I bought a harley benton. Pretty much the same banjie different brand. I lovedd it a lot though i had to set it up my self the neck had far to much relief and i just discovered the head was to loose so had to tighten it yesterday, plays a lot easier now. Done my thumb in i played it so much when i got it. So much so im going to have a rest for a while as my thumb is really sore. Hope tightening the head will help when i start again as i think the bridge was too low which made the fifth string harder to pluck and somewhat inhibited the sound Should perhaps state i got the open back version
With a little setup and adjustment, it's a pretty decent player. If someone was super serious about learning and sticking with the banjo, I would definately recommend splurging on a higher quality instrument. For me, I don't plan on being a banjo soloist in a bluegrass band, so it's good enough for my needs. After over 30 years of playing multiple instruments in various genres and gigging bands, I've learned that inexpensive instruments are good enough with proper setup, and you don't have to cry as much if they get stolen or broken.
