I bought a FB-59 nine months ago and I'm very pleased with it. I needed a better sound and playability without killing my piggybank. The FB-59 will give you a lot for the money! It has a bell brass tone ring which produces a bright tone. I removed the original bridge and placed a Mystery wood bridge which gave me a volume increase of about 40%. If you want to hear the sound, please look for me on Youtube. With kind regards,

The Fender 59 is a great banjo for me, both on stage and in the studio. I own many banjos and usually have to use one in the stage show and another in the studio. This Fender is now the one I use for both. It looks great. Great neck and the tone ring is very heavy, the heaviest that I've ever picked up. Most banjo players use the weight of a banjo as somewhat of a guide to quality, among other attributes. Thanks for a great banjo!

I really enjoyed this banjo. It's a totally different animal than the other Fenders. Excellent quality. A lot of banjo for the price. I would recommend this to anyone.

Has great volume and tone. The finish is spectacular. A truly beautiful banjo. My banjo teacher, who also plays in one of the most famous bluegrass bands out there, says it sounds as good as his Gibson "Earl Scruggs." Now for the only complaint. On my banjo, more time should have been taken fitting the neck to the pot. I had to shim it to get rid of the movement caused by the combination of a poorly fitted neck and a very heavy banjo. This being said, it easily competes with, or exceeds any banjo I've tried.

I wanted a Banjo that would take me where I wanted to go without having to buy another later.I think the FB59 is the ticket! It is a beautiful instrument!