Harley Benton BJO-35Pro 5 String Banjo OB

I'm a pretty decent guitar player. But thought that I'd like to learn the banjo so thought I'd take a punt on this.. At just over a hundred quid want gonna break the bank soo.... Why not right?
I have to say I loved this wee banjo I could not put the blasted thing down since the day I got it. So much so that it's really hurt my guitar practice. And it even inspired be to buy a a deering good time. But even that really doesn't come close the the sound that this makes. As a guitar player I've sort of always went for that "banjo-eesh" out of phase strat sound and this really delivers what I wish my guitar would sound like lol.
The only thing I did find as a detriment was that the tailpeice was set to low and the break angle really added to the tightness of the fith string which after about two month of learning claw hammer, gave me tedionites in my thumb. Also there was far to much relief on the neck; was litrally like a banana. But after I caught on and set the thing up to how I wanted it? It helped no end. I dont think I'll ever part with this banjo as I really love the sound so much. So even if I do go on to buy more expensive ones this will hold a place in my heart
The other major draw back I found, and for me was pretty major and that Is; that it proved just so damn addictive that my guitar playing sufferd... Itits the crack cocain of musical instruments lol

It won’t leave any long lasting impression. It has its flaws that comes with such an affordable instrument.

Tuners feel very cheap and are very imprecise while tuning but after that they stay in tune fine.

The pot which is made out of some very cheap wood wrapped in rather plasticky looking veneer but it’s OK to look at, it’s darker and actually nicer than photos here would let you know.

The biggest flaw is that the pot wood is so soft that hooks holding screws just keep sinking deep into the wood making it impossible to keep the head tuned tight. I had to buy metal washers from hardware store and install them under all those tiny screws heads inside the pot which, luckily, solved the issue for me.

With installing washers, armrest and putting on a heavier set of strings I’m actually having a lot of fun learning the banjo.

Would I buy it again if it got stolen? No, I’d go for something more expansive made out of a solid wood. But I’m glad I have it. For such a low price it’s a fun first banjo for learning basics of playing, setup and maintenance.

If you’re not sure whether you’ll stick with a banjo and just want something budget friendly to try it out, this is what you’re looking for.

This is my first banjo. i started out playing violin in my youth and more recently played mountain dulcimer. My goal here was to buy the least expensive instrument that still had a core of quality materials, properly assembled. My first upgrades will probably be adding an arm rest and some better tuners. Neither is urgently needed. After resolving a couple of minor set up issues it plays well right out of the box. There are other vendors advertising "beginner bundles" for about the same price that include a yard long list of features and accessories. In order to do this they shave the quality of everything in the box down to the absolute, inescapable, minimum. This manufacturer has taken a more rational approach. Good materials and build quality then keep the price low with a limited feature list. That's all i need or wish to pay for at this time.