Somerset S-5 Minuteman Banjo Review
February 19, 2009
George in San Francisco just sent in a review of his Somerset S-5 Minuteman banjo:
I thought people would appreciate a review of the Minuteman. Take it with a grain of salt, I haven’t been playing very long (’bout a year)
I’ve had mine for about 2 weeks. The long and short of it is that Somerset County Banjos delivered on their promise of providing a value-packed American banjo for under $600.
This is a solid banjo that’s gonna stay in the family. Went to the local store and did a quick banjo comparison. Deering’s GoodTime openback sounded muddled and soft next to the Minuteman. They were both fast actioned and easy to play though. The GoldTone Cripple Creek was nasally, underpowered and up-tight. The minuteman was way better than either of these banjos.
I also played this next to a Gold Tone White Ladye WL-250 and I preferred the sound of the Minuteman. Compared to the White Ladye, the Minuteman was warmer, richer and more powerful. I preferred the faster action of the Minuteman too. It felt more responsive and ‘friendly’. Aesthetically, the Gold Tones have more frills and flair; but in terms of sound and playability, the Minuteman wins. The Minuteman has a lot of the high-end features not found on most banjo’s in this price range.
I appreciate the unique character and hand-built quality of the Minuteman, too. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the wood grain on my Minuteman banjo initially, but after playing it for 2 weeks, people can see that this isn’t off an assembly line. They ask me about the banjo, and I get to tell them a little story about American craftsmanship, Patrick’s lessons and Somerset banjo. It’s got personality!
The Somerset team did a good job putting together a banjo that delivers a big bang for the buck. I’ve played all the banjos in this price range (Goodtime, Cripple Creek, Maple Mountain, White Ladye, Recording King) and I’m giving the Minuteman S-5 the top spot for sound, playability and value.
February 19, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Great review; this answers a lot of questions I had about it in comparison to what I’m playing now.
February 20, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Thank you, George. Very helpful information.
As a banjo novice I’m still wondering about the differences between the S5 and say the S1 or S2. From my perspective the S5 comes so close to the other, more expensive Somersets in quality and construction that it represents the best value of the three, but I don’t know enough about banjos yet to make that call.
When it comes time for me to invest in a decent banjo I can’t imagine spending my money with any other company besides Somerset because none of those other vendors you mention have invested their time and money to help me learn to play banjo in the first place.
The Costellos and the rest of the Somerset team make all the difference to me as a consumer.
Ben
February 28, 2009 at 9:31 am
I’d like to say that I also purchased an S-5 Minuteman (#003) and I am very pleased with it. I am a complete novice (never played any musical instrument and I’m 51 years old). I have just figured out how to tune it and I’m looking forward to learning how to play the banjo by following Patrick’s instructions. Thanks Patrick, Dear ol’ Dad, Neil, & Chris. You’ve got a great thing going here!