Stelling Bellflower  Reviews

Stelling Bellflower submitted 7/23/2008 Submitter banjorandy (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased morgan music lebanon mo Year Purchased 1977 Price Paid 1.200.00 ($US) Sound set up for bluegrass,with a snuffy smith bridge,clear head I dont remember the d tuner brand but have been on there as long as I have had the banjo....the sound is amazing bright and crisp but with a mellow side to and a sweet spot in the middle which is instantly recognizable by anyone who plays it ..the action is a little high,but I prefer it that way..in jams with other banjos it will totally dominate all others if I want it too. Sound Rating 10 Setup the banjo came setup almost like it is now ......in or around 1990 while playing on stage I set my banjo on a stand and walked away for a break when i returned my stelling was laying face down on stage to my horror I learned the the peghead just behind the nut was cracked ..we repaired it as best we could and have never had a problem to this day...i think it somehow improved the tone Setup Rating 10 Appearance I had problems with the brackets bending when I went to tighten them..I finally replaced them and have had no problems since...also had two of my 5th string railroad spikes heads break off...some rust appears on the star tuners but is easily polished...but the banjo is over 30 years old Appearance Rating 9 Reliability as I have said I have had this banjo for over 30 years....I have owned gibson,fenders.plus a newer belleflower. I think I have played just about every banjo under the sun I dont think I could trust any banjo as much as this one Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service all of my dealings with mr stelling have been very helpful and you feel that you are more than just a customer Customer Service 10 Components except for the original brackets there was nothing that could be done to improve on this fine handcrafted banjo Components Rating 10 Overall Comments I would highly recommend a stelling to anyone....I love this banjo it has lasted through 3 wives if it were stolen it would be like losing part of myself..............there is no comparison in any other banjo I have ever owned or played Overall Rating 10

Stelling Bellflower submitted 4/2/2004 Submitter 5 String (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased The Fret Factory, Ormond Beach, FL Year Purchased 1982 Price Paid 1,200 ($US) Sound Very bright and extremely loud. Sound Rating 10 Setup The banjo had a 5/8" bridge and the action was a little above 1/8" at the 12th fret. Setup Rating 10 Appearance The neck and resonator were made of walnut. The hardware was nickel plated. The armrest was slightly tarnished and there was some fret wear, likely from prospective buyers playing it. Appearance Rating 8 Reliability A well built banjo that will last a lifetime with proper care. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service Customer Service not rated Components This banjo was made from the best materials available. Components Rating not rated Overall Comments When you purchase a Stelling, you get what you pay for...a top notch banjo in every respect. Overall Rating 10

Stelling Bellflower submitted 12/5/2002 Submitter tpulver (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased eBay Year Purchased 2002 Price Paid 1700 ($US) (bought USED) Sound All the above - it is rich, full, loud and bright. I love it! Somehow, it reminds me more of an old time sound, although it's nothing like an old Gibson (which I also love, so no Gibson slam intended). Sound Rating 10 Setup Setup was fine, as it arrived from another player, however it has started to develop a bit of a buzz on the 1st string. It probably is due for a maintenance setup. Setup Rating 8 Appearance I think it's a great-looking, classic style. Rich walnut color. Very nice, not overdone, with a bound headstock (which was discontinued on the Bellflower sometime after '86). The woodgrain on the resonator is awesome. Wavy and full of depth. Appearance Rating 10 Reliability This banjo seems to be built to last forever. I bought it 16 years old and besides the usual armrest wear it is in terrific condition. Like all Stellings that I have ever seen, it's craftsmanship is rock solid. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service No experience. Customer Service not rated Components Top notch components. I like the tuners better than the Grovers my Gibson had. They don't need as much adjustment. Everything else is very solid (which is probably why this thing weighs a ton!). Components Rating 10 Overall Comments I love this banjo and will keep it forever. I knew it the second I played it. Just a terrific, bright, happy sound, I can't help but to smile everytime I play her. I would definitely recommend it, however I would also recommend you play a Stelling before you purchase one. They have a unique sound. Overall Rating 10

Stelling Bellflower submitted 7/25/2002 Submitter BlueBanjo28 (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Gulfport, MS Southern Traditional Music Year Purchased 2002 Price Paid 2500 ($US) Sound The banjo came with the head too tight but still sounded great. Loud, piercing, ringing tone depending on how hard you pick. I replaced the 11/16 Stelling bridge with an 11/16 Hot Spot bridge. Sound Rating 9 Setup There was a slight buzz on the 4th and 5th strings at the 12th fret but, it was setup great other than that. Setup Rating 7 Appearance The wood is natural color black walnut with a glaze finish. It is about like a chocolate color. Appearance Rating 10 Reliability Very dependable. Thick flange and built well. There are no holes drilled in the tone ring. Solid brass with chrome coating. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service Lifetime warranty Customer Service 10 Components Comes with tools in the case of top quality. Components Rating 10 Overall Comments The sound is the best part of this banjo of course. If it were ugly and sounded good, I would still play it. Overall Rating 10

Stelling Bellflower submitted 1/12/2002 Submitter Road Dog (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Direct from Manuf. (when Stelling in Calif.) Year Purchased 1980 Price Paid 1475 ($US) Sound Classic Stelling sound. Powerful, Loud, Bright, Kick-Butt sound! Can be somewhat brittle sounding, if you dig in real hard. Check out the review of my Deering Hartford model, too! Sound Rating 10 Setup Setup was excellent at time of purchase. Action was low-to-medium. I replaced the orig. bridge with an 11/16 Stelling bridge. Setup Rating 9 Appearance It's a beauty...Black walnut, gloss finish, standard Bellflower inlays (Geoff Stelling's version of Hearts & Flowers). In 1980, Bellflowers had a bound headstock, which I really like. No custom work on this banjo. The fingerboard on this banjo is made of a synthetic material - Ebonol - which Stelling used from late '77 through Aug. '80. Mine looks like wood - have had no problems with it. The banjo arrived with one flaw... the pearl in one of the hearts in peghead inlay is broken (I assume during the inlay process) - the pieces were just inlaid in broken form into the peghead. The hardware has (after 21 years) tarnished quite a bit. In addition, a portion of the flange is heavily oxidized - the result of the way I've stored the strap. Appearance Rating 9 Reliability It has lasted...like I said some oxidation/tarnish on the metal - some places on the resonator where the rivets on my jeans have left some dents. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service They were very friendly during the order/purchase time. Have not had to have repairs or service. Have run into Geoff Stelling at festivals doing field service on banjos, and he has always been friendly and helpful. Manufacturer's warranty was 2 years. Customer Service 10 Components 5-Star pegs, Stelling's unique approach to tone-ring/rim fit accounts for the powerful Stelling sound. Also, the nut is compensated for intonation. No upgrading necessary. Components Rating 10 Overall Comments You couldn't get a new Stelling for what I paid for this one. Stellings are worth what you have to pay for them. If this banjo were stolen, I'd replace it with a Stelling - the hard part would be deciding which model. I love it...especially the sound and looks. I had a 1976 Gibson RB-250 when I bought the Stelling. The Gibson sounded great. The Stelling sounds great, is prettier than the Gibson. My new Deering Hartford is prettier than either one. Overall Rating 10