Oscar SchmidtOB5-O-U 5-String Banjo

First off, this banjo (The OB5) is well worth every penny. But I could not give it 5 stars for one simple reason which I will get to in a second.The picture of this banjo looks amazing, in real life, its better. Simply a beautiful instrument. The materials used seem to be of a real good quality. It feels strong and durable in your hands. Nothing about it feels cheap, nothing. The sound is crisp and clear, the tuners do lose tone rather quickly, but that is to be expected for the price and didn't compel me to drop a star because if it.The resonator, which is the entire wooden backing is removable. It is real simple to remove, 4 screws. One of the screws is real close to a metal piece which makes it kind of a pain but it is only the one screw like that.When I got the banjo in the mail (UPS) the box had a bit of damage but no damage to the instrument which is packed in another box inside the big box with plenty of padding. And quickly I noticed something missing. They forgot to pack the bridge, which is the wooden thing in the middle of the white part that supports the strings, it is unplayable without it. I called customer service and within minutes they gave me the choice of sending it back to have it repaired or they would give me a 20% discount which I took. I went to my local music shop and bought a bridge for $14. Now I have it all tuned and I can't imagine paying for a more expensive banjo. This thing is amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone.

I bought this banjo back in 2011 with intention of playing it, and it sat around being strummed and picked once every few weeks. Then, in 2013, I finally made time to play the thing and learn it. And learn on it, I very well did. And I've enjoyed just about every minute with it.Pros:- solid, well-made banjo with high quality strings (if not a bit rough on the fingers at first, but you'll get used to it) and great look and color- has a good, boastful sound to it (not as airy as an open back banjo which to me sounds better for clawhammer style) and is great for 3-finger picking (but obviously can stand up to use with other styles just fine)Cons:- tad heavy, and glossy finish (while great looking) makes the sucker slide off your lap easily. Get a strap.- have to get it bridged either by yourself (just Google it) or take it to a local music shop where they'll do it (the shopkeep did it for me for free since I spent $5 on some nickel finger picks to play with)- goes out of tune relatively quickly (not harshly out of tune, but noticeably enough). Sure, that's a factor of playing the banjo, but I feel like I tune it just about every time I play (but I'm also really picky about sound)Overall, the banjo is really great. The cons are really nitpicky in the scheme of things, and this is a great banjo for the price. I also got it as low as $180 on sale, and as you can see the price is currently a little higher.My next banjo will be an openback Deerfield (more expensive, but a more homemade feel), but for now (the next year or so), this is the banjo I'll have at my side. And if you're looking to get into plucking and strumming yourself, this is a great pick.

I got a wild hair that I should learn an instrument, and for whatever reason (maybe the beard?) decided to make it the banjo. I did a little research, looked around, and weighed the prices. I settled on the Oscar Schmidt OB5, and I've been very happy with it. The packaging it arrived in was great, there was absolutely no damage to any of the boxes, and it was basically a padded box inside a padded box, so I felt confident that it hadn't been damaged before getting to me.Once it did arrive, I had to place the bridge of course, which I did a horrible job of the first time, but that's my fault, not the banjo's. I got it tuned up pretty close within about 15 minutes, and was able to make notes that sounded exactly like a banjo should! After much more time practicing and tuning, I did get it tuned about as perfectly as a novice like myself would need for now, and once the strings had stretched it does a great job staying in tune. I would definitely recommend picking up an extra set of strings if this is your first time on a banjo, because it's almost a guarantee that you will break a string while tuning it if you don't know what you're doing (I did anyways and was glad to have the strings on hand without having to wait for them to arrive)Overall, the quality seems great, it does everything that I as a novice banjo player need, and I can't imagine myself needing anything "better" for a long time.

I will preface this review by saying I'm a fairly patient person. Some people might be less forgiving of delays.Before ordering I saw other's reviews saying they had received a somehow damaged product. However, I figured never before had I received a damaged product when ordering from amazon, so I plunged ahead. Unfortunately my lucky streak would be ended.Banjo 1: This one was actually playable out of the box. The bridge was already installed, contrary to what others have said. Unfortunately there were two long cracks running down the neck. So I requested a replacement, which is actually a fairly simple process. They send you a new one before you even send the old one back.Banjo 2: I figured lightning couldn't strike twice and everything would be a-ok on this banjo. But once again there were two long cracks running down the neck. So, once again I requested a replacement.Banjo 3: This one had to in pristine condition or I was going to call the whole thing off. Thankfully, (as the title would suggest) the third time was the charm. Although this one was not playable right out of the box, I didn't really mind. It had no flaws or cracks and once I got everything set up sounds fantastic.From reading other's reviews this is a good way to go for a starter banjo that still sounds decent. Overall I'm happy with the purchase, even if it took a few tries. Lost a star for each time a damaged banjo was sent.

Wouldn't now a good banjo from a bad one. But I love this beasty. Easy to set up and play and holds its tuning.The missus hates it.

bon banjo pour débutant sonne bien seul bemolle il faut souvent retoucher l'accordage mais bon pour le moment ça va mais comme il est garantie a vie......sauf si vous le tombé il est arrivé avec un simple emballage carton en forme de guitare pour moi insuffisant mais heureusement sans dégâts...... faut penser que les instrument ont besoin d'un deuxième carton rectangulaire avec rembourrageme revoilà pour compléter le commentaire ce banjo est pour débutant il sonne faux ...a la corde de sol surtout en plaçant un accord de SIm (pas le bourdon) l'autre sol impossible de l’accorder correctement il n'est pas juste même en déplaçant le chevaletje ne suis pas un pro mais j'ai quand même la je fait quoi???? il faudra que je voie un luthier spécialiste banjo?faut plus faire travailler le chinois il ne contrôlent rien.....

Absolutely love this banjo. Sounds beautiful and is high quality.