Hmmm … since putting down a $400 deposit a month ago, and receiving a form reply that someone will contact me shortly about my Ozark banjo, I've not heard anything from the company. A few days after placing my order, I wrote a follow-up email regarding clarification on the features I wanted but still have not received a reply. I'm thinking of canceling my Ozark order and going with a
Bart Reiter Round Peak model which will have many of the features of my custom Ozark, minus the fancier inlay and mahogany rim, but at a cheaper price. IMHO, based on my Bart Reiter Regent purchase, I'd have to say that Bart Reiter (and Rickard Banjos) offers the best value of any of the brands I've purchased so far. Bart Reiters are quality banjos constructed of top-notch components for rock-bottom prices.
P.S. The above isn't a judgement on Ozark Banjo Company but merely my current experience. I know Lukas and Eden are currently renovating their new home and shop in Maine and this may account for the lapse in responding to my queries. Their initial response to my first email indicated that the lead time was about a year from ordering until delivery of a banjo.
Bart Reiter Round Peak
Features:
Rolled brass tone ring
Ebony fingerboard and peghead veneer
Mahogany neck - stained brown
Dot position markers
Satin lacquer finish
Rim Construction:
Walnut bottom cap
Two ply laminated maple
1/2 inch wall thickness
12 inch diameter
Notched tension hoop
26 L-shoe brackets
Elite Amber head
5/8 inch ebony top bridge
No Knot tailpiece
Neck Construction:
26 1/4 inch scale length
17 nickel silver frets - scooped fingerboard
Bone nut
Steel reinforced (adjustable at heel end)
Maple dowel stick
Veneer laminated in center of neck
4 planetary tuning pegs
Geared fifth peg
Traditional peghead shape and neck contour
