Paramount "Tenor Harp" Wooden Top Tenor Banjo c. 1925

Paramount Tenor Harp Wood Top Banjo c. 1925 

This unique jazz instrument was likely made at William Lange's banjo factory on East 24th street in NYC in the mid 1920s.  At the time, many banjoists were looking for a way to have a mellower tone more akin to that of a guitar but without necessarily having to learn an entirely new fretboard, and this wood top banjo may have been one of the innovations toward that end.  We have seen several iterations of the Paramount wood-top tenors in several trim styles ranging up to the more decorated style "E".  The banjo offered here is designated "Tenor Harp" in the headstock inlay which also contains Lange's name as well and its appointments are modest but include beautiful decorative headstock and neck inlays.  There is a unique wooden flange that appears integral to the layered "dark-light-dark" wood pot and Lange's typical colored wood strips run down the back of the neck.  The resonator back also has inlaid light colored wood patterns and "light-dark-light" wooden sides to match the sides of the pot.

This banjo shows the typical signs of age and wear as would be expected of an older vintage instrument including some significant scratches on the resonator but it has been restored to very good playing condition.  As part of the repairs, several holes of unknown purpose were filled at the headstock.  At this point, the banjo is set up beautifully with a nice low comfortable action and sweet tone and is stage ready for its next player.

Unfortunately, we do not have the original case, but if needed, we can ship it in a gig bag or an older chip case.