This banjo’s tone ring came from Gold Tone, as they currently offer the only affordable tubaphone of which I am aware. The tone ring is nickel plated and the rest of the hardware is brass. This particular tone ring was sold to me by Gold Tone for $50 less, because they said it had some kind of marks on it, but I wasn’t able to find them when I looked, and I have lowered the price of the banjo by $50. The rim is 11″ in diameter and 5/8″ thick. I made the tension hoop and dowel stick yoke, and the rest of the pot hardware came from Ode Banjos, and the head, strings, tailpiece and Gotoh tuners came from Smakula Fretted Instruments.
The wood is curly maple with walnut trim and an ebony fretboard. The nut width is 1-3/8″ and the scale length is 25.5″ There is a two way truss rod in the neck which is accessed from the heel, after removing the neck. The dots are brass and the nut and pip are Corian. The banjo has a Tru Oil finish
This banjo has a Renaissance head and I can change it for a Fiberskyn at no cost. The pip is taller to raise the 5th string up to the level of the other strings at the 5th fret, and I can shorten it so the string can rest on the fret if preferred. A case is not required for shipping. If you want a case I have a Superior CD-1535 “bump” hardshell case for $175, or a Superior TrailPak II bag for $40. If the armrest is not wanted it can be taken off and will save $35. To see a short video of the banjo please follow the link below:
