This is a used maple 5-string banjo with a walnut stained, gloss lacquer finish. The neck and resonator were custom built by a banjo builder in Washington state. The neck is beautiful, highly-flamed maple with a rosewood fingerboard, and ebony peg head overlay and heel cap. It has very nice mother-of-pearl Heart-and-Flowers inlays, and white/black binding with wood marquetry under it. Capo spikes are installed at the 7th, 9th, and 10th frets. The resonator is one of the prettiest I have seen - quilted maple with subtle concentric rings of same wood marquetry as under the neck binding.
The pot is a First Quality Music 3-ply maple rim fit by the late Bill Sullivan to a Tennessee 20 tone ring and First Quality one-piece flange. All pot hardware is nickel-plated and also from First Quality (except tail-piece). The banjo has Gotoh tuners with pearloid knobs.
This banjo is in very good to excellent condition. It was professionally setup by Barrett Coughlan in Lake Oswego, OR around two years ago, and he did a fabulous job - it plays easy and sounds great. It has a loud, classic bluegrass sound with growly lows and clarity all the way up the neck that the Tennesse 20 tone ring is known for. There is very light fret wear noticeable on the first five frets only - I have not played it all that much as I mostly play my open back.
The finish is in very good shape with no scratches. There are four small spots on the bottom-back of the resonator where the clear lacquer had chipped (from a banjo stand). They have been repaired and are only noticeable when you hold the resonator at a specific angle to the light - they are generally difficult to see (they would not show in any photos I took). The nickle parts shine bright with no tarnish. The hard case that is included is made in Canada and is almost like new.
Please email me if you are interested or have any questions. If you are local, you are welcome to setup a time to come by and give it a play. I am not looking to trade for anything at the moment. Thanks.
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