Post by Martin on Oct 28, 2017 22:41:47 GMT
Today I got a new banjo. It was something that came up a couple of weeks ago or so. I just happened to see this Romero banjo advertised on the Banjo Hangout, and mentioned to my wife that I thought it was rather dashing.
She immediately instructed me to buy it. I hadn't even considered it, mainly due to the expense, but she's been very supportive in the past, and has consistently told me to get onto the waiting list for a Romero ever since I first discovered them about 8 years ago.
I've always been too afraid of the commitment of signing up to a waiting list, which was around 1-2 years, then 3, then 4 and now (due to the fire at their workshop last year) that list is over 5 years!
Realistically, the only way I was ever going to get one would be a used one, and in the UK that is a very small chance. In fact, the only other person I know who has one is Ian (ianlp59 ).
Luckily for me, the seller was based in the UK (although a few hundred miles away) and the banjo was in mint condition. After some back and forward negotiation and some advice taking on here, I arranged to meet the seller today in Lancaster.
Had a lovely day out, some nice lunch and beer, and met the chap and his wife at the train station and did the deal. It is a stunning looking thing, a work of art, but it also plays so beautifully and has a huge sound.
It really came out of the blue and has put the brakes on any other potential purchases for some time - in fact, it's now accelerated my thoughts on selling other instruments!
According to David (who sold me the banjo), he got it late 2014 after a few years on the waiting list, but the timing of its arrival didn't suit him, and he didn't manage to play it very much as a consequence.
So the banjo is effectively 'new', although it needed new strings and I gave it a bit of TLC while doing so.
Anyway, I know there isn't too much genuine banjo-love on here, but I thought I'd share these piccies anyway. I didn't take them, they're from Romero's website, but it looks exactly like it's shown in the photos.
www.romerobanjos.com/14373/
She immediately instructed me to buy it. I hadn't even considered it, mainly due to the expense, but she's been very supportive in the past, and has consistently told me to get onto the waiting list for a Romero ever since I first discovered them about 8 years ago.
I've always been too afraid of the commitment of signing up to a waiting list, which was around 1-2 years, then 3, then 4 and now (due to the fire at their workshop last year) that list is over 5 years!
Realistically, the only way I was ever going to get one would be a used one, and in the UK that is a very small chance. In fact, the only other person I know who has one is Ian (ianlp59 ).
Luckily for me, the seller was based in the UK (although a few hundred miles away) and the banjo was in mint condition. After some back and forward negotiation and some advice taking on here, I arranged to meet the seller today in Lancaster.
Had a lovely day out, some nice lunch and beer, and met the chap and his wife at the train station and did the deal. It is a stunning looking thing, a work of art, but it also plays so beautifully and has a huge sound.
It really came out of the blue and has put the brakes on any other potential purchases for some time - in fact, it's now accelerated my thoughts on selling other instruments!
According to David (who sold me the banjo), he got it late 2014 after a few years on the waiting list, but the timing of its arrival didn't suit him, and he didn't manage to play it very much as a consequence.
So the banjo is effectively 'new', although it needed new strings and I gave it a bit of TLC while doing so.
Anyway, I know there isn't too much genuine banjo-love on here, but I thought I'd share these piccies anyway. I didn't take them, they're from Romero's website, but it looks exactly like it's shown in the photos.
www.romerobanjos.com/14373/
Jo whoever he is.
