Mulucky 5 String Banjo - Large Size with 24 Brackets with Remo Head, Closed Solid Wood Back, Resonator Banjos, Geared 5th Tuner, Gift Package with Beginner Kit - B1101

I was particularly interested in an open back banjo rather than this resonator equipped banjo, Mulucky B-1101. The open backed banjo that I wanted was also made by Mulucky and listed as weighing around 4 lbs - and was only $10 more at Walmart - but was sold out. And the other Mulucky banjo was $17 more during the Amazon Prime Sale. It has now returned to being $47 more at Amazon. After ordering the Mulucky B-1101, I thought I had made a mistake because the weight of the Banjo was listed at 9 pounds. Well, it's coming now - so if it's that heavy I can return it to Walmart - I thought. It arrived today and I'm glad I purchased it. It didn't weigh 9 lbs; but 6 lbs with the resonator on it. After removing the resonator, which attaches with 4 screws through 4 mounts for the screws which affix to eight bolts on the banjo brackets - I had my open back banjo. In this configuration it weighs around 4.5 lbs. Since I had to remove the nuts of four of the brackets holding down the head to remove the banjo resonator mounts - I used my nut driver - not included in the kit - to tighten all 24 brackets holding down the rim to the head before I setup the banjo. My fixation with not having an overweight Banjo stems from my having a high grade banjo with a brass tone ring that weighs 12.5 lbs. Wielding it around for practice sessions is cumbersome. The Mulucky B-1101 in it's open back configuration weighs about a third of that and I actually like the tone of it better. I hear it better than the heavy one with the tone ring as without the resonator the sound is directed back at me. Assembly was easy. It measures 13 1/4" from the nut to the 12th fret and I used that measurement to set the bridge, which I ensured was leaning backwards, the same distance from the 12th fret as was the nut. The strings were already attached - so I just loosened them enough to slide the bridge under them and properly align the bridge. Then I tuned the banjo to the normal G-D-G-B-D tuning. I didn't tune it with the tuner which came with the Mulucky. In my opinion that tuner is not only small - the screen is about postage stamp size; but it's also slow to readout the musical note. I don't believe I could've accurately tuned the banjo using that tuner. Fortunately, I already had a tuner and it worked fine - except after tuning the banjo - it seemed to drift. Then I remembered that I should pull on the strings a little to stretch them. I did that, retuned it, and now it sounds fine. I like the look and feel of the banjo strap. The main issue with it is setting it up to fasten to the brackets on the banjo pot. There was not enough distance between the brackets and the pot to just loop the ends through and fasten those loops with a jean like button that is riveted on the strap; but it comes with metal clips, so you loop through the clips and button the loop. I found buttoning those loops to be the most difficult task. Overall it's a great value for the money.

it is broke in half so sad