Used 5-String Open-Back Banjos
Maker: Cole
Year: 1895
Notes:
Striking Reproduction 5-String neck from Padouk Wood with Ebony fingerboard by Steve Sutherland.
10" Original Cole Rim from a Banjo-Mandolin.
9 7/8" rim with 24 3/4" Scale Length.
Boat Heel.
Maker: Cole, Wm.
Year: 1890
Notes:
A Largely Original Cole's Eclipse Banjo... The peghead Man-in-the-Moon pearl inlays have been replaced
and the neck refinished.
10 5/8" Rim with 27" Scale Length.
A Really Fine Players' Instrument.
Maker: Cole, Wm.
Year: 1897
Notes:
Rare Cole's Eclipse with spectacular engraved mother-of-pearl inlays [possibly by Consalvi] and carved heel.
The 3rd fret inlay appears to be a replacement. A couple of old repaired heel-cracks.
10 15/16" rim with 26" Scale Length.
Calf-Skin Head. The pot is all-original with the H&N sets apparently re-plated at some time.
A period and possibly original Elite tailpiece.
Original Grover friction pegs with ivoroid buttons.
Straight neck and good action.
Maker: Fairbaks, A.C.
Year: 1899
Notes:
A classic Special Electric...
10 1/2" rim with skin head. 26" Fret-Scale.
The pot is in remarkably clean and original condition.
[a couple of the hook and nut sets have been replaced by
identical examples from another Fairbanks banjo]
Mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and engraved pearl inlays.
As can be expected with an instrument over 120 years old, it has had some
not terribly instrusive repairs, including a couple of cracks around the 1st and 4th pegs.
Typical cracks in the dyed-wood peghead facing.
Everything is solid, action is low, quite a nice banjo with a little back-story.
Modern ['70's] planetary geared pegs.
Maker: Fairbanks
Year: 1902
Notes:
An Original Fairbanks 5-String Banjo
with a replaced ebony fingerboard and peg-head facing,
with added appropriate pearl inlays.
10" Rim.
26" Scale Length
Maker: Fairbanks, A.C.
Year: 1905
Notes:
An Early Fairbanks Whyte Laydie #2 banjo from 1905.
Fancy, bold and crisp pearl engraving, possibly by Consalvi.
There is some playing wear, neck has been refinished, action has been adjusted.
This banjo has The Sound!
Offered pretty much AS-FOUND, but no major issues... Good set of planetary geared pegs.
Original tailpiece, possibly by Kerschner.
Fiberskyn Head.
Very Nice double-arch hard-shell case.
Maker: Gibson
Year: 1963
Notes:
Gibson RB-170 Open-Back Folk Banjo.
Brazilian Rosewood Fingerboard;
There is a little honest playing wear,
but it's all-original, ready to go back out there.
Gig Bag
Maker: Lange, Wm.
Year: 1920
Notes:
Lange Langstile III banjo, dating from around 1920.
Reproduction 5-String Neck by Intermountain Guitar and Banjo.
All-original pot.
A Vega-style brass bracket-band on a 12" Maple rim.
No metal tone-ring.
Subtle Power.
Maker: Lyon & Healy
Year: 1920
Notes:
Lyon & Healy's "Own Make"
Professional Style B.
Special Patented Tone-Ring.
Classy Presentation.
Nearly Mint and virtually un-played.
Original Bump Case also in near-mint condition.
Maker: Orpheum
Year: 1919
Notes:
All-Original Orpheum Brass Band 5-String Banjo.
13" rim with Skin Head.
A Nice Straight Banjo with good Neck and Playability.
A Rare Find Indeed.
Hard Case
Maker: Orpheum #1
Year: 1920
Notes:
An Original 14" Orpheum pot with a Reproduction 5-String Neck by Intermountain Guitar.
26 1/4" Scale.
"Sounds Like a Whole Orchestra"
Hard Case.
