Banjo

For Sale:

Rich and Taylor JD Crowe model banjo (1993) in excellent condition (with hard case with some wear)

contact Michael at 707-363-4573 or email: magicalmoonshine@gmail.com

Not being made anymore. If you are unfamiliar with this beauty, take a few moments to read the reviews at the bottom of the page or do your own internet research. This is a fine, rare banjo. I have had it appraised by two different sources ($2600.00 and $2700.00.) Because I am looking for a quick sale, before I place it on consignment in the banjo store, I am offering it for a limited time so the buyer keeps the 20% consignment I would have to pay the store. To make the math easy, let's say you talk the store down to $2500.00, their commission would be $500.00...buy it direct from me first, and walk away with it for the bargain price of $2000.00 (and you keep the $500.00). I need to sell fast, so will place it on consignment shortly if it doesn't sell directly.

Good opportunity to own a beautiful, mahogany resonator JD Crowe model banjo that needs no further modifications...Does it get any better than that?

Quotes about the R&T JD Crowes (from reviews below)

If someone can get their hands on one, I would highly recommend it, I have tried a number of Gibson's, too dark fo my taste. They stopped making these back in the mid-90's from what I've heard, so I feel fortunate to have found such a nice one. This will be my banjo forever.

Clarity and separation of notes up and down the neck drew my attention to this model. Sounds great in large or small jams without having to pull the strings off the banjo to be heard. I'm on my fifth year playing this Rich & Taylor now, with no fret buzzing and hardly any wear in the frets. What a difference in product ! The sound is full, both up and down the neck, losing no quality. I get lots of good comments about this banjo. I've owned Gibson, Stelling, and Deering banjos, but none have come close to my J.D. Crowe Model Rich and Taylor. I can't think of anything I dislike about this model.

This is a 1995 model. The combination of Greg Rich, Mark Taylor and the Kulesh 10 hole tone ring is hard to beat. Just a great tone. Very rich with a lot of pop and snap. Clear and full up the neck. I had a 1997 Gibson RB3. It was a really good banjo, the Rich&Taylor is better. I couldn't be happier and consider it a bargain at what I paid for it.

Fantastic rich -- LOUD -- bluegrass sound. Great variety of sounds based on picking positions, picks and touch. Clear up and down the neck.

Sound	1995 JD Crowe with the 20-hole (Tennessee?) tonering. SS bridge, Weatherking head, Presto tailpiece. Mahogany resonator and neck. The sound of this banjo is warm and crisp. Perfect for what I play, my search is over.
Sound Rating	9
Setup	The setup was perfect. The guy I bought it from is a talented non-pro who uses a drum torque wrench for the head, and had a small metal shim added to lift the neck up just a little. The tailpiece is set parallel to the head. I like to tinker, but I'm not going to touch a thing because the sound and playability are right where they should be. The spacing on the neck is wider than was on my Deering Boston or my OME Juniper. But I quickly adjusted and now it feels normal. The neck is also thicker than those banjos, more similar to Gibson.
Setup Rating	9
Appearance	The appearance is great. This one has been well played. New professionally installed frets. Slight checking in the nitro finish. Very worn head. The metal is all good with no major corrosion. The inlays are and unusual pattern from the 1920s re-discovered by Greg Rich. Gibson uses the same pattern on the Blackjack. They remind me of the original Atari Space Invaders game. Very well done. Looks like a Cox 3-piece rim. The fit to the tonering is perfect. Overall appearance is simple and traditional. Not too fancy, but not plain either. Just right.
Appearance Rating	9
Reliability	If properly maintained, I expect this banjo to last 100 years or more. Why not? The old Gibson's are still making great music.
Reliability Rating	9
Customer Service	Unknown, but I've heard good things about Mark Taylor's service history. I don't expect to ever call on him for service.
Customer Service	not rated
Components	Nothing cheap, nothing needs replacing. Standout to me is the neck and the inlay pattern.
Components Rating	9
Overall Comments	Absolutely would recommend this banjo to anyone who likes mahogany banjos. I got this banjo for not much more than some of the new imports. Enough said. If it was stolen I would try to replace it with something similar, but these are hard to find, expecially at this price. There are lots of nice banjos from many different makers. I would try to find another that sounds, feels, and looks right. I'm not married to any brands.
Overall Rating	9

Sound	This is a 1995 model. The combination of Greg Rich, Mark Taylor and the Kulesh 10 hole tone ring is hard to beat. Just a great tone. Very rich with a lot of pop and snap. Clear and full up the neck. I had a 1997 Gibson RB3. It was a really good banjo, the Rich&Taylor is better. I couldn't be happier and consider it a bargain at what I paid for it.
Sound Rating	10
Setup	Perfect. I like higher action so I put on an 11/16 Robin Smith bridge. That sealed the deal with more volume.
Setup Rating	10
Appearance	Beautiful. Headstock is not the traditional fiddle shape, it's more of a paddle. I've grown to like it. The fingerboard has one of the nicest slabs of rosewood I've seen, a reddish deep color. Nice inlays. Resonator binding and trim is excellant
Appearance Rating	10
Reliability	It's 10 years old and still looks great
Reliability Rating	10
Customer Service
Customer Service	not rated
Components
Components Rating	10
Overall Comments	In my opinion these older R&T banjos when Greg Rich was working there are way undervalued. I guess that's a good thing because you can really get a fantastic banjo for a lot less $$$. It's all about tone and this banjo has it in spades. The Kulesh 10 hole is a great ring.
Overall Rating	10

