Jameson Guitars 5-String Banjo 24 Bracket with Closed Solid Back and Geared 5th Tuner

I was in the market for a beginner banjo, and really didn't know where to start. In the interests of full disclosure, I am a veteran guitar player. I used to play banjo many, many years ago, but I played it like a guitarist. This time around, I wanted to learn to play it as a banjoist, as it should be played, so for all intents and purposes I am a beginner. I don't know anyone who plays banjo, so I couldn't get any recommendations from friends or family. After considerable Internet research - a lot of which involved checking out Amazon reviews - I settled on this Jameson instrument. Many of the "name" brands in the music stores seem to start in the $250 range and go right up to the $700s and $800s, and I even saw some over $1,000. Even the $250 range was beyond my budget. In Amazon (rather than the music stores) there were instruments within my budget in the $150 - $200 range, but none of the names was familiar to me. Then again, I admit, I don't know enough about the banjo world to really know the names. Anyway, to make a long story short, I am really glad I decided on this instrument. It is a beautiful piece of workmanship, really attractive and nicely put together, and it sounds great. During my research, I had seen several reviews of other brands where people had said not to expect your banjo to arrive ready to play. You would have to install the bridge, the strings and so on. Not so with this Jameson - it arrived nicely packed and ready to play. It only needed minor tuning, which is of course understandable (for which I recommend the Snark SN-5 Tuner for Guitar, Bass and Violin , which works fine for banjo even though they don't mention that). It even included a tuning and chord chart. Note that this instrument has a (removable) resonator back, which is a bonus in this price range, since a resonator back usually hikes up the price. Another nice bonus is that Jameson provides free basic lessons on their website ([...], which links to [...]). I noticed that in the questions above, one answer said it was made in USA. However, mine was made in China. This is not an issue for me and shouldn't be for you (unless you are of the "buy-only-American" persuasion); it's a beautiful instrument regardless of where it was made. All in all, I highly recommend this banjo, especially (but not only) for beginners. It is an excellent value for a really fine instrument. Five stars without any reservations!

I have no talent at all when it comes to musical instruments. Heck, I can barely play a radio much less a banjo... but I have always wanted to learn. I am 51 now and figured it was time to learn so I did a little research and decided on this banjo. I chose this one because it was inexpensive and had good reviews and if it turned out I couldn't learn to play it, I would have no trouble selling it on Craigslist. I did get a digital tuner and you should get one, too. It made tuning quite easy. The only issue I had was the 5th string would not tune to G and I had to restring that 5th string so I could tighten it enough to reach G. I notified the manufacturer of my issue just in case it was a quality control problem and not just a fluke, and they sent me a full set of new strings for my troubles. It will be many years before I will need those extra strings. I am completely new to musical instruments. I cannot read music, I do not know any chords or tabs... I am the poster child for banjo noobery. I see noobery is not a word, but the kids these days would call me a "nub" or "newb". I have been practicing for about 2 weeks on my own with videos I watch on YouTube. I am very pleased with my progress and can actually play a 3-2-5-1 and 3-2-5-1-4-2-5-1 roll at a pace where it almost sounds like actual music. I can even play a beginners version of Amazing Grace! All that being said, I am very pleased with the banjo and how it sounds. It is a great looking and great sounding beginners banjo and I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn to play. Maybe in about 5 years I will move up to a more expensive model if my skill improves to that point. My goal is to be able to play gospel songs at church.

