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Pros:
- Amazing looks
- Great price for quality
- Comfortable
Cons:
- No instructions for set up
- Takes a while to stay in tune
- High action
Luna has a vast range of string instruments. You can find anything from ukuleles to electric guitars, to banjos. While they are probably most known for their ukuleles and acoustic guitars, their range of banjos is pretty impressive. The Luna Folk Series Celtic Six-String Banjo is one of their mid-range price models that will be an amazing starting point for beginners or an excellent addition to an intermediate player’s collection. This six-string banjo is a sort of in-between beginner, king of cheap banjos and extremely expensive pro-level ones. So if you are looking for a quality instrument but do not get very pumped by the idea of spending maybe thousands on it, then this might be the way to go.
Build
This Celtic banjo is part of the Folk Series and features a mahogany resonator with a laser-etched trinity. The flat transparent head with tortoise binding creates a stunning design. Apart from that, this model has 24 brackets and an amazing tobacco burst finish that only adds more value to the overall look of the banjo. The C-shaped neck is very comfortable. On top of it, there is black walnut fingerboard with Luna’s signature mother-of-pearl inlays. While a lot of sellers list rosewood as fingerboard material, now Luna produces this model with black walnut. Walnut is an amazing material for the fingerboard, it is durable and playable and, of course, the black walnut just catches your eye. Overall, this model was very nicely crafted with comfort and playability in mind.
Hardware
Luna definitely did not overbuild this model and thanks, god. Its no bs construction spreads to the hardware and what you get is simple yet functional details. The maple bridge, dual-action truss rod along with sealed die-cast tuners and offers pretty much all you need in terms of hardware, especially for a beginner. The one problem this model has is that it does not come with instructions to install the bridge. And while that is not an issue for the more experienced players, if you are a beginner you might have a little hard time setting up this banjo. Apart from that, the action is a bit high. That affects the playability and performance of this instrument. Then again, you can easily fix the issue by sanding it down or taking it to a shop.
Luna 6 String Banjo Sound
This is a Celtic six-string, so as you have guessed this banjo is geared towards people who would like to play Celtic music. The overall sound that this banjo produces is vibrant, clear and sweet. The resonator brings the sound forward and creates great volume. While a lot of people come for this banjo for the looks, they definitely stay for the sound. It does take quite some time to keep the banjo in tune but that is usually expected for new string instruments.
Conclusion
Aesthetics, while absolutely amazing, is not the main selling point of this banjo. Yes, the transparent head with lasers ornamentation to stare at for hours and taking in the beauty of this instrument is a great pastime, BUT there would be no point to it if Luna Folk Series Celtic Six-String Banjo did not deliver on sound. Fortunately, it delivers and does quite a bit more than what I would expect from something in its price range. An amazing instrument for Celtic music and much more, this six-string beauty is one of the best banjos in its price range and probably would not have a problem competing with instruments in much higher range.
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