listed as "freshly arrived - available again" - so I'm wandering how someone could have returned that already, when these haven't been sold at all for more than half a year...

GrahamHawker - Posted - 01/25/2026:  00:53:52

quote:  Originally posted by RomanS

One thing is weird about those customer returns, though (at least about the R20 - the other two are open backs, which I'm not interested in): 

I've been checking Thomann's new arrival listings in the resonator banjo section quite often (probably every other day), and that "customer return" R20 was listed at the same time as the new R20 was listed as "freshly arrived - available again" - so I'm wandering how someone could have returned that already, when these haven't been sold at all for more than half a year...

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Interesting. Perhaps the return thing is not true and they have been checking the stock they recieved.

mikehalloran - Posted - 01/27/2026:  19:48:08

I met with St Louis Music at NAMM.

Currently, no one is actually making Recording King or Loar. SLM has acquired inventory and that is what's being sold. If I want any, I can order individual pieces but can't place a large order until production issues have been resolved.  They have plans to get back into it but the guitar lines will be retooled and started over again. The Loar mandolins and archtop guitars I saw looked pretty good.

The R20 is the same as similar banjos under other names. Frankly, I didn't ask about that one.

GrahamHawker - Posted - 01/28/2026:  00:06:22

quote:

---

Originally posted by mikehalloran

The R20 is the same as similar banjos under other names. Frankly, I didn't ask about that one.

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It used to be but Recording King bought production in house and redesigned it so it became a true Recording King rather than a rebadge of a banjo made elsewhere.

mikehalloran - Posted - 01/28/2026:  10:59:57

quote:

---

Originally posted by GrahamHawker

quote:

---

Originally posted by mikehalloran

The R20 is the same as similar banjos under other names. Frankly, I didn't ask about that one.

---

It used to be but Recording King bought production in house and redesigned it so it became a true Recording King rather than a rebadge of a banjo made elsewhere.

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None of my sources agree with you on that one. I was a TML dealer from before the doors opened until they closed last July. 

GrahamHawker - Posted - 01/28/2026:  11:53:25

quote:

---

Originally posted by mikehalloran

None of my sources agree with you on that one. I was a TML dealer from before the doors opened until they closed last July. 

---

When the redesign happened it was mentioned here. Here's the announcememt in Bluegrass Today:

recordingking.com/rkr20

desert rose - Posted - 01/29/2026:  23:36:29

Mike fill me in on what you know, my assumption was that AXL would continue making the rk products, they have been made at AXL owned and run factorys for a number of years, AXL owns and controls numerous factorys in China and is an oem maker for electric guitars, my assumption was that while Music Link mismanaged them selves out of business the AXL corp in Shanghai would continue even without AXL San Francisco



And the RK 20 has always been a sub contracted banjo no matter what press releases try and spin, just like the great California series open backs totally made at Dae Won in Dalian.

Just checked and the AXL China website is totally up and running and for those that dont understsnd it AXL China is huge and banjos mean nothing to their survival

Edited by - desert rose on 01/29/2026 23:43:47

GrahamHawker - Posted - 01/30/2026:  00:50:00

quote:

---

Originally posted by desert rose

And the RK 20 has always been a sub contracted banjo no matter what press releases try and spin,

 

---

Are you sure about this? The original RK-R20 was clearly made elsewhere and badged for Recording King but the updated version, which was really in the last 2 or 3 yeras, was very different in looks and some more typical Recording King components, like the tailpiece, can be seen. It looks much more like a Recording KIng and a more fancier version of the RK-R15 which they made for a while.

Emiel - Posted - 01/30/2026:  04:28:10

This is what the latest version of the RK-20 looks like:

desert rose - Posted - 01/30/2026:  06:48:07

Graham YES thats a axl controlled build for sure of course but for the price its still farmed out in their extensive network of factorys, Its hard for people to underatand how it works in Asia especially with a powerhouse corporation, AXL owns outright numerous factorys ad without owning akso controls many others, they are involved i every thing from full acoustic pianos to amps and electric instruments

mikehalloran - Posted - 02/01/2026:  18:09:53

quote:

---

Originally posted by desert rose

Mike fill me in on what you know, my assumption was that AXL would continue making the rk products, they have been made at AXL owned and run factorys for a number of years, AXL owns and controls numerous factorys in China and is an oem maker for electric guitars, my assumption was that while Music Link mismanaged them selves out of business the AXL corp in Shanghai would continue even without AXL San Francisco



And the RK 20 has always been a sub contracted banjo no matter what press releases try and spin, just like the great California series open backs totally made at Dae Won in Dalian.