Maker: Vega
Year: 1921
Notes:
Nice original Vega Regent 5-String with Little Wonder tone-ring.
10 3/4" Head size, 26" Scale Length.
A serious players' instrument that is not super-heavy.
Some appropriate engraved-pearl inlays have been added.
Modern Planetary geared tuners.
Maker: Vega
Year: 1924
Notes:
A Vega Regent 5-String Banjo.
Basically a Five-String Little Wonder.
All-Original except for the Planetary Geared Pegs.
Used, But Excellent.
Old Calf-Skin Head.
Original "Cammed No-Knot" Tailpiece.
Action is a little high.
Original Hard Case.
Maker: Vega
Year: 1922
Notes:
All-Original Style M Tubaphone Pot with 11 13/16" Rim.
Reproduction 5-String Neck by Intermountain Guitar and Banjo [#367, 1976].
Maple Neck with Ebony Fingerboard and Engraved Pearl Inlays.
27" Scale with 20 Frets. Used, Partial Refret. Low Action.
Presently has a Calf-Skin Head, but other options are available.
New TKL Arched-Lid Hard Shell Case.
Maker: Vega
Year: 1924
Notes:
A prime Vega Whyte Laydie, originally a plectrum and now a fine 5-string
using most of the original neck.
Great technique by Master Banjo Maker, Dick Powell.
Maple neck, 27" scale, 10 15/16" head size.
A great [almost] all-original Vega 5-String banjo.
Not a lot of these around.
New Hard Case.
Maker: Vega
Year: 1924
Notes:
Tubaphone Plectrum #3 Converted to 5-String,
Retaining Original Heel Carving.
Conversion and Flowerpot Peg-Head Inlays by Steve Sutherland.
Original Tubaphone Pot with Replaced Nuts.
Banjo has been fitted with a narrow-spacing bridge to accomodate the slightly narrow
fingerboard profile.
10 15/16" Rim with 26 1/4" Scale Length.
Maker: Vega
Year: 1921
Notes:
An Excellent and Little-Played Early 1920's
Fairbanks by the Vega Co. #9 Tubaphone.
10 15/16" Rim with 27" Scale.
All Original except for Old Neck Refinish.
Skin Head.
Fitted with Original Grover Geared Pegs
Fine Player.
Modern Hard Case.
Maker: Vega
Year: 1918
Notes:
A mostly original Vega Tubaphone #9 5-String Banjo.
Stamped: Fairbanks Banjo by the Vega Co.
[Surprisingly, there is no Style # 9 stamp]
10 15/16" Tubaphone rim, Fingerboard Scale length is 27".
Gold-Plated Grover friction pegs with M-O-P buttons.
Kerschner Tailpiece.
This banjo has been well-played and some time in the past
received a re-fret; probably at the same time the fingerboard
binding was replaced with white binding. The heel-cap inlay may be
a replacement.
The rim is pretty much original with the metal parts retaining much of the
original nickel sheen.
Like-New TKL Hard Case
Maker: Vega
Year: 1924
Notes:
An original Vega Tubaphone pot [#62252, 1924] with a fine reproduction 5-String neck by Intermountain Guitar and Banjo
[I G & B Serial # 1005, 2015]
11 13/16" head. Maple neck with ebony fingerboard. 26" Scale Length.
Straight Neck, Low Action.
Plenty of Power with an accessible Scale Length.
Original Peghead Facing from Original Tenor Neck.
Virtually No Playing Wear.
Nice Arched-Lid TKL Hard Case.
Maker: Vega
Year: 1914
Notes:
An interesting and plain version of Vega's famous Whyte Laydie #2 banjo.
Stamped "Fairbanks Banjo by The Vega Co".
All original banjo except for the older set of planetary geared pegs.
Good neck, a little playing wear in the first position, with the odd ding and scratch
typical of a well-treated but well-played 110 year-old instrument.
Hard Case.
I love playing this banjo!
