Overall Comments

After reading all I could find concerning mutes, and being dissatisfied with what I had already bought, I decided to purchase Mikes Mute. It is WONDERFUL!! Very easy to install/remove, very well made, and produces the most pleasing sound. If interested in muting the banjo sound, don't buy a $20 mute, go for the best .... a mute from Mike!

Overall Rating

10

Sound

This is my first banjo, so I don't have anything to compare it to. I do hear that the sound gets "fuller" and louder as you move from the bridge towards the neck and is at its best (in my inexperienced ears) in the scoop. Will be using this for two finger style and clawhammer/frailing.

Sound Rating

8

Appearance

This is a pretty "plain Jane" instrument. A couple of small finish flaws; not real noticeable. Couple of pin sized imperfections on the fretboard; nothing to impact playablility. Frets dressed nicely. Binding on neck/fretboard done well - have to really look to see that it is there. Mine has a flat black headstock and heel which blends nicely into the brown on the neck. Can overlook the star and name on the headstock. Quality of plating on hooks could be better. Rim is to be 1/2 inch, but it really measures 3/8 inch. A couple of the J hooks were very slightly misaligned, as was the tailpiece, but this is a very minor issue and easily fixed. I am rating this a "6" because I have seen pictures of high end banjos and this is not up to that level of quality

Appearance Rating

6

Customer Service

Have not had to deal with Gold Tone

Customer Service

5

Overall Comments

This is a first impression, as I am new to the banjo. May update the review after I have had the OT for awhile I know this is a beginner's banjo and not a high end instrument, but it appears that this instrument will meet my needs. Upper end ($-wise) beginner banjos seem rather "pricey" compared to other beginner instruments. This is my first, and probably only, banjo and I think I made a good choice. Padding on gig bag is very thin -- more of a dust cover than a bag to use for traveling. Had a good experience working with Banjo.com on this purchase. And they threw in a $15 tuner for free in the deal. And good job, Gold Tone.

Overall Rating

8

Overall Comments

I just want to add my $.02 to praise Steve's bridges, and then a whole lot more to praise Steve himself as a craftsman and a banjo guy (whatever that may be, I mean it in the best possible way.)

I'm fortunate to live in Maine, so it was a pleasant trip up to Port Clyde with my recently purchased Vega ST-5. The instrument is still new to me, and I'm really liking it as I get used to it, but there were some minor intonation quirks up the neck that seemed to indicate a compensated bridge. Because we had the instrument at hand; and I wanted to add a little height over the existing bridge (which was, I think, OEM,) Steve ended up making a custom bridge from an existing blank which he had prepared previously, essentially on the spot.

Works just fine. Intonation up the neck is just right, and the tone has more clarity and sparkle; which is what I love in a banjo.

And the bonus at the end of the process was that Steve pulled out his Gibson-based 5 string, which Jim Cox had modified some years ago, and played some great tunes... Altogether a great banjo day in Maine for Bob...

But back to the bridge. Steve's bridge solved my tuning problem and it made my banjo sound better, so what better outcome could I have had?

Talk or write to Steve, and he can probably do the same for your instrument, too.

Overall Rating

10

Sound

Colin and I talked a lot about what I wanted it to sound like, and he nailed it. I wanted a banjo that would be a great for bluegrass, but would have darker, more guitar-y tones available. The maple and Honduran rosewood combo we decided upon is exactly what I was hoping for. The tone ring arrangement is a kind of a hybrid, with a rosewood ring under the Kulesh 20-hole. It sounds amazing!

I play a lot of melodic fiddle tunes, single string stuff, and Scruggsy things, and everything is so easy on this banjo it is ridiculous. Every note on the neck feels dynamic, and has such a wide tonal range, it feels like anything is possible, dark jazz licks, funky blues bends, tinkly bell tones, woody marimba sounds, cracking bluegrass tone...

All the components are fit together so well, you can feel every note, high and low, making the whole resonator vibrate. It feels so much more musical and responsive than any banjo I've ever owned.

Sound Rating

10

Appearance

This banjo was intentionally left pretty simple. I wanted a clean fingerboard, no dots, and the piece of rosewood he chose is simple and nice. I was told it was selected for its tonal properties over figure. The side dots are easy enough to see in the dark binding. The neck and resonator are both maple, with a dark stain and a built up oil finish. Its been turning heads everywhere I go. The peghead has ebony veneers, front and back, and lacquer, and he did an inlay of an Amanita lanei that turned out really nice. There's a beautiful piece of shell for my truss rod cover as well. Did I mention the matching rosewood armrest, that mounts directly to the tension hoop? Custom deco-style peghead?

Appearance Rating

not rated

Customer Service

Colin was pretty amazingly spot on with everything I asked for in this instrument, I got very specific and I got exactly what I asked for.

