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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: Jason Romero
Year Purchased: 2010
Price Paid: Don't Remember
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Romero #10219. I wanted a banjo that delivered some power when wanted, something that also gave a rich sound, not too bright or brittle. A banjo that was mostly for frailing but also useful for the occasional 'up-picking'. Jason certainly delivered exactly what I wanted. This banjo sounds wonderful - can be played really loud near the bridge, or as soft as you like over the scoop. I love it! Really rich tones, every note as clear as a bell. And she plays as sweet as anything capoed to double D, my favourite.
Sound Rating: 10
The action was set up just as I wanted it, realtively high, like my other banjos. But since this one has a scoop (none of my others do), I may try lowering the action with a shorter bridge, just as an experiment., but that's just my inclination to fiddle with things! The only adjustment I have made to this banjo, aside from tuning her up fresh out of the case, has been to tighten the head a mere fraction after a few days, not surprising given that its a new skin and has travelled half way round the world to my door.
Setup Rating: 10
I can honestly say the finish on this banjo was perfect. Very, very impressed with Jason's workmanship and attention to every detail which is the mark of a quality craftsman. The chechen rim has a gorgeous grain to it and the bookmatching of the 2 piece cherry neck is beautifully done. The ebony/maple purfling and chechen neck binding are beautifully executed as well, as are the ebeony/maple pinstripes under the peghead overlays. The cut and finish of the peghead is also wonderfully crisp. I wanted a 'presentation grade' inlay to celebrate many years working professionally with honeybees, something a little different to my normal 'plain Jane' banjos that I go for. Again, Jason and Pharis delivered something really special for me. The inlay is simply stunning, website photos cannot do any real justice to the detail and delicate shifting understated colours of the materials used.
Appearance Rating: 10
I have only had the banjo a few days, but the hardware looks and feels top quality, very robust, but also good looking. Should last for many years to come. The hard oiled finish of the woods is beautiful, its almost like polished marble! I have worked with woods since I was a youth, building furniture and also woodcarving in my spare time. I was always quite proud of the finishes I could achieve. But now I am really jealous. I wish I could get that sort of finish!
Reliability Rating: 10
This banjo comes with a lifetime warranty for the original owner, but obviously, being a new instrument I haven't had to test it. I can say though that both Jason and Pharis were a joy to work with on this project; you always feel like you are the only customer they are dealing with, even though you know they are busy with others. And they were always very keen to check details along the way to ensure you got exactly what you wanted with the instrument.
Customer Service: 10
Nothing cheap used with this banjo. All top quality woods and hardware with good quality Gotoh tuners that I have found to be excellent. so far with my limited use of them. Difficult to pick out a single 'standout feature' in a quality banjo in which everything is beautifully done!
Components Rating: 10
I waited 11 months from ordering for this banjo in the end but can honestly say it was worth every minute spent waiting and every penny that I spent on it. It is already very special to me for so many reasons. Would I buy another Romero? Well, I am already saving for that fretless I promised myself. If its a truely custom instrument you are wanting I can't think of a better banjo luthier to go to IMHO. Pity I can only give Jason 10 points in this review.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Eagle Music (UK)
Year Purchased: 2009
Price Paid: 180 (£)
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Bought this sight unseen as a travel banjo 6 months ago, just based on price and a couple of BHO reviews. Needed something in a hurry. Absolutely delighted wth the tone, much better than I thought it would be. Sweet and clear. Its on the bright end of the scale but certainly not tinny, harsh or brittle and better than some mid level banjos I have heard. I often find myself picking it up to noodle on in preference to other banjos. Sounds good in most tunings and great in double G. Good volume as well and good sustain.
Sound Rating: 9
I certainly did not have the experience that a previous reviewer had with a 2019G from Eagle. The banjo was well set up. It only needed a tuning tweak to start playing it straight out of the box. Good action, although a little lower than I am used to, but no string buzz. Just enough curve on the neck. And an excellent neck to pot fit. Head good and tight enough and evenly tensioned. Rim true - no distortion. Haven't made a single change to set up and don't intend to until its needed. All I have done is tighten the head a fraction a week or two ago and change strings to my preference.
