This banjo is different from what I usually offer as a stock instrument, and there is a longish and not-very-interesting story behind it. I made a custom banjo, but when I was working on the neck I forgot to look at my list which showed that the customer had requested the bridge location to be closer to the center of the head. I made the neck so that the bridge would be where I normally put it, 4″ from the tailpiece side. When I noticed my error the neck was already cut to length, and I couldn’t add to it, so I made a new neck and made a pot to go with this one to make a stock banjo. This banjo has the same scale length as the Ab scale banjos that Bart Reiter used to make, so I have called it an Ab scale for convenience. It can be comfortably tuned to G or A with the stock medium strings.

This banjo has a walnut rim, neck and Romero-style armrest, with a Rocklite Ebano fretboard and peghead overlay.  I will sell the banjo without the armrest for $35 less if it isn’t wanted.  This banjo has a Renaissance head on an 11″ block rim with a wood tone ring profile and a walnut rim cap.  The scale length is 24-3/4″ and the nut is 1-3/8″ wide.  The neck has a two way truss rod accessed from the heel, brass dots, EVO fret wire, Gotoh tuners and Corian nut and pip.  I made the Van Eps style tension hoop and the dowel stick yoke, the tuners and head came from Smakula Fretted Instruments and the rest of the hardware came from Balsam Banjo Works.   The finish is Tru Oil.  There is a brass plate on the dowel stick with the banjo number and such on it.  The banjo is currently set up with a tall 5th string nut to raise the 5th to the level of the other strings, but I can shorten the nut so the string rests on the 5th fret if desired.  I can also add 5th string spikes for $5 each.  If you would prefer a Fiberskyn head I can install one at no extra cost. To see a video demonstration of this banjo please follow the link below.