Customer Service

10

Overall Comments

I haven't had this much fun playing the banjo in a long time. I'm going to go play it right now.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I receive Mike's mute and used it for the first time and was able to practice in the upstairs without the door closed. my wife thought it was closed.

works well and is easy to use

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I contacted Randall through Banjo Hangout about a new rim for my 1978 Ibanez Artist 5-string. The original rim was a maple multy-ply that lacked clarity in the upper registers. After discussing the different options, we decided on a Euro Beech Rim. Randall offers a 7 day trial period on his rims before billing. This is an almost unheard of garauntee in today's "All salesare final!" world. Randall also had testimonials from several other players who were using his rims and invited me to contact them with their permission! I sent my rim,tone ring and tube (yes, 2-piece flanges are not a problem!!!). Randall kept me advised via e-mail of each step. My old rim was out of round, but he mathmatically calculated the compensation and within a week, I had my new rim. Randall matched the stain color and put a light shellac coat on so the wood still "breathes": a feature I've come to appreciate more fully each day since I put it back together!
My total investment: $225.00 and a friend for life!
I didn't need 7 days to know I had a winner; this thing is a tone monster! It retained it's volume, but it's now "warmer" and expressive and clarity to spare!
If a new rim can make a change like this in an entry level instrument like an Ibanez, imagine what it could do for something like a "tired" RB 250!

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

While I was having Randall build a rim for my Ibanez, I was borrowing a Stelling Staghorn from a friend/bandmate. The first rehearsal back with the Ibanez was met with great enthusiasm! As we were packing up at the end, my friend put his Stelling back in it's case and handed to me and said "I want you to get me a new rim too!"
DISCLAIMER: I know there are a lot of purests out there who are going "AAAGGHH!...You don't do that to a Stelling!...It's, it's like painting a beard on the "Mona Lisa"!"
But, If you had been contemplating a "lost timber rim" for years because the instrument did not seem "warm" to you , and you loved the banjo otherwise; wouldn't this be a good investment?
I contacted Randall to set up the next rim purchace. We decided to try a birch rim on the Stelling. Randall kept me in the loop at each step, just like before! The new birch rim arrived with matching stain and light coat of shellac. It was demensionally identical to the original Stelling rim. For the un-initiated, a Stelling rim and tone ring is different from a "Gibson-style pot"...It's not a direct swap! Randall did a beautiful job and the banjo went back together with no problems!
Another homerun in the tone department; the birch rim as given the Stelling a warmer tone without sacrificing any volume or clarity! I played the banjo for a couple of days before giving it back (just to be sure!...heh heh)...My friend was equally enamored! He didn't need 7 days to decide, either!
When I get around to building my dream banjo; I'm thinking birch rim and a no-hole tone ring (It's that good!) and Randall will be part of that too! Thank-you Randall!

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

i bought this dyed head from banjoseen.com because all the information i found made mounting a hide head seem difficult. I mailed the head to the builder to for installation. A professional banjo builder had a heck of a time getting it on. once it was on a hole developed- it ripped when it dried. Bill Miller will not respond to emails. His heads are crap and his customer service is worse. Just mount your own head. I used 6gauge copper wire as a flesh hoop (it bends very easy). i dyed my head with dark wood stain. It turned out awesome. This was my first hide head installation and i could not be happier. There is no need to buy a pre-mounted head. The neck comes off and back on easy as pie. Anybody can mount a calf hide head with ease.

Overall Rating

1

Overall Comments

mount your own head- it is easy as pie. Bill miller will not respond to emails and his head are crap. im out 50 bucks. i refuse to even by a flesh hoop from him because i needed one and just used 6 gauge copper wire.. worked fine. anybody can mount a hide head. youtube and a bit of patience..

Overall Rating

1

Overall Comments

Pete Langdell the maker of Rigel Mandolins and Basses, is a great master Luthier. Their is not a lot of folks to work on banjos in my area (Northwest Vermont). But Pete, is a very skilled at his craft and is a true gentleman. If you need a luthier in Northern NY or Vermont, you should consider Pete. He's not cheap but the work he does is of the highest quality. If you need any work done on any string instrument you should call. (802) 644-2233

Pete took a 70's era Japanese banjo and made a power house out of it. Pete put on a new rim, 2 piece flange and tone ring for me. He also fixed the neck by adding some wood, and correcting how the neck attaches to the pot assembly. The old neck had only 1 lag screw and the bottom was a set screw. Pete filled all the wood and re drilled and put in proper coordinating rods and lags.

