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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!
7232 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: pawn shop
Year Purchased: 2013
Price Paid: 500 ($US) (bought USED)
Sounds great. Best sounding banjo I have had after set up. I have owned Gibson, Huber, Nechville, and Gold Star.
Sound Rating: 10
No set up. I put on a snuffy smith bridge, adjusted truss rods and coordinator rods. Put in rr spikes.
Setup Rating: 4
Looks great. Dark maple stain, rosewood fingerboard, and hearts and flower inlays. Chrome hardware really shines.
Appearance Rating: 10
Very reliable. I play a lot of festivals and gigs and this will be with me.
Reliability Rating: 10
Never dealt with them
Customer Service: 10
Great parts besides the screw for the 5th string pip. I am replacing it with a bone pip.
Components Rating: 9
Great banjo. Great price. Highly recommend.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Used from Individual
Year Purchased: 2011
Price Paid: 450.00 ($US) (bought USED)
Learning Scruggs style and banjo sounds real good to me as a novice. My instructor has made several positive comments about the playability and sound.
Sound Rating: 9
I took it to a local music store and had new strings and a set-up at the advice of my instructor.
Setup Rating: 9
Very good looking banjo that wears very well with a little polishing along the way.
Appearance Rating: 9
Would be good for main banjo I guess. Early ninty's model and has held up well.
Reliability Rating: 9
Not needed as yet.
Customer Service: 5
Tuners feel a little cheap or could be better I think. Temperature and humidity changes seem to affect the tone greatly, especially sunshine.
Components Rating: 8
Great beginner to intermediate banjo I think. However, I will be upgrading when skill levels and funds allow. For now (playing 1 and 1/2 years) it's all the banjo I need or want.
I would buy one again if starting out or if I lost this one.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Guitar Center (used)
Year Purchased: 2012
Price Paid: $399 ($US) (bought USED)
I play primarily Scruggs style but dabble in some other strumming/folk sounds. After some setup from a local luthier the banjo is settling in with a rich, growly, sound; bright when I want it, soft and warm when I need it. Overall, very responsive up and down the neck. Haven't experimented much with amplifying it but so far the SM-57 shows it is a bit high-powered. I am looking into a condenser mic.
Sound Rating: 8
I was experiencing a bit of fret buzz across the neck. A luthier adjusted the truss rod, raised the bridge, dressed and crowned the frets and she was good to go. A special problem with the low 5th string (apparently problematic with many middle to low end banjos) required welding a lift to the 5th fret which solved the problem. At present, I am extremely happy with the sound and, if anything, I am adjusting to the weight of this girl and her booming volume compared to my Gold Tone CC100R.
Setup Rating: 7
The only issue I have is that this is honestly a modern Asian (China) constructed instrument that has a lot of positive and a few cheap attributes. For example, the felt padding between the neck and pot was insufficient and not glued well. Beyond that, the rest of the appointments of the instrument were what I expected for what I paid. The ultimate end product (overall construction, build, playability) however, have exceeded my expectations.
Appearance Rating: 9
Overall happy with the durability of the hardware. She will be my primary workhorse until a $2000+ banjo lands in my lap. But if I need to put the label "trustworthy" on her, than the shoe fits.
Reliability Rating: 8
Guitar Center was very helpful with the purchase. They don't seem to have in-house luthiers (especially for banjos) so I was expecting some post-purchase setup. Still worth the overall cost as I think the sound I am getting from her could give much more expensive banjos a run for the money.
Customer Service: 9
Tuners are pretty cheap and that will be one of my next upgrades. Beyond that, I can't see messing with anything else unless I discover a more intriguing tailpiece. She sounds good to me and that's all that matters.
Components Rating: 8
My sole yardstick on evaluating this banjo so far has been my own feel and what other's opinions of the sound have revealed. She is heavy, loud, provides excellent tone (to me), and feels responsive all over the fretboard. The reactions of my bandmates have been extremely positive (except for the loud part, where I am working to gain a finer grasp of the dynamics, etc.). I will recommend this banjo to anyone who is budget minded yet needs a decent stage-ready instrument. I'll feel confident to take her on stage and perform admirably for me.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: E-Bay
Year Purchased: 2010
Price Paid: 260.00 ($US) (bought USED)
For the price , it sounds really good. Great bluegrass banjo. In my opinion, its got the bluegrass tone.
Sound Rating: 8
Bought it used, and trying out different bridges. I have a Grover Minstrel 5/8 on it. Tried a Grover minstrel 1/2, but the fifth was too low and buzzed. And it sounded different. Going to try other brand's
Setup Rating: 8
Looks like a higher end model banjo. I bought this off of E-Bay with a broken neck. Had it repaired. And it plays, and sounds like a house on fire !!!!
Appearance Rating: 8
Could use better tuner's. Everything else looks real good, except where the neck was cracked. And I would play out with this banjo. Thats why I bought it, in case of an unfortunate accident. Played in many bands and have seen many guitar's fall off stands, people bumping into them "CRASH"
Reliability Rating: 9
No, never dealt with Epiphone. Bought it used, no warranty here. But I dont think I would have a problem with Epiphone / Gibson.
Customer Service: not rated
Tuner's could be better. But installing premium tuners on it would drive the price up. There good enough to get by on. But will upgrade to better ones in the future
Components Rating: 8
For the money, this banjo is hard to beat. Its got the looks of a higher end banjo, and to me it has the bluegrass sound. And Epiphone now is making some of the best affordable stringed instruments on the market. Why pay thousand's of dollars for a name on the headstock?
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: E Bay
Year Purchased: 2006
Price Paid: 337.00 ($US) (bought USED)
Good clean sound all up the neck. It may be a tad soft for some who like super crisp sound. I tend to like my banjo's with a tad warmer sound.
Sound Rating: 8
the banjo arrived to me from Missouri with a nice after market set up. I have no intentions of taking it in to get it tweaked at the moment.
Setup Rating: 9
Clean well constructed not a whole lot o frills. Just the way I like my banjos.
Appearance Rating: 8
I purchased the banjo with the knowledge that it had some finish issues high on the neck. The vaneer had cracked and I will undoubtedly have to get it refinished or a new entire neck. The tail piece looks cheap but it works. Otherwie a solid piece of machinery.
Reliability Rating: 8
Have no idea
Customer Service: not rated
Tail piece. The finish issues I am guessing is a isolated occurence.
Components Rating: 8
I am really pleased with the banjo. I haven't played in 20 years so I have some re learning to do but so far it is responding to my rusty fingers very well.
The same banjo in Canada is $900 + so I am jumping for joy at the price I got it for. Even with shipping I am ahead by $500.
If I had it stolen I would be pissed of course.
I gave the MB - 200 a whirl before I bought the 250 and there is no comparison. I am surprised that epiphone does not have a banjo between the 200 & 250. I wouldn't buy the 200 for my kids to play but the 250 is a quality instrument.
The only other banjo I played was a handmade beast that my brother owned. I have no idea what make it was as I was just a boneheaded teen that didn't care one way or other, I just loved to play. I have to say It was magical but the MB 250 still does not dissapoint.
Overall Rating: 9
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