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This banjo was custom made for me by Brooks Masten of Portland, Oregon in 2019, and it is a special instrument in many ways. Brooks made all the hardware (less the Rickard tone ring and the Gotoh tuners) in his shop. The brass hardware was nickel plated per my request, and I believe it’s the only banjo he has made using his hardware that has been plated. (He always uses raw or aged brass.) The design was inspired by the classic Fairbanks Electric design and features a Whyte Laydie tone ring that has been spun over with German Silver sheet. The neck is made of figured northwestern walnut and has Brooks’ characteristic nineteenth century “boat heel”. The fingerboard is ebony and has side dots for fret markers. The headstock shape is based on an early twentieth century Lyon & Healy design. The interior of the pot is highly figured curly maple.
It is a truly substantial and powerful banjo capable of producing a deep tone with the fuzzy metallic edge typical of a good Whyte Laydie ring, and it is loud as hell. You can rein it in a bit if you stuff the pot, but I’ve always let it run free.
This banjo is the first one shown on Brooks‘ business website, and he used to have a video of me playing it on his Instagram page. I’ll try to figure out how to post the link, but tech isn’t my strong point.
It has been played a fair bit, but there is no visible fret wear. (These now discontinued gold frets are extremely durable.) The finish is in very fine shape, although there are some shallow dings and marks here and there on the back of the neck that I can’t seem to photograph very well. You can make out a few of these surface marks in photos 9-11. All the plating is complete, but there is some minor spotting on the German Silver you can see in the photos. I am confident this would polish out if you care to disassemble the pot to do it. The goat skin head is in perfect condition with no tears or abrasions.
I’ve toted it around in a beater case for years, but I will include a brand new TKL archtop case that has never been used.
Feel free to write with additional questions.
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This item is sold As-Described
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| Listed | a day ago |
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| Condition | Excellent (Used) Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care.Learn more |
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