I had no experience playing a banjo and was looking for something inexpensive to give it a go, in the hopes that I could eventually play some old-time mountain music with my wife. I had gone to my local music stores and played around with some of the inexpensive banjos ($200 or less) and just wasn't impressed with the sound or the quality of any of them. I found this banjo on Amazon, read the reviews, and decided to take a chance. I've had the banjo for a few months now, and I couldn't be happier. (This review will be in the context of a $150 instrument. Obviously if you compare this banjo to a $750 Deering, this banjo might not be quite as impressive. Or maybe it would. It's awesome.) The banjo arrived undamaged and packed safely. I had to tighten up the arm guard, and also file down a sharp bur on the arm guard before playing, but other than that the instrument was strung up with the bridge placed correctly and completely ready to play after some tuning. As far as looks go, the banjo is beautiful. It may lack some of the frilly details of pricier banjos, but honestly, who cares? My wife is a professional musician and we own a large array of stringed instruments (guitars, mandolins, violins) ranging from cheapies to professional grade. We were completely impressed with the construction quality of this thing. If you've ever purchased a cheap guitar you know they usually have several annoying qualities; common ones being insanely high action and terrible finish where the frets meet the neck of the instrument. I had noticed those same flaws on the cheap banjos I tried in the stores and expected that this banjo would be no different. I'm happy to report that's not the case. The action is nice and low, but not so low that the strings buzz when you aren't fretting a string. There is also an adjustable truss-rod that allows you to adjust the action to your liking. The frets themselves are absolutely flush with the neck of the banjo as well, so you don't feel the frets protruding from the edge of the fretboard as you slide your hand up and down the neck. The tuner pegs are geared and have plastic pearlescent knobs. The knobs look somewhat cheap, but you can apparently replace those if you are so inclined (I think they look fine). The geared tuners are attached to the head of the banjo by hardware that has some pretty scrolling on the metal, which looks really nice. The fretboard itself has pearl-inlay dots, which aren't as fancy as more expensive banjos, but again, no big deal. The head is Remo Weatherking, and not some bush-league brand, so that's cool. The pot of the banjo is made completely of wood, not plastic, and is generally free of superficial defects and looks very pretty. The resonator also looks great, and seems to be a wood veneer over a wood composite, and as a result feels pretty light (perhaps a minus for some). The resonator is also removable and can be taken off and replaced quickly using some thumb screws, or more permanently removed by removing the hardware that the thumb-screws attach to. The rest of the hardware, like the hooks, the strap rings, and the arm guard, are shiny chrome and look great. Okay, so the banjo looks awesome but how does it sound? It sounds great! It's nice and loud, with a really bright banjo tone. I chose to remove the resonator because I am learning clawhammer/frailing style playing; traditionally played on an open-back banjo. That said, my buddy plays Scruggs/bluegrass style banjo, and he made this thing sing with his finger picks andh the resonator on. So either way, clawhammer or bluegrass style, this banjo sounds great. So there it is. This banjo is simply great for the price. I'll post some pictures to illustrate some of the points I made in the review.

Is this a good banjo? Yes. If you want a banjo that looks sharp, sounds decent, and can be thrown in the back of a truck for a campfire without worrying about it too much, this is perfect for that. HOWEVER, if you’re looking for a good first banjo to learn on, you should pay a little extra and get a Gold Tone AC-1. This is okay to learn on but the AC-1 is much lighter and more “playable” right out of the box, and as somebody who has owned both, I wish I had just gotten an AC-1 from the beginning. It is worth the money.

I'm a complete beginner who decided on a whim that I should learn to play bluegrass banjo. I got this banjo five days ago, have played it every day, and just love it so far. It has a nice sound and seems to stay in tune well. It doesn't look or feel like a cheap instrument. It's substantial with a nice finish, classy enough to leave out in my living room as part of a particular kind of decor. It also arrived securely packaged, which is lucky -- the outer box it came in looked like it had had a difficult journey, but the banjo itself was in fine shape. Of course, after five days I can't speak to its durability, but honestly I feel like for the price of a few evenings out in the city this banjo is well worth it as a way to get a feel for the instrument. If I play it enough that it breaks, I'll know I can justify an upgrade. UPDATE: I happily played this banjo every day for about three months before I got antsy and bought a fancier one (Recording King RK-20 Songster). Now that I have a point of comparison, I can say that the RK, which includes a tone ring, has a lovely, loud, ringing sound, with a richness the Jameson lacks. The RK is clearly a nicer instrument, and it's my new favorite. But you know what? I still play and love the Jameson too. It continues to stay in tune really well and sound good. And it's lighter than the RK, so easier to travel with or just take out to pick on the patio. In sum, you can get more banjo for more money, and it might make sense to do that if you're ready to commit. But I still think this banjo is a great deal for the price, and having two banjos rules, so even after upgrading I plan to get good use out of it.

I have to add my voice to the others praising this banjo. Of course, this is just a first impression. Things like instruments will either live up to the initial rush or not. This banjo arrived pretty much set up perfectly except for tuning, which I did not expect anyway. Out of the box it took about five minutes to tune (using a Snark, which I recommend) and since I am not a beginner (or a professional) I was able to pick out a tune almost immediately. All strings will take a while to settle in, and this is no exception. But after an initial "break in" period, it seems to hold tune well. Intonation up the neck is good as well. This has been a bane of my experience with inexpensive banjos. Glad to see it doesn't seem to be an issue here. I would recommend this banjo to anyone just starting out, or who wants to add a banjo "voice" to an existing repertoire without having to invest in a five hundred and up banjo. The geared fifth string works well and I am glad to have it, having dealt with friction tuners in the past. I'll be back to update this as I experience this instrument more. UPDATE: It's eight months or so later. I still like this banjo and I'm learning a lot. I'm also learning that better banjos ARE worth the money. I played a really pricey banjo (an ODE) and wow, is there ever a difference. So, this one is good to learn on, but if you have a chance to play a really good banjo, that may spoil ya. UPDATE: I still think this banjo is excellent, although I wouldn't put light gauge strings on it. I did put some LGS on it and it changed the tone completely. Light gauge also tended to buzz as well. I'll be going back to medium gauge, which is what I'm sure the banjo came with, they just felt more substantial. Of course LGS will be easier to "choke" and bend, but you'll pay in terms of tone and that buzzing. Anyway, the banjo is fine. But I'm getting the itch for a more upscale one already. UPDATE: As I expected I have outgrown this (I was guitar player for many years, finger-picking so the rolls came more easily it seems. I'm no prodigy by any means, but I've advanced to intermediate more quickly than some) and am buying a Huber Workhorse or equivalent soon. I will relegate this banjo to the "clawhammer" style that I'm going to tackle next. Oh, one thing. This banjo DOES NOT have a tone ring so it will NEVER sound as good as a banjo with one, unless you like a duller sound. (Some people do, for clawhammer and the like.) FURTHER UPDATE: Forget what I said about a duller sound for clawhammer. That was foolish. Get a decent banjo for both. I still stand by this as a good beginner banjo, but if you have a real love for the banjo you'll quickly outgrow it.