Setup Rating: 9
Okay, this is a cheap lightweight, far eastern factory instrument, but the build and finish are pretty good for the money. Its an attracive plain blonde maple construction with a 1/2" laminated rim and a thin rolled brass tone ring. No blemishes to the woodware and the veneer work is quite well done. The neck is pretty thin and narrow but the wood grain seems straight and true so I don't think that will be a problem. The satin low lustre finish looks fine, not too thin, and actually makes for trouble free movement of the fretting hand. Rosewood fingerboard with basic fret dots. My only niggle was the fingerboard was very dry when the banjo arrived, but a few quick treatments with Fast Fret cured that. A plain and simple banjo.
Appearance Rating: 7
Too early to say about reliability of hardware. Its cheap and cheerful, that's for sure, but looks fine at a glance and so far has proved quite adequate and serviceable despite the banjo being hoiked backwards and forwards in longhaul aircraft holds over the last few months. The tuners are cheap guitar type, but have proved reliable so far and hold tunings well. The tailpiece is a cheap Waverley type but, again, seems to be quite adequate and robust eough for the job it has to do so far.
Reliability Rating: 6
I have dealt with Eagle Music on and off over the last 2 years. I have always found them to be prompt with deliveries and very approachable and helpful if you have a problem.
Customer Service: 10
I was surprised at the specs for this banjo given the price. Twin coordinator rods, adjustable truss rod, brass tone ring (albeit a little on the unsubstantial side). Plenty of scope for upgrading as with any cheap banjo but, to be honest there is little point until something goes wrong. The banjo is a good little player. The hardware parts are clearly 'economy' but look okay and have proved perfectly functional and adequate despite some rough baggage handling over the last few months! I haven't had to change a thing yet.
Components Rating: 7
I really enjoy playing this banjo. I would certainly recommend it as a travel or knockabout based on my experience with this one and would certainly replace it if it got lost or stolen. It would make a good starter instrument for someone who has set themselves a tight budget and could give the Deering Goodtime a run for its money (which tends to be overpriced in the UK, IMHO, and has lower specs).
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Mike Smith
After trying about 3 factory made bridges on my Gold Star GF100 I was a bit cynical about how much difference a decent bridge makes to my relatively untutored ear. Boy, couldn't have been more wrong. I bought an 11/16 regular ebony topped bridge from Mike because the current bridge was giving me some annoying string buzz. The Kateyz arrived in in a neat little plastic foam lined box all marked up with serial number and specs. Looked so good there it seemed a shame to take it out and use it. The craftmanship was obvious and the string slots crisp and clean which makes a real change. I then played a few tunes with the old bridge and repeated them again with Mike's. Absolute joy. No buzz. clear, richer tones from every string and even the 4th string (which had always seemed a little lacking something in my view) seemed to come alive. Fantastic. And the bridge looks really cool as well! Going to get another for my open back. This bridge was worth every penny and I have difficulty putting the banjo down now when I ought to be getting on with the chores cos I like the sound so much. Thanks Mike; if I could give the bridge 15/10 I would, but 10 will have to suffice.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Hillbillys, Wales UK
Year Purchased: 2007
Price Paid: 420 (£)
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Overall I am very pleased with the sound. It takes some getting used to being much more muted than a full bluegrass banjo, but its very pleasing. Mine sounded a littel muddy to start with so I experimented with head tension and string types and mixes. I have now returned to medium strings, but have changed the head from the clear Remo Ambassadour that came with it to a coated one of the same type. To my ears it sounds much clearer and I am very happy with it. Contentment! But its nice to get back to my Gold Star when I get the chance to play loud. Full marks to Tranjo design though and full marks as a practice banjo if you want to use something with a full size neck tuned to G. Ingenious. I can recommend it.
