Donner DBU-200 Banjolele, 4 String Banjo Ukulele Concert 23 Inch Remo Sapele Drumhead with Strap, Picks, Strings, Gig Bag, Tunner, Truss Rod, Ruler

It is a nice starter, now I just need to learn how to play it

Me and my new Donner banjolele Great value for the $$$ and it sounds great! Order received in a week! I'm happy, I don't care WHAT the neighbors say!

I LOVE my banjolele! The quality is excellent! 2 of my friends purchased these banjoleles and I couldn’t believe the quality for the price. I HIGHLY recommend it. Great sound, great fret board, wonderful instrument!

Very nice little banjo for my young twin boys. Thank you.

Product arrived well packaged and as described. My only gripe would be the strap included didn't really have any instructions on how to properly attach/install. Nothing a quick google search couldn't clear up but it would have been nice to have.

I am please with my. Banjo do you have a book for beginners

I was looking for a portable and handy musical instrument for a while. Finally, I found what I was looking for. It has a very nice packaging with all required accessories. At first, I could not believe that it is made up of real wood with an intricate pattern. It is just like a beautiful violin. When I started to play I did not like the sound, but then I came to realize that I adjusted it wrong! Now, I love playing with it. I really needed it during pandemic!

Seems like a well made starter banjo uke.

I was curious, so I picked this instrument up. The banjolele seems to be the dark secret child of a ukulele and a banjo, and it is simple enough for a child to quickly learn how to play it. It tunes like a uke and sounds banjo-ish. It's construction is solid and it even uses a Remo drumhead for the body. The tuners are smooth. I had some trouble tuning it up, but the secret( apparently) with nylon strings is to turn them one revolution at a time, leaving time between the turns. This allows the string to stretch and stay tuned where they are left, before taking them a bit higher. The instrument comes with a tuner that has options for guitar, bass and other instruments. It is accurate and easy to use. There is also a strap, a drum key, some picks (not sure why), a soft-shell carrying case and a new set of strings. There are videos online about tuning it and playing it which were helpful to me. I've only had it a few weeks so I don't know if it stays in tune over time, but once I got the strings stretched, they seemed to hold their own for a few days at least. The banjolele is a good fun starter stringed instrument, especially for an adult, given the proliferation of ukulele -related gear and instructional material available these days. Unlike most guitars, It doesn't hurt the fingers.

Never thought I'd own a banjo, but here we are! The option to swap the strings and use this as a ukulele is what truly sets this apart from anything else, and the reason I got it. It's very versatile and once tuned, has the happy twangy sound you'd expect from a banjo. The travel bag and extras that come with this are excellent. Everything fits in it, including the strap and tuner in the front pocket. My only concern is the woooden bridge that rests on the drum has a tendency to very occasionally either fall over, or have a string pop put of its channel if you strum too hard. This is probably user error though and with more practice this may stop, but it can get frustrating sometimes

I liked the quality and value for this acoustic instrument. It's perfect for the beginner with all the extra bits but will also work great for an intermediate/advanced player. It comes with a nice black carry bag so it's very convenient for me to carry around town or from place to place. Love it lots!

What a Amazing Banjolele. Totally worth money. It came on time with beautifully packed. I wanted to gift my daughter. She just loved it. Sounds best built strong. Definitely recommend.

With four strings has a sound similar to guitar. Simple and light for kids as they don't need to use their fragile nail. Just remember to balance it with its tuner/metronome.

Great quality and comes with lots of extras including picks, extra string, handle, bag, tuner, etc. The banjo is nice and heavy from its quality construction of wood and metal. The sound quality is also fantastic for its price. Overall great value and very easy to pick up the instrument and begin learning. Highly Recommended especially as a gift for those wanting to learn and acoustic instrument.

Just like uklele, I like it , much more cute...It.can be a good gift, and 5 stars value of money. Easy to play! I recommend it, especially for girls, cause the tune will be higher. Same principle chords as the ukulele, that's what I think

Nice product but no instructions on inserting bridge or attaching strap, and stii cannot figure out where and how to attach straps.

If you are a ukulele player and are looking for something that sounds different this is the instrument for you. If you play with other uke players this will definitely help you cut through and have your own voice. Mine played well as it arrived without any setup required. Comes with a nice case, tuner, strap, picks and extra set of strings. Great value for the money. I would highly recommend this instrument.

It’s a nice instrument. The tuner was cheap but I have another one. It came tuned but the last two strings were tuned an octave lower than they should have been. Other than that it’s a nice instrument!

