Dean Backwoods 2 Acoustic-Electric 5-String Banjo Gloss Natural

I love playing this Banjo. It feels really nice in the hands and has good string action. It tunes up just fine, just stretch the strings like you do with all new strings. There was one crooked shell holding screw but you just pull it out, tap the plate over with a nut driver as to not scratch anything, put the screw back in and you're in. nothing to complain about . this is a really fine instrument and it looks so COOL.

When my order first arrived I was very impressed with the look of the banjo. Upon very close inspection at home I noticed that the pick-up inside the body was crooked and was pushing up into the clear head. Easy enough fix. After placing the bridge into position I noticed that the head was sagging all around the bridge indicating that the head was very loose. The clear head also seemed a little too thin for long term use. I also noticed that the 4 standard thumb screws that held the resonator to the body all were in at odd angles instead of straight in. Lastly, the finish on the interior of the resonator was spotty, at best. You could see spots that had been totally missed by the staining process. In spite of all those things it still had pretty good tone. In my opinion, poor quality control from the factory. Any f the things wrong were easy fixes, but together they were too much for me to take a chance on fixing myself. I returned it within days. What a shame, as previous reviewers must have gotten a good one or I caught the lemon. Just too many little things wrong on what could have been a good banjo.

Solid instrument. Appearance is much better than the picture. Had to lower the action a little. Very easy fix. Sounds wonderful. Now comes the hard part....learning a new instrument. .

From the moment I received this banjo Ive been loving it. This is a very beautiful instrument, the dark mahogany stain gives it a classy feel and the simple neck inlay and the pearl tuners make you feel like you have the equivalent to a tuxedo. also the clear head allows you to see the wood on the back. The set up was easy and the packaging included the instructions for properly setting the bridge. It took 5 minuets. the head needed tensioning but that was expected due to shipping. Once set up I plugger her in and gave it a whirl. The pick up was nice and gave a clean bright sound. Also I have used it to play with my band at church and I have had no issues. also if you are looking for an acoustic electric open back this is the banjo for you. all you have to do to convert it is take the resonator screws off and loosen the brackets an bing bang boom you got yourself a beautiful old time music maker. This banjo is a quality instrument and is definitely a great bargain.