Sound Rating: 9
As this wasn't a full banjo I wasn't expecting it to come with all the set up requirements, but did expect it to come with a properly tensioned head. This one was very loose but easily adjusted to taste.
Setup Rating: 7
Personally I like the quirky look of the Goldtone Tranjo. I think it looks quite pleasing to the eye. It certainly attracts some attention from others. But I wasn't happy with the finish of this particular instument. I'd have packed it straight up and sent it back if I didn't need it for an imminent long business trip. The celluloid stained finish has what looks like a rag mark in it on the face of the intrument and there is an ugly dark patch where grain has risen to meet the surface but hasn't been properly sealed and sanded so stain has soaked in. To be honest the celuloid finish may be a good choice for toughness, but the way the stain is obviously incorporated into the finishing coats rather than pressure-applied beforehand means that the instrument shows up every slight dink and sratch as blonde. I think itwould have been better to leave the finish as natural. More vexing was the fact that I couldn't tune the damned thing without breaking strings until I discovered that 2 of the rollers were stuck fast and two others were fairly stiff on the spindle. I had to ease them off and use a piece of rolled Emery paper to sand them out until they would spin easily on the spindle. (And yes, the instrument was settled at room temperature/humidity for some hours before I tried to tune it). With a bit of graphite here and there she then tuned like a dream. I also discovered that the little wooden plate designed to hold the stings in place during transit just wouldn't hold the 5th string at all. It kept slipping out which meant yet another string change because it got kinked the first time I travelled with the instrument broken down. The other real frustrating niggle is that the truss rod hole is slightly off center. So threading the 2nd string can be a major headache because it always emerges into the truss rod hole and I have to fiddle about until I can find the other hole (hidden in the truss rod hole) so I can feed the string out over the nut. Not happy about that. But the parts are very well machined otherwise, to good tolerances. Excellent, and the neck is easy to attach and remove but with no sloppiness whatsoever. I was also impressed with the quality of the neck and fingerboard (apart from that slightly off-center truss rod!) which is an absolute pleasure to use.
Appearance Rating: 6
Well, there isn't much hardware to worry about on the Tranjo, but I was very impressed with the tuners Gold Tone have used. Smooth and no slip. They seem top quality to me, although being 16:1 ratio means its rather a wrist-aching exercise to restring without a guitar string winder. And it was surprisingly easier than I thought to string the tuners and do routine tuning - you just have to train your mind!
Reliability Rating: 10
I haven't dealt directly with Gold Tone, but I think I will write to them to give them a gentle nudge about watching the quality control at their factory. I wasn't expecting absolute perfection in a production model, but don't think this particualr Tranjo matches up to their obviously well earned reputation for producing quality finished instruments. As for Hillbillys, I found them to be very helpful and friendly on the phone and with a quick servcie, but I wasn't a 100% happy bunny. They very kindly threw in a gig bag for me, but it was far too long and bulky to be of use for a travel banjo. But what erked me was that I didn't get a manual, didn't get any Allen keys for head and truss rod adjustment, and didn't get a Tranjo strap or even an elastic capo (necessary to grip the strings to the neck when breaking the instrument apart for travel). Just the Tranjo. For the money I felt this was not a thoughtful service. The instrument also arrived with a minor but annoying dink on its trailing edge that wasn't obvious transit damage.
Customer Service: 5
Apart from that slightly off center truss rod hole (which may be a necessary part of the design??) and the sticky rollers I think this Gold Tone Tranjo is well machined and put together. The Gold Tone site mentions a bone nut, but my instrument appears to have a standard fret for a nut. I also wonder if polished steel rollers would be a better option than wooden ones. Smoother action? But maybe they would cause unnecessary buzz. But I do think that the channels, where the strings emerge through to the face of the instrument ready for running over the bridge, could be given more thought. The strings bite into the channels slightly following the wood grain and this must cause some unnecessary friction and added tension when tuning, although this isn't a major issue given the hardness of the maple used in construction.
