6 String Banjo Guitar with Closed Back Resonator and 24 Brackets

My first banjo, so it took a while to get it setup how I like it and this is a fantastic little instrument! The setup is involved in the grooves on the bridge piece and positioning it on the snare head. Plenty of videos to show you how to do this on regular banjos. There is no learning curve other than setup for guitarists if you play in standard tuning (EADGBE). The action was a bit high, but when I grooved the bridge deeper (the low E kept popping off under tension) with a file, it has lowered it to where it is comfortable. Most of the stuff you are going to play is under the 12th fret, and it sounds great for playing fast picked chords. If you want to emulate the sound of a real banjo, then use the Open G tuning (DGDGBD) and the only difference is that the low G (5th String) is an octave lower than on a banjo. The head on this is a Remo and the brackets are well put together and not cheap pot metal. The tuners are smooth and the frets are comfortable, though I always prefer larger jumbo or extra jumbo frets, but most acoustic instruments are low to medium and this is in that range. The volume is exceptional and the tone sounds great for a lead sound cutting through the mix in a song. Having played several banjos in the music store that cost considerably more than this, it sounds as good or better to my ears. If you enjoy open chord fingerpicking or playing fast picked licks, this is a great instrument. Bluesy sounds and power chords are not going to sound very good though. I love this instrument for Irish/Scottish tunes! This instrument is a spectacular deal and is very well made with a solid wood back and quality metal brackets.

Love it, having a lot of fun with it....Whish it could have been electric. Great banjo sound...Need instruction on how to adjust tension on resonator... Good price for quality....

Just wish it had pegs installed for a strap, otherwise a very nice instrument…

Ok so this is not a Deering or a Gold Tone. It does not come set up from the factory and chances are the banjo head (drum head) will not have the appropriate tension and if you tune it up without making any adjustments, when you try to play it (especially the lower strings) it will sound dull and lifeless. If you know how, set it up as a banjo first, then put a set of GHS six string Banjo strings on it, properly mensurate the bridge, and also properly adjust the tailpiece. Doing all of this, you can get some very nice tones out of this instrument. The 1 3/4” wide nut makes this just awesome for fingerpicking and it’s a lot of fun to play but it may seem too wide for some. It is however not a 5 string banjo. Even with perfect set up and playing with finger picks you will not sound like Earl Scruggs or J.D. Crowe. You can get “banjo like” tones out of the treble strings and it certainly does very well for Irish ballads or for diversifying your sound; but if you are buying this to play bluegrass banjo you will not get the “authentic” sound you’re likely expecting. I play 5 string banjo as well and although this is a great instrument it’s not the same. If you really want that sound and feel, get a 5 string banjo and one of Geoff Hohwald’s books to learn from and practice! This banjo is a great value and it plays and sounds great once it’s set up. I really like it and I play the hell out of it. But if you’re not prepared to set it up or to pay someone to do it for you, this is likely not for you.

I “play” guitar, and I’m using that term loosely! I love the banjo sound, but was not interested in learning the new chord patterns of a 5 string. This is the best quality / price point I have seen. On the plus side: the price, it does have a resonator, came packaged well, the finish looks impressive, action was surprisingly low, intonation was pretty close, Remo head, comes with tools for head adjustment (good thing too, I’ll explain) and Allen key. What kept me from 5 stars? There wasn’t very much. You will likely want to get this set up by someone who knows what they are doing. When I tuned it up, I noticed the bridge was tilting towards the headstock. I pulled off the resonator and checked the torque on the brackets. One bracket bolt was very very loose, I tightened it up and did a gradual tighting around the head of the others. This brought the bridge almost perfect. The only thing I noticed was slight imperfections in the wood on the face of the headstock.