Jameson Banjo Review
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- This video is a Jameson Banjo Performance Review. I placed it online due to having discovered I could not find an example of the cut-rate banjo, sold extensively and often by Amazon.com, actually being played as part of any online review. So, this is an attempt to fix that problem.
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This is the review I’ve been needing! So glad I found you, I will definitely be buying one after this video! Thanks so much, You really helped me out a bunch, God bless sir!
I bought one about 6 months ago. I love it. I have a $500 banjo brand name and find myself playing the Jameson more often. It's much lighter and easier on my neck. Sounds fine and feels quality. It's a steal for the price.
thank you very much for making this, was wanting to hear one before i got this as a starter banjo for my mother.
Excellent video! Based on your video and the Amazon reviews, I went ahead and ordered myself one; I don't know how to play any instrument, but I've always wanted to try the banjo, so I'll use this low-cost version as a stepping stone to many years of musical fun!
It's playable and should work for you until you are ready to upgrade.
I should add here that the banjo does NOT include a tone ring that you would expect from higher end banjos. But it does have a tension rod to adjust the angle of the neck and thus the height and action of the strings. It did not come with a strap; that was extra ($20). Also, no case, but Amazon sells a "gig bag" made for this Jameson model for about $30. All in all, it is a terrific learner, beginner banjo and runs rings around the old Kay banjo I started with 50 years ago (and still have, BTW).
Larry Hawthorne what pegs did you use to replace it
@@prestonmccoy2562 BQLZR Semiclosed Banjo Machine Head Tuning Tuner Peg with Bushing Guitar Parts on Amazon. Not an exact fit, but will work.
It is loud enough without a tone ring if playing alone and way lighter. You can always amp it up. Mine is nice but do not put to heavy gauge strings on, my 5th string tuner came out after two months. I glued it back in 2 years ago and it stuck.
Thanks again Larry youve helped me alot down here in south mississippi. I want to get back into it but i dont want to spend the big money on the washburn B-17 untill im confident in my abilities.
Thanks alot Larry ive been looking to get back into teaching myself the banjo. That sounds pretty good for my second banjo. I had a master craft that got away from me. But that sounds pretty good for what i need to begin with
Thank you so much, I really want to learn how to play a Banjo and know I fell confortable to buy this from amazon to learn and don’t break the piggy bank, thank you.
Thank you sir for this helpful review! This is exactly what I was looking for.
Happy to help. Hope the banjo will work for you. It's a good learner instrument, and I'd also recommend the Recording King RK-35 "Madison" at about $1100 from Amazon when you're ready to upgrade. It has a tone ring I mentioned common to higher grade banjos and I love it. Plays like a banjo costing $2O00 or more. And, no, I don't get any compensation for my opinions.
Nice! Cool story behind how you decided to buy it. I just picked one up missing a few parts for 30 bucks.
I'm somewhat musically incline as a proficient drummer and a little guitar. I can basically play anything if I put my mind to it. I learned about clawhammer and fell in love with the sound. After seeing the prices of other banjo's and not knowing if I can really frail, I chose to get this banjo due to it's price point. I also know quality (61 years old here) and was pleasantly surprised on how this banjo felt. I practiced lightly over the years and still having fun with it. Still running the same strings but I have a new set I'm planning on changing out. Just the other day the 5th string was out of tune and when I went to tighten it "pop" went the gear in the tuning key. The banjo keeps in good tune and I barely have to touch those keys. So right now I'm disappointed it happened as a new key is about 1/2 the price of the banjo and it's gonna take a couple months to get to me up in Canada. I did however, successfully remove the old one before I ordered another. I don't know why it stripped, I never touch the darn thing. Still like my Jameson and still like playing it. Good on you Larry for sharing the performance with the world. Cheers!
Thanks, I hope it works for you when you get that fifth string tuner fixed.
@@Beacharon1 All good! Turner installed and working great! Thanks!
Thanks for posting this !
This same model is sold under a couple different names by different companies. I got one $80 used at Sam Ash. Really is a great beginner/knock around banjo. Not nearly good as the more expensive options but its still great for a guitarist to putz around on.
Agree. Anyone who buys an instrument brand new needs his head examined. [This does not apply to Larry given his situation in Hawaii and his ability to probably make any banjo sound good]. They depreciate about as fast as a new car. Look around at all the usual suspects' sites and wait for a motivated seller. If you're new to the instrument take someone with you who can play it and have them check it out. I've bought and sold 20 or more electric guitars from high end Fender strats to garbagy things to practice modifying and I have NEVER lost money reselling them when I wanted to make a change to something different.