Components Rating: 7
In the UK we pay top wack for any imported banjos what with import tax and value added tax, so probably tend to be more critical of value for money. That said I would certainly buy another Tranjo if mine got lost or stolen but I'd buy one directly from Mr Farris and pay the extra few bucks to have guaranteed quality straight from the designer. I am sure there are lots of very contented Gold Tone Tranjo owners out there, but I think my instrument escaped their quality control which is a pity. The design is remarkably clever and its perfect as a practice/travel instrument. Mine sits next to my armchair ready for noodling about on during odd free moments and has brought my confidence on in leaps and bounds. I probably use it more than my precious Gold Star GF100 which I tend to be more careful with (it stays in my 'practice' room out of harms way and domestic traffic!)
Overall Rating: 8
Where Purchased: Andy Banjos, UK
Year Purchased: 2007
Price Paid: 895 (£)
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I think this beasty sounds absolutely wonderful. It has a full, rich sound and really pumps out the volume if you want it too. Just the sort of sound I was looking for.
Sound Rating: 10
To be honest I'm a beginner, but the set up seems excellent to my untrained ear and eye (Andy Banjos). The action is set nice and low, without any string buzz which makes fingerwork relatively effortless (apart from trying to train my fingers to obey my brain, that is). All I had to do was set up the bridge (removed for travelling), using the tape guidelines Andy had put in and then I was up and away.
Setup Rating: 10
This is a beautiful looking banjo in my view. And not too fancy. The woodware is extremely well finished with a blemish-free laquer and the stain is a beautiful even colour with good match between the neck, rim and resonator. The two concentric purling inlays on the resonator are an attractive feature and neatly done, and the hand cut mother of pearl inlays on the finger board are crisp, smooth and flawless. A nice bit of embellishment without being overstated. The ebony finger board is pretty smooth as well.
Appearance Rating: 10
The finish on this instrument looks pretty good. The metal work is well plated and bright - no blemishes, thin or bare patches or tarnishing. No unsightly blemishes of any kind that I can find. Everything seems to fit as it should.
Reliability Rating: 10
Only just got hold of the instrument, but the service was excellent - prompt and helpful. Andy even insisted on playing my GF100 over the telphone for me to get an idea of the tones it was capable of! Not had to use him for service/repair yet, but he seems to come recommended. Haven't dealt directly with Saga.
Customer Service: not rated
Everything about this banjo seemed solid, and well made. The metal work was flawless as was the laquer finish to the woodwork and the inlays. Some components weren't originals, the bridge, head and tailpiece were not factory specs because Andy Banjos always upgrades these as part of the set up. It came fitted with an excellent 5 star head, 16mm custom bridge and a Kirschner tailpiece. The one thing that spoils the GF100 in my view (a minor irritation and not a major flaw, incidentally) are the perloid buttons on the tuner pegs. Okay at first glance but they look a bit cheap on closer inspection; spoil an otherwise good looking instrument. I'll look around for some bone ones when I get round to it. I think they would be more in keeping. The perloid ones are a bit like adding fluffy dice to the rear view mirror of a Rolls Royce.
Components Rating: 9
I love this banjo and would certainly recommend it. Its quality, wrapped in a good price as far as I am concerned. I wanted a good banjo to begin learning. I looked at loads of entry level and intermediate banjos, but this was worth paying the extra few quid for. I learnt the hard way years ago when I played the French Horn that a quality instrument makes all the difference to motivation and enjoyment; even the drudge parts of practicing (scales, correct pitch and the like) were so much more pleasurable to tackle. If my Gold Star was stolen I wouldn't buy another one - I'd hunt the pilfering beggar down, make sure his legs bent in different directions then recover my 'Eryca'. She's family.
Overall Rating: 10
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