Are Recording Kings the Best New Banjos Available?

Travis explains why RK banjos are some of the best available. The secret is in our historically accurate machining!

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[JimPankey]

People always ask me, "Why Recording King?" Thanks for making this video.

[JCRJr]

Wow. This is incredible information. I’ve been eyeing a banjo and this absolutely sold me. I have a Dirty 30’s parlor that I absolutely adore as much, if not more, than one of my vintage acoustics. Recording King for the win!

[FindingAlabama]

Just ordered a 35 from banjo Ben.
Excited to get it here.

[sfwaddell]

I have a 30 year old Gibson parts banjo which is great but I also recently bought a RK 35 recording king. I really like it. It is different of course from the old banjo but still good enough for me to play out. The tone and playability is great especially for the price!

[banjomark]

Great information Travis,
My story is similar, Jim Pankey inspired novice player.
Brother-in-law did all the research & also made the recommendation. Me being “frugal” (AKA=cheap) I found and ultimately bought a 3 year old RK-35 from a guy that “Steve Martin knows” in Brevard NC 😂

[brokenkitty]

I bought some of Recording King banjos(on Japanese market)

2021 RK-R35 (new) was very very good sounding banjo, but the tone ring's height was shorter than Gibson size. So changing other after market tone rings is hard.

After I noticed that, I bought RK-R37(2011). Pot size of R37 is almost correct prewar Gibson size. So I bought one other RK-R37(2012)

One became a Top Tension, I removed some wood from rim and fit JLS12 long skirt tone ring.

The other became a test bed for short skirt tone rings.(now Hopkins McPeak tone ring.)

So now I can try or taste both long and short skirt tone rings on both conventional pot and top tension pot.

[marcusfinn]

I’m bright happy with my elite 75, , , , top👍

Love it....thanks

[mab]

Just watching to hear him talk about mine that I'm plunking away on as he goes through the hardware. Second new instrument I've had since 1956 and that was a student clarinet (I still have and rebuilt) Reiterates what a great value I got for the money that I had to really scrape up as it's a good piece of my yearly income. So thanks

[peterjohnson]

Fantastic. Good luck trying to get one in the UK....

[charactereduc]

I love my 2 month old R35! Beats my 1979 Fender, hands down. Your best promotor, Jim Pankey, sold me on the value, and when my instructor played it, his comment was, “I’d play that banjo on any stage. I’ve heard about these Recording King banjos, but I never played one before!”

[natalya]

Good morning, dear Travis.That's aaasome.That is fantaaastic news.We're really excited to tell you about our happiness to listen to your interesting RK's banjos story.Where're you from?What did you graduate from? Greetings from Moscow, Russia.🇷🇺

[severinneukom]

mainly discovered the RK Banjo‘s in Jim Pankey's videos. As a Deering player, I have to say I like RK very much. i think at some point i will get one too .. will these banjos be available in switzerland at some point?

[banjercat]

I own an Rk-R36 I've replaced the tuners and the bridge. It is a fantastic banjo for what it sells

[johnneumann]

So it appears that some parts are fabricated in the U.S but your banjos are made in China. Mostly Chinese parts? Mostly American parts? Are they assembled in China and shipped here or are the parts shipped here and assemble here? Currently looking a the RK-OT25. Thanks.

[daleburke]

What kind of rod is in the it a double rod or a single rod need to no so I can adjust one

[campbellmuir]

The Rk35 is the only banjo I have my sights on at the moment, they look like just fantastic quality.

[gwailouh]

Recording king banjos are awesome - I love my RK-T36-BR. Only question I have is why has Recording King abandoned us banjo players who are left-handed and also play tenor?

[BartTaylor]

I definitely love my 35. Truly don't think I could be more pleased.... an endorsement from RK would be great 😂

[Chance-ryhq]

You sold me! Oh yeah I forgot I already bought an RK R36...

[blackbirdpie]

The pot metal flange is an authentic material, the original prewar Gibson Mastertone banjos had them. But if you ask me I think it was Gibson "cheaping out" during the great depression, and it's got nothing to do with the tone. It's just too far away from the sound producing zone of the instrument, and people continue to treasure the lowest quality parts just because they were used before. I don't think it's a problem, unless you drop one and it breaks, but honestly, it's just a cheap part that contributes to nothing because they could get away with it in 1934.