The one exception to that rule is that I bought an OME banjo brand new in 1977. It's the only one I own and I still play it to this day. Best $240 I ever spent:-)
Do hear fret buzz on 1 string maybe?
"I'll play nothing special"
*proceeds to play foggy mountain breakdown *
Lol but honestly loved your playing, and I'm really considering buying one
Thanks sir I’ll probably get one now
What brand of tuners did you buy to replace the machines on the headstock? The better brands seem to only make tuning pegs, while the really cheap ones are shots in the dark as to quality.
did you find out what brand? I"m looking to replace mine too? Thanks
I bought this banjo used. Actually it looks as though it was an unwanted gift or something because it has very little wear. I'm not getting a nice ring tone like yours has. Being new to any type of musical instrument this is probably a dumb question but could my strings be causing a flat sound? Also I don't know if the bridge is in the correct location. I didn't receive the included paperwork and wrenches with the purchase. Thanks for any advice
A video review with actual playing the banjo does tend to amplify the banjo a bit and make it sound a little brighter on video. But what effects tone most are the strings -- I'd just replace them, because at least you know how old they are when you do -- the bridge, and the tension on the banjo head. Some will also include the tailpiece in that formula, but in the case of the banjo you have I don't think it makes much difference. I'm a strong believer that the the head tension is especially important. A loose banjo head will make the tone sound dead. You should make sure it's not loose, but be careful not to over-tighten it. Do is slowly in rotation, bracket by bracket, and then back again, with just a slight turn to tighten each bracket. You will actually hear and even feel it if you have your other hand on the strings while you're turning the drum key. If you want to hear where you're at right now with the head tension, scratch the head lightly and if you listen closely it will actually have a pitch. You want it somewhere between G and G#.
Where should the bridge be? Simple answer is measure the distance between the nut and the 12th fret. That is half the distance to where the bridge should be placed on the head. When you've got it close, "chime" each string at the 12th fret and then note the fret. The pitch should be the same. If the fretted note is slightly flat or sharp, move the bridge ever so slightly toward or away from the nut, respectively.
Here's a video from Jim Pankey that covers all of this and then some.
ruclips.net/video/TqKNe-IeZMA/видео.html
I bought one after seeing this review, thinking that at the very least I could upgrade my old banjo with some of the parts off the Jameson if things didn't work out. The neck was not parallel with the body of the banjo. Fret sprout. Frets not leveled. Tuners on the headstock wouldn't hold tension. The 5th string tuner, tension rod, tailpiece and resonator were all very nice however. This banjo could be made to play with a little work, a higher quality head and better tuners, but I don't know if this is something in the wheelhouse of a beginner. It might yield more frustration than pleasure to those who want to try playing a 5 string.
Thanks for your comment, Greg. I am certainly no special pleader for Jameson, or Amazon, but I will say that if you aren't happy with your purchase, Amazon is pretty forgiving on returns. Obviously, both of us are commenting from a very limited sample size. That said, I agree that the tuners are a weakness in this bargain instrument. I found tuners that would work for a pretty reasonable price (BQLZR Semiclosed Banjo Machine Head Tuning Tuner Peg with Bushing Guitar Parts on Amazon). Also, I recall that tightening the phillips head screw in the back of the existing tuner was helpful in holding the pitch of the string, but still a pain in the ass. Thus, replacement. I actually contacted the company (in the USA) about replacement tuners. They recommended Grovers that could be dropped right in and ready to go, model number H97-18NA (guitar tuners sold in sets of 3 at about $50 per set). A bit pricey for a $160 banjo.
I don't recall fret sprout, where the fret wire extends slightly past the finger board (Hawaii is a very humid environment), but this RUclips video has a very simple non-rocket-science fix for it. ruclips.net/video/C67O2gulaeM/видео.html
@@Beacharon1 Thanks for the reply Larry. I didn't mean to come off as an alarmist, but banjo is difficult enough for most beginners without having to fight mechanical problems that most of us have learned to deal with over the years. That being said, I recently played a much more expensive Deering and it wasn't very impressive for the price. The Jameson can be a very good banjo if it travels to a good tech or luthier right off the bat.
Great review
Thanks. I hope it helps.
A good chef can cook in any pot
What is the difference between the R.W. Jameson and the Davison? I got a useful one in perfect condition, look identical to yours, but ssys Davison on the neck... the beautifully bound neck.😁 Can't find anything online about the Davison model. Could you direct me?
I believe they are basically the same company, so it may be a distinction without a difference. Seems to me Jameson has taken the Davison place, chronologically, but I think they are fairly equal. Also, check out banjohangout.org for a lot of info about every banjo brand imaginable, and how to play it.
Ive got one , in UK, which is sold under the name of gremlin. Only just got it so cant really comment on its quality but so far so good.
bought one of those for my first banjo----had it about a week before I got rid of it and bought a Goodtime....I think someone could find a better banjo in an old bottlecap rig ...I doubt I would have kept playing had I not upgraded from the Jameson...thanks for the review...I'd recommend Not buying this banjo---there are much better options available...
Astro can you send me one trying to buy a starter one for my dad
Edit that being a link to one on amazon
Hawthorne like Nathaniel Hawthorne? That’d be cool. Thanks for the video
Thanks. Funny you should mention Nathaniel. In years gone by some would ask how I spelled my name and I'd say, "just like Nathaniel". I stopped doing that because unfortunately too many people don't have a clue who I'm talking about. Doesn't speak well of our education system.
Looks like the Vangoa as well.
Branched out a bit and here are some original song demos, also some banjo instruction, if interested. ruclips.net/p/PL_yKjkjXAJOSnKp0W8igT_JCu9qzFYsPQ
Does anyone make an affordable banjo that's not made in commieville?
Don't forget to tight the head. Look for tutorials on youtube so the first string stays at 1/8 of an inch from the neck 👍🏻 you'll avoid any buzzing sounds
I have this banjo since january 2019. I'm a musician, I play guitar, bass and piano. I wanted to learn a new instrument. I'm not rich. This is a very decent instrument for learning and beginners. Once you learn to play it pretty well and if you love the instrument you can save money and get an american made Deering. Until then this is the Squier by Fender of banjos. Decent looks and sound. I give it a 6.5 / 10 👍🏻 besides a really good player can make any crappy instrument sound like a gem, not that this is crappy I'm just saying.
So this and the vangoa are literally the same banjo mass produced with a different logo slapped on it. The vangoa is a decent starter banjo. So I’d imagine this one is. Later upgrade to a freeing or something
Probably similar. Certainly around the same price range. A starter or learner banjo is a lot better now than it used to be. Next stop would be a Recording King Dirty 30 model, at around $400. But the big difference in any upgrade to a professional model is a tone ring. A tone ring adds probably $300 to purchase price going in and about 20 pounds to carry it around, the projection (the loudness) and the sustain (string rings longer) is much better with the tone ring.
Fs gonna buy one
When he said made in China, I thought sounds like it.
I bought one. Actually not bad for the price, but needs some work on the sharp fret sprout and lighter strings to make it playable in my opinion. Sound is ok considering the price point. I decided to return mine for a refund and get a Deering instead. If you just want to see if you have a real interest in playing the banjo this will work for the basics, but remember that better instruments not only sound better, but are easier to play which can definitely help lower your frustration and disappointment levels when learning .
@@coherent3237 Thank you. I've decided to buy a Recording King RK-R20 instead. For around 550 bucks I've been told it's the best for the money. My dad has a Deering but it's a 3000 dollar banjo.
You did the right thing trading for a Deering. They're the#1 selling banjo in the world. Plus they're made better than the other kinds. My dad has a Deering too. It's around 3000 bucks. They make em cheaper as far as price goes. I'm going to buy me a Recording King RK-R20. They're around 550 bucks. Congrats to you.👍😀
It even looks like it has a truss rod. You keep talking like China only turns out low quality instruments which is totally false these days. There are shops that turn out everything from top notch guitars and mandolins to award winning violins, cellos etc. You get what you pay for.
It does have a truss rod.
It sounds cheep. Do not waste you money on these china made, so called banjo. Buy a USA made Deering Goodtime begining banjo..
Totally agree. These might be good for a child just starting out but an adult who is serious about learning should buy one of the better beginner instruments made by Recording King, Deering or Gold Star, etc. The Jameson is a very cheaply made banjo. Plus, once you play a banjo with a tone ring you will never go back to one without it....
@@briscoedarling3237 is that so? Well give me some money, in the meantime I'll practice on my Jameson
@@briscoedarling3237 agreed but you get what you pay for, I wish this video was around when I bought mine but I now own a CC50RP that's amazing and I bought it for about the same darn price i got the Jameson about 2 years later! The Jameson is now with a friend of mine who is learning to play and is definitely gotten the bug, you dont really need a $1000+ banjo unless you are doing it professionally imo.. good time is not my favorite and overrated I think but that's me.
Big difference in money verse a deering good time.