Fender FB-300 Banjo Pack, Natural

by Fender

Product Features

• Chromed Steel Rim With 18 Piece Bracket and laminated mahogany back
• Nato Neck w/ rosewood Fingerboard
• Included Accessories: Gig Bag, Strings, Tuner, Picks, Instructional Materials

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 47 x 19.8 x 5.2 inches ; 10 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B001AZLT4K
• Item model number: 979500021
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,950 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #29 in Musical Instruments > Folk & World Instruments > Stringed Instruments > Banjos

Product Description

The banjo is instrumental (pardon the pun) in American music. Originally descended from traditional African instruments, it plays a major role in bluegrass and country and even pops up occasionally in rock, jazz and fusion. Nothing else sounds like it, and it’s a fun instrument to play. Now it’s easy to get started playing banjo—our FB-300 Banjo Pack includes a Fender banjo, gig bag, strings, tuner, picks and an instructional book. Everything you need to start a pickin’ and a grinnin’ right now, all in one package.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fender Banjos Are Excellent and Highly Underrated, December 31, 2010

By 

JR (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fender FB-300 Banjo Pack, Natural (Electronics)

I have been a bass player in bluegrass circles for over 10 years. Recently I wanted to learn the banjo. The overall fit, finish and quality of Fender products are excellent. I own Fender guitars and the necks have a great feel. That goes for this FB-300 banjo. Fender isn't the first company you think of when speaking of bluegrass instrument companies however this banjo sounds great and playability is great. Here are my thoughts and experiences with this banjo
1. Tuners: Surprisingly good. Kept strings in tune for weeks at a time without any adjustments
2. Banjo head: Coming from the factory I found the head to be very loose which makes the sound muddy. I firmly tightened the head and it brought the banjo to life. It became brighter and louder. It actually has a moderate "punch" now.
3. Fender Service Department: One of the head tightening hooks had a defect and snapped when I applied only moderate tension. Fender service without question sent me replacement parts for free. 5 stars for Fender service who had very knowledgeable and helpful personnel.
4. Weight: This is a very light banjo...half to a third the weight of Gibson, Deering, Stelling banjos and also smaller in overall diameter. For beginners this is great because you are not struggling with the banjo instead of focusing on technique. It makes a good travel banjo if you want to go to the beach or park and not worrying about it being banged around.
5. Sound: The quality of the sound is great for this price. I have a Deering Goodtime that sounds like a really good old timey open back banjo. The Fender is brighter and has more of a punch. What suffers is the overall volume and lead banjo "punch" because it is smaller than standard jam banjos. Using this banjo in a jam with Gibsons and Deerings, you probably won't over power anyone. For beginners that is probably ideal anyways as most beginners in jams usually try to blend into the background.
6. Value: 5 stars here. Don't forget this banjo is about 1/10th to 1/20th the cost of the banjos you hear at festivals and serious jams.
7. Serviceablity: This is a very easy banjo to take apart and service.
8. Resonator: On the small and light side. A larger resonator would probably help improve the volume.
9. Neck: For my tastes, Fender has always made great guitar necks. This goes for the banjo as well. The Deering Goodtime neck feels a little clunkier than the Fender neck. Fender necks tend to be thinner than their competition. Fingering, chording, and going up and down the neck seems effortless with a Fender neck.

OVERALL: Great beginners banjo for adults and especially kids when you don't want to invest well over 4 digits for an instrument when the long term commitment is still in question. Also for experienced player this makes a great knock around banjo for practicing and wilder parties/picnics when you don't want to dig out your treasured banjo and risk the scratches, wear and occasional beer bath.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Low quality product, not necessarily proper for a beginner, September 6, 2011

By 

Michael Porcello (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fender FB-300 Banjo Pack, Natural (Electronics)

I ordered this Fender Banjo pack online against my better judgment -- I believe one should always try to buy an instrument in person from a seller to be sure the instrument works correctly. Stringed instruments are incredibly delicate and can have many different problems - something I discovered when buying this product.

I ordered this banjo and received the product in a few days. It was a nice kit: a book, five finger picks, a tuner, a gig bag, and the banjo itself. All of it looks very nice. However, there were problems:

1. The banjo's action (i.e. the distance of the strings from the fretboard) was so low that the strings had rubbed grooves against the bottom three frets. I believe an instrument should come playable -- or at least with some information on how to properly set up the banjo. This "beginner" kit had neither. I had to Google how to fix this - a process that had me taking apart the nut (not the right answer), then finally having to take a wrench to the large bolt inside the head of the banjo and hoping I was turning the right way to fix the action. That this was necessary at all I find absurd -- but even more that the kit said NOTHING about this possibly being necessary, or how to do it!

2. Even after fixing the action, the strings weren't right. The 1st and 5th strings were about half a millimeter closer to the fretboard than the other strings, meaning they either rubbed on the frets (if set to low action) or the middle three strings had to be really far off the fretboard (if set to high action). This is a problem due to a low quality product -- a stringer instrument should have strings of uniform height, especially after just being made.

3. So I returned the banjo, and, figuring myself in too deep, asked for a replacement. Like a normal person, I sent back everything -- gig bag, book, banjo, picks, etc. The replacement I received was incomplete - the seller had opened the kit and removed everything but the gig bag and the banjo! This was extremely frustrating and disappointing, but not so much as...

4. The replacement banjo I received. The banjo had the same issues as the first -- initially set to an extremely low action (why they would send an instrument out in non-working order -- and clearly do so on all of their products -- is bewildering. Even more bewildering is to do this and not include ANY instructions on how a beginner can set up the instrument). Fixing the action, I found again that the strings were not a uniform height. Also, the instrument came with a snapped 3rd string.

I have since asked for a full refund, and will NEVER buy instruments online again. Even if your Fender Banjo kit comes in perfect condition, I still implore you -- DO NOT BUY INSTRUMENTS THROUGH THE INTERNET. You are opening yourself up to shoddy work and problems that you could easily avoid by going to a Guitar Center or its equivalent. You may also then make sure the instrument is properly set up, get information from an educated person on how to fix the instrument if need be, a person to return to.

5.0 out of 5 stars great, January 16, 2012

By 

gary - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fender FB-300 Banjo Pack, Natural (Electronics)

absolutely wonderful service and this item is excellent. could not ask for anything better. My husband plays most instruments and decided he wanted to learn the banjo and to my surprise he actually can, this banjo is great for starters and comes with everything you need to start learning. would recommend to everyone.