Hardware: Rolled Brass hoop. All original, except for the tuning machines, which have been replaced with nice planetary tuners, and possibly the tailpiece but i'm not totally sure if it's original or not. Original hardware is nickel, nice "Presto" clamshell tailpiece and metal arm wrest.
Case: Comes with a hard shell case, looks to be original judging by how well it fits the instrument. Little worn around the edges but seems really sturdy, see photos.
Repairs/Modifications: Updated tuning machines as mentioned above, bridge and head are not original i'm sure, but both seem high quality.
Neck Details: Neck looks plenty straight, no problems there, no fretting issues
Action: About .070" on the high string, then about .095" from the bass side to about .080" on the treble side on the rest of the strings, all measurements taken at the 12th fret.
Fret Wear: String wear is pretty minimal, but these frets definitely look to have been leveled in the past.
General Cosmetic Condition: This banjo is in pretty great shape all around! The finish around the rim has a bit of a subtle cloudy appearance in places and the rim and arm rest are a bit tarnished, but this is all pretty par for the course with a banjo of this age, and this instrument is looking really good for it's years. Most relevant things to point out is that there is some visible wear on the headstock where the washers from the original tuning machines used to be, as they were larger in diameter than those of the current tuners. Also, there is some visible wear to the finish in the area where the fifth string peg was replaced on the side of the neck, and some string wear where the fifth string crosses the edge of the fingerboard to get to the string post. I have attempted to make all of this clearly visible in the photos, and aside from a couple small garden variety scratches and dings around the back of the rim and edges of the headstock, this instrument is looking very sharp for it's age. The neck is in especially good shape, still super glossy and not worn through the finish anywhere.
You are looking at a very fine vintage Epiphone "Campus" Long Neck Banjo from the mid 1960's. Im not certain of the exact year, as I am not an authority on dating mid-century Epiphones by serial #, but the decade or origin is clear, being that it is the particular decade in which this model is known to have been manufactured in the Kalamazoo factory. The serial number on the headstock is 180588 which should be verifiable in the photos, perhaps you know better than I what particular year this is from if you have gone out of your way to view this listing, let me know if you've got the time and know how to pinpoint a year!
The advent of these extra-long scale banjos can be traced to their emergence during the American folk revival of the Sixties, and their invention is most commonly credited to folk musician Pete Seeger, who desired a longer neck for the purpose of changing keys easily with the use of a capo. His idea caught on, and long neck banjos soon became offered as production models by most companies that made banjos. This particular banjo is comparable in specs and design to the Gibson RB-175, and was built right alongside it's Gibson siblings in the legendary original Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, MI.
This particular Banjo sounds truly great, with awesome volume and projection. It also has really good resonance and sustain for an open back Banjo, and plays like butter with action that is pretty dialed in as far as proper string height of the individual strings is concerned. The super sturdy Maple ring construction and one-piece Mahogany neck ensure that this Banjo is really stable in its structural integrity and will continue to stand up to the test of time. Basically, this one is a real gem all around, and plays just as great as it looks. Feel free to contact me with any questions. If you are looking for an excellent long scale banjo from the golden age of American folk, you might not want to let this one pass you by!
