Hatfield Custom submitted 7/7/2008 Submitter TnFrosty Where Purchased Hatfield Banjos Year Purchased 2008 Price Paid 2900 ($US) Sound For those that have heard or played one of Arthur's banjos, you know what kind of tone comes from a Hatfield. For those that haven't, you need to :) For me, it's hard to describe a banjo's sound in words. This Hatfield has punch, depth, clarity up the neck, and a killer 4th string. I actually picked this banjo over a pre war conversion with a Burlile ring. I haven't been playing too long, but I've heard enough banjos to know that I like the sound of mine. Sound Rating 10 Setup I purchased this one on site, so Arthur was more than willing to set it up to my liking. I've only had to tighten the head. Setup Rating 10 Appearance This model is all mahogany and has the gull inlay. The fit and finish is suburb- Arthur wouldn't have it any other way. Appearance Rating 10 Reliability Hatfield banjos are as reliable as they come IMO. This is my second Hatfield and the first one was built just as well as this one. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service Arthur is not happy until you are. He has always seemed more than happy to answer any questions I've had and has always welcomed me to bring the banjo to him if there was something I couldn't figure out. Customer Service 10 Components This model was built with an Ebbe (Paul Ebbe) ring. I really like the tone this ring produces and in some ways, is very similar to the Hatfield ring- not saying one is better than the other, just different. Other components are: Cox rim, Gill resonator, Gotoh tuners, Presto tailpiece, and Prucha hardware. Components Rating 10 Overall Comments I would recommend a Hatfield for anyone in the market for a professional quality instrument, especially one that is built by a man who really puts the customer first and wants the customer to be happy. Overall Rating 10