Testimonial

Tintinnabulation.  I'm not sure how long I've known that word, but I know I've never used it.  Now that the bell tones of my Marble Falls tubaphone ring all day long, I've found a suitable use for the word.  I had an idea for a banjo, but the idea involved a peghead shape that differed from the others Chuck was using, as well as inlays that were wood rather than the more standard materials.  I sketched out some ideas, relayed others by word, and then let Mr. Lee run with the idea.  The result is perfection.

The wood choices, walnut enhanced by subtle, elegant stripes of colored veneer, combined with the perfectly executed and equally elegant dyed wood inlays, and craftsmanship that few people are capable of, formed a banjo that is as much a sculpture as it is a musical instrument.  As I mentioned, the beautiful bell tones the banjo makes achieve exactly the sound I wanted when I first dreamt of owning a tubaphone.

This may sound strange to those who haven't had the same experience, but what I think I love most about this banjo is the simple feeling of playing it.  It is some magical combination of perfect balance, a well-shaped neck, wood choices, a clean, smooth finish, rock solid construction, wonderful out-of-the-box setup, action and string gauge choice, as well as some other mysterious less-identifiable aesthetic characteristics.  They come together to form a banjo I think I'd like to hold and play even if I couldn't hear.

More than a month after having received it, it still catches my eye when I walk past it, and I honestly still have thoughts like "Wow, what a beautiful banjo!"  The hours I spend every day playing it do absolutely nothing to diminish how pleased I am with the action and sounds it produces. 

Perhaps the best compliment I can give (beside that the woodwork is top notice, the inlays subtle and elegant, the balance, feel and action all perfection, etc.) is that my dad (not a banjo guy or a music guy at all) said it was, and sounded, beautiful.

As I told Chuck recently, I've run out of rationalizations for buying banjos.  I own a variety of sizes and configurations by a variety of makers, and have no real gaps to fill that I can use to excuse another purchase.  However, I HAVE to own another Lee Banjo, whether I can rationalize it or not....

Mark Johnson