Wow, I really like this banjolele. It is actually my second banjolele. I have been a fan of ukuleles made by Donner for about 15 months now (I have owned and played 4 of them, and all of them were just amazing values for price and great quality), so when I began wishing for a banjolele, I was really hoping that Donner would have one available. After months of waiting and hoping, and both my husband and I doing some research, he gave me a banjolele from another company for Christmas. Just letting you know that for point of reference. It is not from a famous brand, but it is one of a few that we had narrowed down to from research over affordable options, and the company which made it seemed very similar to Donner, which had been so good to me thus far, so��we took a chance. And that banjolele is wonderful. Again��just sharing for point of reference for this detailed review. I was so excited to hear that Donner now had a banjolele available, so I immediately took the opportunity to purchase one and try it out! And how fun that I could now compare as well. The Donner banjolele has a wonderful ��plunky�� sound, as a banjo should. The drum head has the Remo logo on it, which is one of my qualifications for what I desire in a banjolele, though the skin is a flat white matte, which was surprising to me, as my other banjolele has a Remo skin that has that sort of mottled look to it. Honestly, I don��t notice a difference other than appearance in that respect. This banjolele set comes with a decent gig bag: sturdy material, some padding (so-to-speak, so it is not one of those thin gig bags that feels like a windbreaker jacket), but not quite as awesome as some of the gig bags that came with some of my Donner traditional ukes. I wouldn��t mind a more spacious pocket. It comes with the Donner tuner as all Donner ukes do, which is my favorite tuner. I received another tuner with another brand of uke, and it has been less than pleasing��so glad that I have the occasion to know the difference! The set also comes with an extra pair of strings (but they are not labeled as to which one is which?), picks, a truss rod, and a strap---however the strap might be meant for a guitar or regular sized banjo. It is too long for me even when tightened all of the way. Decent quality, just doesn��t serve my purposes. Granted, I am a petite 5��1����, but with all of my other ukes, the straps that come with them have been fine. Also, just so you know, one needs to have 2 small strings or ribbons in order to connect the strap to the banjolele (by looping them through the holes at the end of the strap). It��s not an exciting strap, either. Black canvas with fake brown suede/leather ends, but for the right person, it will do the trick, and honestly some of the straps that come with other instruments, ones with crazy patterns- they probably don��t please everyone either. I have been known to buy a particular strap for a particular instrument just because I wanted it to be more ��me��. What the set lacked in my case was the special tool for measuring where to set up the bridge, or alternatively, instructions for how to measure without that special see-thru tool that one usually sees with these types of banjolele sets. I found out later that there *should* have been a tool included. Luckily, I had one from my other banjolele, and though they have slightly different lengths of neck/fretboard, etc, when I double-checked using the manual measurement method, it actually came out the same. Interesting. As for comparison, the Donner banjolele drum is about ? inch deeper than my other banjolele, and the neck is slightly thicker. I was surprised at this and wondered if it would make it more difficult to play��but actually, the Donner Banjolele is quite comfortable to play! My other banjolele has a slightly brighter sound than the Donner Banjolele, but saying the Donner has a darker sound does not seem accurate��perhaps a bit richer or deeper�� The neck and body of the Donner banjolele are a beautiful red wood look, smooth to the touch. I wouldn��t mind a little more texture there for the feel of wood. The Black headstock is actually quite classy looking- I was not sure if I would like that or not, as my other banjolele looks a bit more rustic, but it turns out pleasing to me. I am not sure if the Donner name on the headstock is a sticker or paint. I might have expected something that was etched or punched in, like other products from Donner that I have experienced, but like I said, it is still lovely, and thus far, every Donner product that I have purchased, from ukuleles to other music accessories, has been a home run. So, I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt. I have had my banjolele for about a month now. As can be expected with any new uke (but it not always the case), the banjolele went out of tune pretty quickly in the first week or so, like literally within minutes of playing. However, recently I have realized that it has been holding tune through a 15 to 30 minute practice session, which is also what one could certainly hope for and expect from playing an instrument regularly once the strings settle down. (fyi, my first ever uke was a Donner, and it held tune well from the beginning...I was spoiled! ??) All in all, another great instrument by Donner, at an affordable price. Super value with great quality.

After much time looking for a fun ukelele to play, I stumbled across this banjolele and instantly my curiosity got the best of me. I wasn't sure what to expect, having never heard a banjolele before, but WOW, does this thing deliver not only the fun but the quality as well. What I notice first when removing the instrument from the box, then the gig bag, and finally the protective padding (excellent protective packing by the way) was how gorgeous it looked. I have a Taylor acoustic guitar that is also backed with Sapele wood and was impressed to find this $100 banjolele was equally as beautiful. Installing the bridge was quite easy, and using the included tuner the banjolele was ready to play right out of the box. The sound is bright and resonates quite well. It seems louder than a traditional ukelele in my opinion. Overall, I'm impressed. I wasn't expecting such a beautiful looking, great sounding instrument for only spending $100, but this little thing is quite amazing. I highly recommend checking this out.

This banjolele is beautiful and fun to play. It sounds great. It was very easy to set up the bridge and it came with a tuner, strap, some picks and a drum key. It's very nice and I'm happy with my purchase.

