Pirles 4-String Tenor Banjo Rare Vintage w/ Original Hard Case Ready to Restore

*This vintage banjo shows its age with wear and scratches, ready to restore. Parts may be missing. See photos for your final acceptance.

The Pirles 4-String Tenor Banjo Model FB-101 is a rare vintage instrument from Japan, featuring a classic sunburst color and a closed back body style. This right-handed banjo is perfect for musicians looking to add a unique and timeless sound to their collection. The set includes a hard case for safe storage and transport, making it ready for restoration and play. Whether you're a seasoned banjo player or just starting out, this vintage gem is sure to impress.

The Pirles company made plenty of 5-string and longneck banjos in the 60s and 70s but it appears that the tenors were not so common. Some forum discussion speculated that this banjo was probably made in the 1960s in either Japan or East Germany. The sounds that come from this little guy are sublime. The tone is dark and punchy. When you play a single note with the strings undampened, the sound resonates within the skin and the body in a way that outlasts the main vibrations of the string itself; it seems that the sound of the note is passed from the string to the rest of the banjo, and the rest of the banjo carries on the sound in an eerie reverberation. The banjo is also very percussive. By using various patterns of strumming and muting and making subtle adjustments in your playing, you can draw rhythmic, heavy, complex sounds that push forward with a driving pulse.

Pirles banjos were not top-of-the-line instruments but offer a unique sound all their own.