I have always heard that block rims are superior, but also more expensive. To date, the best banjo I have ever owned or played was the Enoch Tradesman with a 12" rim. No tone ring, and the rim was multi-ply (9 plies I think). Even so, the sound was beautiful and it held its tune over time with no adjustments.
A close second is the Deering Vega Old Time Wonder (12"), which has a 3-ply maple rim. This is what I play most often now.
Someday, I would like to own a 13" open back, but these are difficult to find. Dave Dillard makes one ( block rim) but $4-$5K is a bit too rich for my blood.
Starr Banjos offers a 13" multi-ply rim that sounds very nice and is less expensive. Does anyone have experience with Starr? I hear these are handmade by the head of OME, so I imagine they’re reputable.
Back to the question. Is there any real reason to avoid multi-ply rims in general? As I said, my Enoch Tradesman was extraordinary and it was multi-ply.
And is there any difference between “laminate” rims and multi-ply rims? Another find sounding banjo, a minstrel model, is made by Gardiner Dulcimers, but I’ve always been hesitant to buy anything with ‘laminate’ in the description.
Chad