PRICE REDUCED from $300.00 to $250.00
Older 1970 - 80's Japanese made Iida archtop. The ol' 1 piece aluminum integral flange, rim, tone ring type, with one threaded "coordinator rod". This is the "heavier" 1 piece pot, a la StewMac or Saga 1970's.
The neck is nice, straight mahogany, fiddle-cut headstock, with either an ebony or dyed rosewood fingerboard, diamond-shaped, MOP inlays, side dot position markers. Has never had RR spikes or a sliding capo, so no extra holes in the neck!
Nicely grained mahogany resonator, unbound, but with marquetry around the lip where the flange sits. A few surface scratches on reso, but barely noticeable.
These older Japanese banjos used to be equipped with a head that was just a tad over 11". You just could not get an 11" head on them. Years ago, I took this banjo apart, put the body / pot on an engine lathe and turned the "tone ring" down so that an 11" top - frosted remo fit perfectly. This also allowed me to replace the cheap, thin, chrome-plated steel tension hoop with a regular 24 notch, heavier tension hoop, providing some much needed mass to the pot.
One little anomaly, that adds some charm to it: the guy that did the fiddle-cut headstock must have had a couple drinks at lunch that day! The headstock shape is kind of, well...lets say "unbalanced", but thats just the way it is! I think you can see what I mean in the picture.
The head is cranked down to 91 on my Drum Dial, has a set of light guage GHS strings, an old, old traditional maple / ebony bridge, and this thing sounds pretty darn good!
Overall, a nice little, clean, lightweight bluegrasser.
Send me a message with your name, phone number, we can talk. I'll entertain reasonable offers.
Banjo will be bubble-wrapped, placed into an old chipboard case, and shipped in an instrument box.
Thanks for looking. Scott
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