In my opinion, Bob Flesher is one of the best inlay designers of our time. The headstock inlay design on this banjo is rendered from the old Liberty catalog and is one that Bob designed some 40 years ago. The fretboard inlays are ones that I designed 36 years ago, when I was an aspiring 18 year old banjo builder.
The pot is a 9/16" thick, 11 inch diameter multi-ply rim having 24 hooks and nuts in standard Mastertone spacing. It features a rolled brass tone ring and speaks with clarity, yet with a fullness that you don't expect from a frosted Remo head.
The neck is full dimensioned, and reminiscent of the Ca 1910 Vega flowerpot, thick and robust, but still not clubby if you have "normal" sized hands. It's built of finely flamed curly maple with a 3 piece center lamination which provides plenty of regidity. It's not spongy and will not be prone to forward bowing. The rosewood headstock veneer is inlaid with the pearl chalace and vine as shown, and the pearl is gold and white, but with a dichroic (opalescent) quality that just cannot be captured with a digital camera except in very low light. These pictures do this banjo no justice.
This is a great banjo for the money...period. I have priced it low in order to move it. The reality is that this is probably a 1500 dollar banjo from ANY other maker. I can afford to price it lower because I perform nearly every step of the construction myself....no buying expensive "blanks" and relying on the discernment of "other entities" who may or may not understand the requirements of the neck wood, etc. Since you are buying from the builder ... there are no distributors or retailers to have to take "their cut".
That said ... I will be listing this on eBay as well. I need to move it to move things forward in the shop. There are exciting projects brewing ... stuff not seen from this shop before.
Call 724-943-4581 if interested. I check email very infrequently because I always have so many irons in the fire. Once I establish the direction I am going ... I don't seek distraction or diversion by playing in the email program. Best time to call is between 7 pm and midnight EST. No Sunday calls please.
http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/238365
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