I've played 6-string banjo since 1966. It is not an imitation anything, it's a perfectly valid instrument in its own right, in the same way that a tenor banjo is a real instrument. My original instruments are getting a little fragile, and I needed something to take with me on my travels. For this price, I wasn't expecting perfection. What I did get was an instrument that took less work to set up than a major-name instrument a friend of mine bought via a well-known auction site.

You can't frail it like a 5-string banjo, you can't just strum open-string chords, but if you let your thumb carry the melody and treat the trebles as a modifying drone, it works just fine.

You want perfection, go spend more money, but if you don't play the instrument on its own terms, no matter what the instrument, no amount of money will make up the difference.

This is a poorly designed and cheaply made instrument. The tuning keys are cheap and won't keep the banjo in tune. The strings are also too close together which makes it harder to play. When it finally gets in tune it sounds weak, tinny and quiet. I wouldn't waste my money again. I plan on buying a real banjo and investing time in learning the real instrument, not this poor substitute.

I couldn't believe what a pretty instrument it was when I took it out of the box, everything looked great. I followed the setup instructions to the letter and tuned it using the intellitouch tuner from Onboard Research. It didn't stay in tune for very long, after about a week I noticed the tailpiece was bent,I was able to straighten it but it still won't stay in tune. Now the neck has developed a crack on both sides from the base of the nut to the middle of the second fret. I can still play it, but it's just a matter of time before the head falls off. The workmanship is great, the materials not so great

After spending several hours trying to tune the instrument with no success I decided to change the tuners. I put a set of "Ping" tuners on it and changed the strings to a lighter gauge while I was at it.

Got it in tune in no time after the changes. Not a bad deal for price paid. Maybe I just struck a bad set of tuners but there is no way this was going to be tuned with the factory tuners.

Overall I think this is a decent instrument for an ocassional player and should add something to the next party.

If you are looking for something to play on stage or for recording this isn't it. For a campfire singalong it's perfect. The action is good and the sound is decent. It seems to be solid and should last a while.

I got this not too long ago, and have loved every minute Ive had it. Its great, and the picture doesnt do the finish justice. The E string does have a deeper sound, but that that is to be expected. Putting the bridge on is no problem either. Mine had a couple of nicks on it, but they are hardly noticeable. I didnt think it was gonna be as good of quality as it was for the price, but this was a great value.