The following review appeared in the July 2002 issue of Banjo NewsLetter, and was written by Bill Evans. It appears with their permission.

Long time readers of this magazine have been following the upward career trajectory of Steve Huber for quite some time now. Combining his talents as a great banjo player with his occupational experience as a machinist, Steve introduced the Huber Vintage flathead tone ring in the mid-1990’s. Capturing almost exactly the metallurgical and structural formula of one variety of the acclaimed Gibson prewar flathead tone ring, this product has won well-deserved acclaim as an after market component that has helped thousands of players improve the sound of their instruments.

Setting a long term goal of building an entire banjo himself, Steve has patiently spent the last several years examining the other elements of the Gibson prewar banjo sound in the attempt to construct a new instrument from the ground up that comes as close as possible to what’s the holy grail for many of us banjo players. From the construction of the banjo’s component parts to the all-important fit between those parts (and especially the fit of the rim to the tone ring), Steve is now sharing the results of his research with the rest of the banjo world with the unveiling of his line of Huber banjos (for more information, check out the exhaustive website at www.huberbanjos.com).

I became hooked on Steve’s Lancaster model after using this instrument on an instructional video project for AcuTab publications recorded in the fall of last year. Many of you know that my main performing instrument is a 1939 Gibson RB-75 that I acquired from Sonny Osborne about five years ago. Since that time, I’ve really become a fan of the particular kind of warmth and directness that a mahogany neck and resonator can give to a good banjo. Others prefer maple or walnut and, make no mistake, these are also fine woods that can make a great instrument (just ask Sonny Osborne or Alan Munde!). However each kind of wood tends to give a different potentiality of sound to a banjo in a way that cuts across issues of set-up. For me right now, nothing beats mahogany.

While I knew that the basic sound of this banjo had to be outstanding (after all, it has a Huber ring and Steve fit everything together!), I was immediately impressed by the attention to detail that is evident in a myriad other ways. You’ve got all of the best parts and the best wood currently available, assembled by someone who knows how things are supposed to fit together. The wood itself is the most beautiful mahogany that I’ve ever seen and I really love the sheer feel of the instrument in my hands. The instrument’s low gloss finish very closely resembles the look and feel of my own prewar Gibson and the banjo feels quick and solid in my hands, to a degree that I’ve never quite felt on any other instrument.

The Huber banjo necks are exact computer guided copies of one of Steve’s own prewar Gibson necks. As such, there is slightly less mass than one might find on a recent Gibson banjo. Also, the fingerboard is ever so slightly (1/64”) narrower in the first position than a reissue era Gibson neck. However, virtually anyone can adapt to these differences immediately and even get spoiled by the quickness this kind of neck can provide.

Another aspect of this instrument that counts for me is that the wood ply of the rim is put together with an animal hide glue, just as in the prewar era. It just makes sense that this could make a small difference in the overall sound of the instrument and is a reflection of the attention to detail that Steve gives to every element in the entire construction process.

When you combine a lot of these incremental advantages with the very big advantage of the Huber ring and Steve’s assembly and set-up, you get a very big return in sound. This banjo is extremely powerful, with that special combination of tone and decay that puts it in the ballpark with some of the best prewar mahogany Gibsons I’ve had the pleasure to play over the years. There’s no substitute for the prewar sound but, quite frankly, the Huber Lancaster gets you so close that it’s downright scary.

Huber banjos offer a 48-hour approval period upon delivery of stock models and there is currently about a 12-week waiting period from the time of order to receipt of an instrument. Other models available include the maple neck/mahogany resonator Kalamazoo, the walnut Roanoke, and the maple/gold plated Lexington. Detailed full color catalogs are available by email request from Huber Banjos or call us at 615-264-4959.