Dean Backwoods Banjo, Six String

by Dean Guitars

Product Features

• 6-string hybrid banjo Guitar tuning makes it a great crossover instrument for guitarists Grover tuners 11" Remo head 25" scale length 1-3/4" nut width

Product Details

• Item Weight: 12 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 35 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0002CZZ60
• Item model number: BW6
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,904 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #42 in Musical Instruments > Folk & World Instruments > Stringed Instruments > Banjos

Product Description

Dean Backwoods 6string banjo.Tunes and Plays like a guitar! Now all guitar players can play banjo with the Dean BW6. Uses 9 gauge electric guitar strings! BW6 ~25 1/2" Scale ~Mohagany Neck ~Rosewood Fingerboard ~Die Cast Tuners ~Chrome Hardware ~Celluliod Binding ~Pearl DOT/Wing Inlays ~6 String

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great cross-over instrument, August 19, 2006

By 

G. TEPPER (the OC, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dean Backwoods Banjo, Six String (Electronics)

I've been a guitar player for over 30 years, and never played the banjo. I bought this as an experiment, as I may need it for a few upcoming shows. I wanted to get a true banjo sound, but didn't want to bother learning a whole new instrument.

This "Gitjo," for the money, is a great instrument. I had to modify the bridge slightly, having to make a slightly deeper cut for the 6th string with a utility knife (it would pull off its 6th position, and move towards the 5th) and I had to place the bridge into the right position (which was a snap, since you can check positioning against harmonics).

The neck is very clean. It plays very well, and is perfectly straight. It is machined beautifully, and the fret positions are perfect. The mother of pearl Dean "Wing" design on the 12th fret is very cool.

The mahogany body is seated with 4 inset screws that were a little loose. I took those out (by hand, piece of cake) and hot glued the insets so they would sit firm. That took a few minutes, but once again was a snap to do. Since the body was off, I took the opportunity to tighten the drumhead a bit with the tool they provided. The instrument is now absolutely solid. BTW, the body is beautifully lacquer-finished mahogany.

Finally, as a result of the experiment (for those that are curious...) the top 4 strings are absolutely indistinguishable from a banjo. The 5th string sounds like a banjo when you play it on the 7th fret or higher, the 6th string isn't all that "banjo-ey." If your going to strum this a lot, i wouldnt change much, but would focus on playing higher inversions of chords, and focus on the top 4 or 5 strings.

If you are going to pick it, I would recommend the following: Replace the 5th string "A" with a guitar "B" string and crank it up an octave to the "A" a full step above the G string, and possibly will do the same with the sixth string (using a D string) to the E above the D.

I would also recommend using very bright, nickle wound strings (probably medium gauge like those starting with a .10 E string). You might also want to buy a set of banjo strings for the top 4, and take a cheap set of acoustic guitar strings and use thinner strings for the 5th and 6th strings.

All in all, the Dean is a great buy if you dont mind doing the last minute tweaks. I think this Gitjo is a great instrument to add to my collection and sounds great!

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor Quality Control, January 29, 2007

By 

Lloyd M. Rottmann (Virginia City, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dean Backwoods Banjo, Six String (Electronics)

I'd read the reviews from several sites before making this purchase and knew I was taking a chance. The existing reviews ranged from, "...never buying anything else from Dean." through, "never been more happier." My own experience was that I was disappointed.

When the instrument arrived, there were no instructions for setting it up. Since I'd already read reviews and have been working with stringed instruments for a while, this wasn't a big issue other than as an indicator of sloppy work.

The bridge, which needed to be positioned on the drum head, looked terrible. There were supposed to be notches for the strings, but it looked like whoever did the work, used a small hand axe and chipped away at the top of the bridge trying to make those grooves. You could barely see where the grooves should be and they definitely did not hold the strings in position when I started tightening things down.

And one last thing I'd noticed on first inspection was that the cover to the neck tightening nut was very scratched up.

I called the customer service folks at Dean and the reviews about their customer service being very good were substantiated. I was offered replacements for the bridge and nut cover, along with a faxed copy of the setup instructions coupled with sincere apologies for the shoddy work.

In any case, when I got the instrument home, I started doing the initial setup. One important step was to do an initial tightening of the drum skin tension. To do this, you need to remove the resonator to gain access to the tightening nuts. When I removed the resonator, two of the mounting blocks that were glued to the resonator body just fell off. A third was barely hanging by its staple. The fourth was solid. The problem seemed to be that either the glue used to secure the blocks didn't get sufficient penatration or the wood itself was just too soft to support the loads.

Also, I had to adjust the neck tension since there was a significant bow to the neck. When I tried to remove the cover to the tightening nut, the screws were already stripped from the wood.

I've talked to several Dean owners (different instruments) and Dean quality is generally quite good. This was not the case for this instrument. If there are people happy with their 6-string banjos, good for them. But something happened to the quality control between then and now. I sent emails to Dean describing the problems and hopefully some executive will be sent to China, where these things are assembled, and kick some butt because what they're putting out now just ain't working.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Value, No Regrets, December 22, 2008

By 

Big D "Big D" (Tehachapi, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dean Backwoods Banjo, Six String (Electronics)

My feedback is along the lines of those of the first reviewer. I've also been playing guitar for 30 years, but never a banjo. I was in the music store purchasing a guitar when I literally stumbled onto this banjo. I picked it up and just had to have it.

Overall, I found the workmanship and the materials to be very good, even though it is made in China. The assembly is so-so (there is where China comes in). I had to disassemble the neck as the screw that attaches the neck to the body was not properly set into the neck, and the neck was pulling apart from the body. Other minor adjustments included properly adjusting the bridge (as the first reviewer said, this is a piece of cake) and a proper adjustment of the truss rod. With this initial work completed, I am quite happy, but I could see where quality control can become an issue.

What I like most about this instrument (other than the cool banjo sound) is that it plays just like my electric Stratocaster guitar (nice action, soft strings, and smooth neck). If you don't mind doing some initial setup, it is a great instrument for a great price.

I was disappointed with the Dean web site though. Although it features the Backwoods, I found no option to download a manual or any related tech info. Also, the warranty is confusing. On one web page is says lifetime warranty for basses and guitars, and on another it says a 5-year warranty.