Once set up, this banjo sounds better than others that cost 5x more. That said, mine needed the nut that attaches the neck to the pot to be tightened (it was spinning freely on the bolt). The coordinator rod was loose as well. I changed to Earnie Ball Tenor banjo light strings CGDA and the sound is amazing. Also the frets needed serious dressing, they were quite sharp along the edge of the fretboard. All this is entirely doable and does not affect the final playability, but it really must be done. I originally thought I would add a tone ring, but the sound is so good, there's no need. So I would definitely recommend buying this banjo, but you will need to set it up, or maybe call Thomann first and tell them to go over it before sending it.