Sound	Incredible! Absolutely the nicest sounding banjo I've ever played. Tons of low end growl, even ,loud volume all the way up the neck.
Sound Rating	10
Setup	Setup perfectly from Curtis, I did install GHS pf 150's on it, that was it!
Setup Rating	10
Appearance	NIce Neck! beautiful inlays, all around fine looking instrument. Not overly fancy.
Appearance Rating	8
Reliability	Just got it not too long ago, seems very solid.
Reliability Rating	not rated
Customer Service	N/A
Customer Service	not rated
Components	It's a 1995 model with the Kulesh 10 hole ring, presto tailpiece, waverly tuners, and one of Curtis's bridges on it. I', leaving it just the way it is.
Components Rating	10
Overall Comments	If someone can get their hands on one, I would highly recommend it, I have tried a number of Gibson's, too dark fo my taste. They stopped making these back in the mid-90's from what I've heard, so I feel fortunate to have found such a nice one. This will be my banjo forever.
Overall Rating	10

Sound	Fantastic rich -- LOUD -- bluegrass sound. Great variety of sounds based on picking positions, picks and touch. Clear up and down the neck. Didn't really show all it could do until I got a Tony Pass Old Wood Rim and Kyle Smith set it up.
Sound Rating	not rated
Setup	Well set up, but whatever Kyle did to it achanges it a lot, and the Pass rim was key. It has the Kulesh ring, and I have no hankering to upgrade it. Since posting this review I have heard a Hopkins tonering. It is superior to the Kulesh in my estimation, and in the Timeless Timber banjo I heard it in gives a better sound then my R&T with the Kulesh.
Setup Rating	not rated
Appearance	Beautiful, not very flashy but well finished.
Appearance Rating	not rated
Reliability	Good finish. Added D Tuners.
Reliability Rating	not rated
Customer Service	No longer exists.
Customer Service	not rated
Components	I must say the best component is probably the new rim!
Components Rating	not rated
Overall Comments	I would certainly recommend it, and have. The best modern banjo I have played, until I heard a Timeless Timber with a Hopkins tonering. But that's a lot more expensive.
Overall Rating	not rated

Sound	Rich, full sound. I play a Scruggs style with more hit and snap. This machine can do it.
Sound Rating	9
Setup	Great setup & action right to last fret
Setup Rating	9
Appearance	1995 model in Excellent++ condition
Appearance Rating	9
Reliability	Looks great
Reliability Rating	9
Customer Service	Have not needed repair, although the shop has a good reputation
Customer Service	not rated
Components	None that I can see
Components Rating	not rated
Overall Comments	Previous owner got J.D. to personally sign the inside of the resonator with a gold pen, at a concert in 1998. This is my 3rd & last banjo. I have waited a long time to get a sweet puppy like this. God help the clown who would steal this thing!
Overall Rating	not rated

Sound	Clarity and separation of notes up and down the neck drew my attention to this model. Sounds great in large or small jams without having to pull the strings off the banjo to be heard. Built and set up by Mark Taylor with a 5-year guarantee on the frets. I had to mention this because before this, I owned a 1991 Gibson Granada and the frets wore out on me in six months. Gibson told me that it was 'normal wear and tear' and they would not guarantee their frets. I'm on my fifth year playing this Rich & Taylor now, with no fret buzzing and hardly any wear in the frets. What a difference in product ! The sound is full, both up and down the neck, losing no quality. I get lots of good comments about this banjo. I've owned Gibson, Stelling, and Deering banjos, but none have come close to my J.D. Crowe Model Rich and Taylor. I can't think of anything I dislike about this model.
Sound Rating	9
Setup	Mark Taylor made and set up my banjo. It was set up for GHS PF160 strings, as I like the heaviest strings. R & T uses the Snuffy Smith bridge, which adds even more spice. The action is the lowest I have seen on any banjo, just as I requested. I have not made any adjustments to the banjo.
Setup Rating	9
Appearance	I am not eccentric in my playing, therefore my banjo is not a visual oddity. I let the sound attract the attention of onlookers when I am in an open jam or gig. I once had a friend at Galax Fiddlers Convention tell me that he found me in the hordes of campers by hearing the sound of my banjo. He said he was four rows over from me and picked my out with no problem.
Appearance Rating	9
Reliability	This banjo will outlast me for sure. The finish is still great. The frets amaze me how they hold up, compared to the Gibson I once owned where the frets wore out in six months. The Rich & Taylor is my only banjo now. (other than an old Stelling I use for kindling when I need to start a fire in the stove haha!)
Reliability Rating	9
Customer Service	I sent Mark Taylor a thank you email, not expecting to ever hear from him again. Three days after I emailed him, he sent me a lengthy email, saying how he was glad that I was so happy with my Rich & Taylor. He invited me to visit his workshop, and see some other instruments. His warranty is great as is the service I received.
Customer Service	9
Components	Ahhhh, that wonderful tone ring that they patented. I think it is spun on a lathe, and not cast like most other tone rings. I think this is the secret to the sweet sounds I hear coming from within. So far, I have not had any parts wear on this banjo, and I'm in my fifth year playing it.
Components Rating	9
Overall Comments	I recommend the Rich & Taylor banjos to anyone who appreciates great sound in the full register of the neck of a banjo. It was worth the investment. I don't want to think about if someone stole this banjo. My wife refers to it as 'the other woman' , because I take it wherever I go, just in case someone wants to jam. I'm more than satisfied, and I'm surprised that I am the first on this site to give a review on such a great instrument. I gave all the ratings a '9' here, as there is nothing in this world that is a perfect 10.
Overall Rating	9