After many small changes, and taking the banjo apart many times to get it just right, he hit it out of the park. He did a great final set-up. I could not be any happier with the work I had done.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

This is the 2nd bridge I have purchased from Mike. It has an African Blackwood top. This bridge is soooooo close to my Submerged Maple Kat Eyz and they are BOTH superb.
Both bridges give great power, vibration through the entire Banjo, and a clean crisp SIZZLE.
Of course, my 1988 Stelling is a great Banjo, but Mike's bridges are simply amazing. Top, top product.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Just a few days ago I received my new copy of "Play it Like Perry"...i.e. Perry Bechtel from Dave Frey... This is a superb tenor banjo book with music, copies of Perry's original music sheets, chord diagrams and history on each tune. It is great paper and spiral bound. I don't think I've ever seen a music folio nearly this well done in my decades of playing tenor banjo.. There are numerous tunes...some are fairly straight forward and some are challenging even for a slightly advanced student. I highly recommend it and one can check it out, along with other books from Dave at www.ultimatebanjo.com

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Emailed Wednesday morning to see if the banjo I wanted was in stock. Got an email later that morning saying it was. Made the buy Wednesday evening. Banjo was in the mail Thursday afternoon and arrived in the Midwest by Monday. Banjo set up nicely and took only a few minutes to tune up. Fair price, great communication, great service. I''m a happy customer.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I deliberated over this bridge only a couple of days, even though it's the most expensive bridge I've purchased. Like a lot of banjo players with access to the internet at work (uhhh), I've read a fair amount about how different bridges can affect tone. The philosophy behind this bridge jives with everything I've read.

To sum it up:
It is by far the best bridge I've yet to put on any of my banjos (and I've got some nice ones now). It's compensated. It makes a complete connection between all the strings and the head of the banjo. It's vertically laminated, which is a totally new fancy feature that was previously unknown to me (and may explain why it sounds so much better than any of the other bridges I've tried out).

It is absolutely beautiful. Both in appearance and sound. It is a work of art in every way. It is perfect. I could not be happier.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Very pleased with the purchase and customer support. I received an email confirmation of my purchase from Mike and the mute arrived within a few days of order as promised. Mike was very helpful with several email replies as I was asking about bridge replacement issues also. The mute is simple to install and makes my banjo sound nice and mellow but still clear. It is easy to listen to conversations while playing and the family doesn't leave the room when I want to play. Highly recommended.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Add another 10 to the list. I am no longer banished to the basement when my 17 month old is sleeping. I play an old lark lbj-25 and mikes banjo mute makes it sound wonderful, just quiet. My hammer-ons and pull offs dont loose anything either. I'd recommend this to anyone.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

My 2nd Steve Davis bridge arrived last Wednesday or Thursday and it fit my old, no-name open back with Aguila Nylgut strings very well! I did have to file the slot a bit for several of the strings, but that was easy. I like the bird's eye maple and will order it again if I go for a 3rd bridge...but I will probably add the ebony top. Steve's $30 price tag is high when you're comparing a Davis bridge to some of the other handmade bridges available from other Hangout members. But if you like his design and the robust construction, coupled with very nice woods, I suggest you take the plunge. Steve is easy to work with via e-mail and his "try before you buy" policy is a plus. I like his design very much. It's artistic, unique, and very sturdy. The form and function work well together. I rate his bridges a "9" just because I think the price is a tad high...I'd like to see them sold for $28. But $2 won't keep me from buying again if I want a 3rd Steve Davis! Very nice bridges!

Overall Rating

9

Overall Comments

I received an email from Mike the same day thanking me for the purchase and giving me a ship date. The mute was shipped promptly and I'm very happy with it. I've had a number of mutes in the past for both my 4 string and 5 string and I like this mute far and away above the rest. It attaches quickly and easily, it's well made, and it mutes the banjo nicely for those times I want to pick it up after my 4 year old has gone to bed (in the next room). Kudos to Mike. I am going to order a second 5 string mute and for a friend and a 4 string mute for myself.

Overall Rating

10

Sound

I have been looking for the right TT. When this showed up in the classifieds, I was excited. I was looking for a "blank'" slate banjo with alterations or modifications. This was perfect. This was a "new" banjo stored for 7 years unregistered.

Sound Rating

10

Appearance

I wanted a Walnut banjo. This model was perfect. Not one scratch or rub mark anywhere as this had been well preserved. I am well satisfied.

Appearance Rating

10

Customer Service

Since registering with Gibson, I did email and got a very fast response. Although, I am not certain the status of support given Gibson's dropping the RB-XX line from their lineup.

Customer Service

5

Overall Comments

I was excited about this banjo. To have a TT and clean is a good experience.

Overall Rating

10

Sound

The sound suits my clawhammer playing. It has a Whyte Laydie tone ring and I would describe the sound as clear, it rings and it clucks.

Sound Rating

8

Appearance

Understated good design, I think it looks great. It has a maple pot and neck. The fingerboard has star inlays, which are very neat. One unique feature that I like is the inlaid rosewood truss rod cover. The tuners are geared planetary, very smooth.

Appearance Rating

10

Customer Service

I'm happy to recommend Reidys they're effecient and polite. They set the banjo up to my liking for no extra cost and delivered it when they said they would. One of the staff is a banjo player.

Customer Service

10

Overall Comments

For a banjo at this price I'm delighted. The fit and finish are excellent and it's been put together with some care. It's great fun to play and I hope to keep it forever.

Overall Rating

10