Paul Hostetter submitted 8/3/2008 Submitter dvstllrd Overall Comments Used to be fortunate enough to live near Paul (he's near Santa Cruz, CA), and took fiddles to him for repair. Have not had any banjo work done by him, but I can say in general the work that he does is like magic. Have not had any repairs done by anyone else on any other instrument that pleased me as much as his work did. And he's a very great guy to deal with, too. Overall Rating 10

Rover RB-30 Open Back submitted 4/9/2007 Submitter dvstllrd Where Purchased Elderly Instruments Year Purchased 2005 Price Paid 175 ($US) Sound Very very bright sound. I love it. You'll hear among old-time players boasts about their banjo being "never tinny." Well, the deep plunky thing is great. I gotta have it. But I'm sorry, tinny is nice, too. It's a different sound, but it's really a fun one. Bright, shimmering, electric-sounding. Great for Wade Ward songs. And for the price, my God! Sound Rating 8 Setup Setup was different on this banjo than any other I've owned, in that you cannot change to a different type of string. The first time I replaced the strings, the sound was ruined. It hardly played. They totally choked it off, and I had to contact the store and the manufacturer and find out exactly what strings were on there... Also, I've tried a bunch of different bridges. The one it came with was best. As for the nut, it needed some work. It was sticky. The guys at Elderly said they must have overlooked that, and they reimbursed me to get that done where I live, about five states away from that store... But the bottom line is, the way the head and the strings and the bridge were... made it sound perfect when I bought it. Setup Rating 7 Appearance It's pretty plain-looking, but it looks like it's got some quality. The head and neck look better than almost any banjos in this price range, if you ask me. All the others look chunky and cheap. And the aluminum pot is sorta neat-looking. It looks like something you would have ordered out of a Sears catalog in the 40's or something. Kinda archetypal. Maybe from outer space. Appearance Rating 7 Reliability I don't see what reliability problems I might have with this thing. It's solid. The tuning machines were crap, but I replaced them promptly. Everything else is completely serviceable. Reliability Rating 7 Customer Service It had a one year warranty. I don't think I was able to find out from the manufacturer about the strings--I found out from Elderly. But this thing cost $175. What can I really ask for from them for that? Customer Service 6 Components The neck is nice. Maybe the nicest one in this price range. However, there was no way I could have used the tuners that came with this thing. I replaced them, and now I have a really solid banjo. They were horrible. Hard to turn, and wouldn't keep a tune. You can replace them with pretty cheap tuners and still be happy. I mean, even the tuners that come on a cheap Gold Tone or something are plenty good, Kimosabe. I don't know why Rover used such cheap tuners. This was a few years ago--maybe they use a different supplier now... Components Rating 6 Overall Comments I absolutely would recommend one of these. If you hate the "tinny" sound, okay, don't get it. But I can't do without bright or plunky. That's why I need multiple banjos. Moreover, this banjo does exactly what it's trying to do. Whereas, a $200 banjo that's trying to be plunky will not succeed very well. It's an unusual banjo. If you're a beginner, even in three-finger style, you have to try one of these, because the quality and price are great. And I mean that even though it's open back, it can work also for learning bluegrass style because it's so bright. You may need a different banjo for that once you start gigging, but... Also, It's a great kicking-around banjo. It's inexpensive, but solid, and you just don't feel like you have to worry about it they way you do with most musical instruments. It's a neat thing. And satisfying. Overall Rating 8

Noel Booth Antebellum model submitted 4/9/2007 Submitter dvstllrd Where Purchased Acoustic Corner Year Purchased 2007 Price Paid 575 ($US) Sound As good a sound as any of this type of banjo that I've played. Warm, deep, plunky, full... good volume. Good balance. Man, that low string is nice! Sound Rating 10 Setup Setup was great... and actually, I've played a lot of different individual instruments of this model. I kept going back to Acoustic Corner to look at banjos over the course of four or so years, and I would play these Antebellum models every time and loved every one of them. Finally bought one this year. But setup was always great. Setup Rating 10 Appearance Soooo... beautiful. I have a number of instruments hanging on the wall in my den, and this is the prettiest. Appearance Rating 10 Reliability It seems like it will last. I mean, it's got friction peg tuners for god's sake. The only think I worry about is that the head is gonna break someday (it's real skin, tacked on) and that will be a pain to replace, but it can be done. Really, I'll let you know in five years what the reliability is like. But I would certainly use it on a gig "without a backup." Reliability Rating 9 Customer Service Very friendly, very helpful couple of folks. I don't know if they have a formal warranty, but I'm also not worried at all that if something went wrong they wouldn't take care of me. I have communicated with them about one or two questions, and they helped out right away. Customer Service 10 Components The cocobolo fingerboard is especially nice. Unusual, and it feels and looks great. The handmade bridge is really nice, too. Components Rating 10 Overall Comments This banjo is very lovable. It sounds great. It looks great. It feels great. It even smells great. I want to eat it. Overall Rating 10