Vangoa 5 String Banjo 26 Inch, MINI Travel Banjo Beginner Kit with Remo Head, Open Back & Closed Solid Back with beginner Kit, Comfortable Carrying Bag

Great for learning, excellent value for the price

This Banjo is gorgeous!! First of all, it was carefully packaged and wrapped. It came in a card board box, then in it's case, then in a bag and all the strings were wrapped in waxrd paper. It comes with so many extras like a tuner, shoulder strap, finger picks, extra strings and a wall holder!! The banjo sounds so great and I can't wait to start my lessons. It's a beautiful instrument at an AMAZING price.

I love this mini. But I had to take it to my music store to get it playable. They had to tighten the head shave the bridge and deepen the slots on the nut. Then tune it a note higher than a regular banjo. It has a sound of its own. I love it.

i am a pure beginning banjo player, so had no idea what to get. after looking at the reviews, this banjo seemed like a good risk for a beginner to take without spending a fortune. i am happy with the banjo but there are things buyers need to know...for example, you will probably need a banjo stand and a music stand to hold the music..these are not expensive but necessary. there is some concern that the neck is a little narrow for fat fingers, but so far i can manage. the one main surprise was that the setup is quite challenging for a beginner----doable,but more steps than i anticipated. for example, was not clear how the digital tuner worked. the bridge has to be installed correctly. with the strings in the proper place. installing the strap was ok, but one of the attachment points to the banjo fell off (which is why only four stars). but i bought a wider strap that did not need that attachment point, so solvable. i would buy again.

The banjo itself is very nice. It came with everything and the tune is beautiful. Nicely packed. You can tell care was taken.The issue I have is the carry bag that came with it. It was moldy, inside and out...and the banjo was inside, Thankfully the banjo was wrapped in plastic and not damaged by this. I sprayed the bag with lysol laundry sanitizer and washed it on delicate.I need to note the box was not damaged and didn't have any signs of moisture. So I'm not sure if the bags are stored separately and plucked before shipment?I do recommend this product but pay attention to this mold/ possible moisture issue.

Was a housewarming gift for my husband. He loves it!

I got this for an upcoming trip on which it would be impractical to take a full-sized banjo. I didn't have high expectations for the Vangoa but it really surprised me! I'm a clawhammer player and the strings are spaced far enough apart that playing it is not a different experience for the right hand, which is where the rubber meets the road for what is a practice instrument. The width of the strings at the bridge is 1 11/16", which is exactly the same as a regular banjo.At the nut it unfortunately gets narrower than a regular banjo (13/16" versus 1"), but you can't have everything...certainly not at this price. It is still quite playable for the left hand. You may have to play some things you'd normally play with the left pinky with the ring finger instead; but since this is really just a keep-in-trim instrument it's not that big a deal.The playing experience for the picking or clawhammering hand is about the same as a full-size when it's tuned to C or B.The only beginner I would want to get this instrument is a very young child. A kid 10 and above, or an adult, should not be learning on this instrument, as the distance between the frets is way narrower than a full-size.There's some other goodies included--gig bag, strap, contact pickup (!), plastic thumb and plastic finger picks, an extra set of strings--which one might get some use from even if they found the instrument useless.In terms of use for other than a practice instrument, its voice and size make it a lot like a mandolin or a ukelele. Uke players would probably enjoy this banjo a lot. So it could certainly find its way into a player's arsenal as a novelty instrument.For what it is, to me it's great value for the money.

I had the banjo set up by a Luther, as recommended by the manufacturer, and even he couldn't make the banjo sound right. It's tuned to a open G and the sound is awful. I question the validity of the 4 star reviews. I don't understand why it sounds off. Any chord on this banjo sound terrible. The only thing this banjo is good for is the smashing of it or the burning of it on stage. The manufacturer should be named Cacophony, Inc. Do not buy this POS. CAVEAT EMPTOR!