Well first of all, let me say that I had intended on buying a banjo. This is a banjolele - a hybrid between a banjo and a ukulele. Initially I was shocked and a bit disappointed when I first saw the box lablled UKULELE. But when I pulled it out... my first thought was... it's a cute mini-banjo. And as I inspected it, I was pleasantly surprised by its build quality. From headstock to the bottom of the body (drumhead) is solid, smooth and great joinery. Initially I set it up incorrectly. Unfortunately, Donner never included a set of instructions as the description says, nor did it include a ruler. And also, being a novice, I didn't place the bridge nut in (I had assumed that it was just a piece of cardboard holding the strings of the neck and I tossed it to one side) I took some videos of my frustration with the action being so low, that I almost packed it back up. It just so happened that my eyes spotted the string slots in the "piece of cardboard "... at which point, I realized what it was. So, in a renewed enthusiasm, I looseded the strings once more. Since there weren't any instructions on how to place the bridge nut, I measured from the neck nut to the center of the 12th fretwire. I took the same measurement and applied it to the treble side (1st / bottom string) and measured from the 12th fret (center) to where the bridge nut should be. I made a small pencil mark. I did the same for the bass side (4th / top string)... I added 1/16th of an inch (to account for intonation of the bass string) and made my mark. Then I placed the bridge nut in place on the marks, while centering it vertically. Then (using a string winder... believe me get one)... I tuned the banjolele with the Donner DT-2 clip on tuner that came with the instrument. I originally tuned it as a banjo, but the Amazon description says ukelele - so be sure the dt-2 is set to ukulele (the ON button on the back also allows you to scroll through the instrument tuning) Note: this part is a bit tedious as they are nylon strings which will stretch fairly quickly. You'll most likely have to keep tuning, frequently for a while. I did. You have to try and place the bridge nut as accurately as possible to get the correct intonation... as mention, Donner didn't include the instructions, so do some research. I have put the strap on yet as I haven't decided if I want to risk putting strap buttons on it, or just tie it on. The strap is actually pretty nice... and to be honest, I'm thinking of using it for my son's short-scale mini guitar that I'm building for him at the moment. There's a wrench that accompanies the instrument, but without instructions, I'm not going to risk using it. Some research will have to be done. Other than that, I'm already having fun with this instrument. There's some frequent retuning, but that's a part of it. Thanks Donner for putting out a well built AND unique instrument (never heard of banjolele until it arrived... through oversight on my part - but it was a pleasant surprise)!! Now to learn the Banjo tab for the "duelling banjos" from "Deliverance " (isn't that a given?) Anyway, as I learn more, I will update. Amy videos I'll add as time permits. Enjoy folks... so far, a fun and well built instrument.

Packaging and shipping. The packaging from Amazon left a lot to be desired. There was a single sheet of packing paper just thrown in the box. The inner ukelele box was well packed and there was no damage to the instrument. Included items: The bag is great quality, zippers are smooth and the backpack style is quite fun. The included tuner (DT-4) looks to be a step up from previous tuners and has a large enough screen and tuning options. The drum adjustment tool looks to be of high quality. There are also strings (save the beads on the Banjolele as you will need them when changing strings) and a strap included (which doesn't have a button included) would need to be tied on to the bridge or drum hardware...not sure how safe that would be for the instrument. The standard adding of a button on the neck heel may not work as the drum side is really heavy. The bridge position ruler was not in the shipment but using a school ruler got me in the right position and using the tuner and harmonics at the 12th fret got me the rest of the way. The Banjolele: So much FUN! It is loud and sturdy construction. It seems really solid. The backplate is not paper thin nor is the drum ring. So adding spacers to increase volume will be pain free, just some longer screws would be needed. The neck is attached with a couple wood screws so the neck is NOT adjustable and the truss rod in the drum is adjusted by a standard wrench. I do not have a drum tuner to test the drum head. Conclusion: This is a fun instrument. I am extremely excited about playing it. It is a good quality instrument and am happy to own it. The tone is very banjo like but not entirely. It's a completely different sound. Like a subtle banjo haahahaa. I would purchase again and may should anything happen to this one.

The instrument looks and feels great with no fret issues or finish flaws. The headstock is satin black with Chrome tuners. It has a Remo banjo head and removable wood back. Package included the instrument, a gigbag, tuner, drum key, strap, picks & an extra set of strings! Set up was simple, just place the floating bridge & tune it up. I really like the way it sounds. I am considering adding a piezo pickup so I can play through an amp!

What i like about this banjolele is its size. Living in a studio apartment, and owning a few instruments myself, making an addition to my collection is always a hassle. Unlike a traditional ukelele, this banjolele brings the southern vibes to any ukelele piece. Playing Israel Kamakawiwo'ole classics, or classic hits from the Super Mario franchise with a banjo twist definitely brings nostalgia in a new form. The included accessories are a nice to have for any beginner, if a string snaps, or the drumhead needs replacement, the accessories got you covered. One thing to note when setting this banjolele up for the first time, you might need to spend some time tuning it properly, as mine was not tuned out of the box. For anyone familiar with string instruments, this is a pretty standard thing to expect, especially at this budget friendly price point, but for the beginner out there, just remember to put some time into tuning it properly. Thankfully, the included tuner works great, and if you need an alternative to it, DATuner on phone always works. Overall, pretty good I must say, the Remo drumhead, the included accessories and a relatively simple design makes this viable as a beginner instrument for anyone, as long as proper effort is put into the initial tuning of this banjolele, anyone can sound good.