Liked: * High-quality look (beautiful polished wood back and neck) * Good sound * Holds tuning well * Lowest priced, best value real banjo on Internet and in stores * Shipped by UPS with no damage, arrived in perfect condition from several states away * 5-stringed (don't get the 4 string, because eventually you'll want the 5 string anyways, and it's easy enough to play it as if it were a 4-string without the high drone 5th string because it's set slightly lower than the plane of the other four) * Resonator or closed-back design is louder, better than open-backed banjos, very loud, strong sound * I found it straightforward to learn basic skills with my guitar background(it's string tunings and configuration are different, but techniques are similar) * Not too heavy (some banjos I've picked up felt like a sack of bricks) * Comes with chord chart printed on a piece of paper, a tuning guide with a piano for reference (for most common G-tuning or gDGBD), a diagram of the banjo parts, and a little tool * Neck and string spacing is not to narrow, it's standard Disliked: * Some frets may be a slightly off (I tuned it, but fretting the 5th fret produces a noticeably sharp note that my tuner confirms), or perhaps the bridge is misplaced by a millimeter or two on mine, but I'm not experienced enough to precisely place it for accurate notes-playing all the way up the neck. However, this is not a big deal as you only notice if you have a good ear for pitches, and for the price it's to be expected. * The tuning peg for the highest drone string that's halfway up the neck is really hard to turn, and doesn't turn smoothly like the other 4 tuners on the head. Conclusion: * Buy it. If you want a low-priced, good-quality banjo to start learning and continue playing for years, this is a good find. * I'm very happy with my banjo, and I don't foresee any repairs needed, and I don't expect to feel the need to upgrade to a pricier instrument. * I d also recommend buying a banjo strap, finger picks, a clip-on tuner for guitars/banjos, and possibly a beginner banjo book to get started.

Just months ago, I decided I wanted to learn the banjo due to its really cool sound, and how it can be used so well for many different types of music from country and bluegrass to children’s to rock n roll and Irish rock, for instance it features heavily in one of my parents and my favorite bands of all time, the awesome Irish rock band The Pogues and in the music and lyrics to one of my favorite children’s songs “Oh Susanna”. Plus I love how the banjo has a naturally upbeat sound to it and when I found through research that the banjo is considered an all-American instrument and that it is called “The World’s Greatest Anti-Depressant” for its ability to lighten the mood and put a smile on anyone’s face and that it is hard to find anyone who does not like the sound, I was officially convinced that the banjo was the instrument I wanted to learn. Luckily my parents were supportive of my desire to learn how to play the banjo after I sent my Dad an E-Mail explaining my reasons, so I searched on amazon for the right one to have my parents buy and I found this one and saw all kinds of positive feedback, plus it was less expensive than some of the others, so I went with this one and I am totally glad I did, because I have found it to be spot on in quality, and so I just had my mom order the 3 other necessities needed for the banjo, two of which I found out about from the DVD I have to teach me lessons, a strap to keep the neck from falling out of place and banjo finger picks to slip on your fingers just like you do with the thumb pick, and then one thing I decided on myself, a tuner designed just for banjos as I was struggling to fit the one for different stringed instruments on, and so as soon as I get those, I look very forward to going all out on learning this truly wonderful instrument and being able to play my favorite songs on it as well as make my own music with it. Well done Jameson Guitars, thank you for this awesome creation and I am eager to learn how to play it, and I also thank my wonderful parents for their crucial support of my goal that they showed by buying this for me!

Banjo is great! Sounds good, and for the price it couldn't be better. I've tried other low budget banjos and had to return them for such low quality. Had almost given up until I saw this one. Great first banjo!

Excelente para principiantes. Sólo con cuerdas un poco frágiles. Estaría genial si viniera con un strap.

Excelente