Just checked and the AXL China website is totally up and running and for those that dont understsnd it AXL China is huge and banjos mean nothing to their survival

---

St Louis Music was a bit cagey on the info they were dishing out. I wanted to talk banjos; they wanted to talk guitars. They did go on about quality problems that still needed to be sorted out before production resumes—again, with the guitars. When I asked about known quality issues affecting banjos and mandolins, it was brushed off with "they're being addressed." I was told that ordering anything in quantity was not possible at the present time but that I could get singles if I needed. I did notice that MAP on the RK-R35 was up $100—less than I was expecting but couldn't get a price sheet otherwise. So, are they waiting on a container ship or ???

I was also told that Guardian cases were not included in the TML deal. Of course, SLM has their own case lines so no biggie, there.

How much nonsense I was being fed was hard to gauge. They did say that there will be official product launches in the next few months in various regions and that I and other ex-TML dealers will be invited to a regional event in the San Francisco Bay Area—hope that there will be lunch, right? I'll let you know what I know when I know it.

okie143 - Posted - 02/22/2026:  14:43:44

quote:Originally posted by Mickhammerquote:Originally posted by KCJonesTime will tell. The RK flathead tone ring is one of the best out there, if they're still made the same way they still are. I've never seen public info about who actually makes Gold Tone banjos either, they don't own their own factories or anything that I know of, and nobody seems to mind, so I don't know why that would matter with RK.Back when I first started playing banjo and stumbled on this forum, people here still turned up their noses at Gold Tone. Nowadays, the brand seems to get a lot more love. Maybe it's because of the Gibson effect? Back when Gibson was acquired by the MBA crowd, they raised the prices of their Les Pauls (by a lot), and they suddenly became must-have guitars.

Otherwise, it's all in the specifications. If Gold Tone or RK or any other brand tell the manufacturer to make a high-quality instrument with high-quality parts, that's what you'll get.


Amen!

desert rose - Posted - 02/24/2026:  04:50:11

Ray the BIG DIFFERENCE is rk makes the banjos in their own factory, they own the tooling for all the metal part, only exception is the extreme bottom end instruments. I know this because I personally spent a year and a half setting up banjo production for rk IN CHINA. And more time setting u the acoustic guitar factory

MarTay6 - Posted - 03/12/2026:  05:49:06

Well, I'm sure happy with my Gold Star GE-1 Prospector open back banjo!

Helix - Posted - 03/22/2026:  20:46:43

I spoke with Greg Rich on the phone about some quality issues with a certain RK-R20 I had in my shop for a rim changeout.

He was pissed off and said he was going to change factories.

I like them for an intermediate shoe and plate type rig. They sound great with a better rim inside, solid 3" Cherry was,  well, I'm prejudiced about frequencies.



Roman, get the RK-R20, it has the same parts, head, tailpiece and resonator as the RK-R36, it weighs much less but will still vintage into a fine sounding and adjustable banjo for an intermediate like yourself.  Spend the money you save on better tuners.  Keep the head tight for Austrian weather. 

Edited by - Helix on 03/22/2026 20:51:50

trackers - Posted - 03/25/2026:  13:26:58

quote:

---

Originally posted by desert rose

Ray the BIG DIFFERENCE is rk makes the banjos in their own factory, they own the tooling for all the metal part, only exception is the extreme bottom end instruments. I know this because I personally spent a year and a half setting up banjo production for rk IN CHINA. And more time setting u the acoustic guitar factory

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Thank you for doing an excellent job in the guitar factory. I bought a RK RD-342 Guitar, and I must say that Im 100% happy with it so far. Its loud, was set up great, and the quality was excellent. Actually I prefer it over my Martin HD-28 HB.  It has more volume and the V Neck makes it easier to play. 

RomanS - Posted - 03/25/2026:  15:29:59

quote:

---

Originally posted by Helix

I spoke with Greg Rich on the phone about some quality issues with a certain RK-R20 I had in my shop for a rim changeout.

He was pissed off and said he was going to change factories.

I like them for an intermediate shoe and plate type rig. They sound great with a better rim inside, solid 3" Cherry was,  well, I'm prejudiced about frequencies.



Roman, get the RK-R20, it has the same parts, head, tailpiece and resonator as the RK-R36, it weighs much less but will still vintage into a fine sounding and adjustable banjo for an intermediate like yourself.  Spend the money you save on better tuners.  Keep the head tight for Austrian weather. 

---

I found a great deal on an excellent used Gold Tone OB3 in the meantime, didn't go with the RK; most of the RKs seem to be gone from the Thomann site now, too - seems like they were really just selling off old stock from The Music Link (they also had a bunch of Loar archtop guitars and mandolins, which were out of production, also made by TML - all gone now, too...)

Helix - Posted - 03/26/2026:  12:42:11

The Gold Tone OB3 is an excellent choice. I hope it provides many hours of enjoyment.