58-9633
Gibson (used, 1929) TB2 Tenor Banjo
#M4397-2, with period hard shell case.
The tenor banjo played an extremely important part in the jazz band – both in Dixieland and popular bands as well (Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Paul Whiteman, etc.). Tenor banjo building among mainstream and secondary builders was established and proliferated. The big five brands of tenor banjos were: Gibson, pre-WW2 Epiphone, Bacon & Day, Paramount and Vega. Gibson began building tenor banjos in September of 1918 with their “TB” model, for “Tenor Banjo.”
Our Discount Price is $2,425.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $2,350.00.
59-0958
Vega (used, 1925) Style R “Whyte Laydie”
#59160, short scale tenor banjo, in excellent condition with original hard shell case.
A short scale tenor banjo has 17 frets; it was made for semi-professional
musicians with small hands. Nowadays the players of Scots and Irish music
prefer this type of banjo.
Our Discount Price is $1,850.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $1,795.00.
59-0816
Gibson (used, 1930) Mastertone Granada Plectrum banjo
#9193-12, in excellent minus condition with original worn hard shell case whose center pocket lacks a tab, and which we are providing a new handle.
This is a semi-custom order Granada 40-hole archtop plectrum with some interesting features. Its gold plating is slightly dulled from time and oxidation; it shows light normal scratches and minor signs of use. It has the modestly figured maple resonator with the white-black purfling on four borders and the serial numbers written in chalk near the center back of inside resonator and also painted (with chalk for the last two digits) near the neck opening.
Our Discount Price is $11,335.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $10,995.00.
59-0815
Gibson (used, 1930) Mastertone Granada Plectrum banjo
#9193-5, in Maple and Brazilian rosewood, in solidly excellent condition with original hard shell case.
This is a gorgeous prewar long-neck four-string gold-plated banjo having a mildly figured maple resonator with twin concentric circles on the back, and white-black purfling on the back and sides of the resonator as well as on the sides of the crème’ bound Brazilian rosewood fingerboard.
Our Discount Price is $13,395.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $12,995.00.
59-0774
Gibson (used, 1927) Mastertone PB-3 plectrum
#8826-2, (long-neck 4-string) banjo, in very good plus condition, with a Paramount hard shell case.
We present a tube-and-plate flange banjo having a refinished mahogany resonator that may not be original to this banjo rim since the serial number painted into the back of the resonator is #9113, but the serial number on the inside rim is #8826-2. The back of the neck and the headplate are refinished as well. This comes in a prewar (period) Paramount Banjo case that’s been painted and taped up.
Our Discount Price is $4,639.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $4,500.00.
59-0505
Gibson (used, 1925) TB3 Mastertone Tenor Banjo
#803119, in very good plus condition with a period hard shell (worn) case.
Thinking back to our youth, we remember that the Gibson Company began making banjos in September of 1918. These earliest examples were much simpler in design than the models that followed starting from the mid-1920s. They were initially open back instruments without a “tone ring” – this means that the skin rested directly on the wooden rim with no metal buffer between them whose purpose was to expand the sound and give it the brassy distinctive tone associated with professional instruments.
Our Discount Price is $3,603.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $3,495.00.
76-8636
Gibson (used, 1927) TB3
#8823-4, solid archtop tone ring, in excellent condition with original hard shell case - which case has been painted by a prior owner.
This banjo conforms to the standard description of a TB-3 from this year, having the solid archtop tone ring, 24 brackets, Grover "Pat." Geared original tuners with crème grained ivoroid buttons. The stained brown maple resonator has no decoration on the back, it has crème celluloid binding on both top and bottom sides.
Our Discount Price is $4,119.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $3,995.00.
48-4905
Kel Kroyden (used, 1933) tenor banjo, converted to 5-string
#ISI1680, in excellent condition with newer hard shell five-string case.
This banjo, which started life as a 19-fret full-scale tenor, has been converted to the bluegrass paragon it always yearned to become. It not only has the greatly desired one-piece flange that fans-of-the-prewar love to find, it also has the McPeake bell bronze tone ring that makes the Welkin vibrate unceasingly.
This was tagged at only $6,443 or, at our cash discount price $6,250 but we’ll do better, see your prices below:
Our SALE Discount Price is $5,599.00 and Our SALE Cash Discount Price is $5,431.00.
78-7293
Vega (used, 1922) Whyte Laydie Style R
#48949, with original hard shell case.
This banjo, which bears the illustrious Whyte Laydie tone ring, has a generous head diameter of 11 7/8".
This is the perfect head size for conversion to a Round Peak old time clawhammer banjo, and this is easily obtained by simply adding a 5-string replica neck. This example has the pie plate flat resonator with one screw at the center inside back; said resonator shows a few normal scratches.
Our Discount Price is $3,087.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $2,995.00.
78-7642
Gibson (used, 1927) TB-3
#8739-28, with worn out original hard shell case.
In the year 1925 Gibson debuted their new Mastertone line of banjos (something that Lloyd Loar was working on before he was unceremoniously fired in December 1924). The first tone ring, utilized for only 2 years, (1925 and ’26), was the 60-hole hollow tube ball bearing.
Our Discount Price is $5,155.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $5,000.00.
78-7340
Deering (used) Calico Tenor
#0983906H51, with hard shell case.
The Deering Banjo Co. is chary with their website descriptions. They describe the Calico as follows: “Honey Stained Curly Maple, Ivoriod (sic) Binding, Wood Purfling, Bell Bronze Tonering.”
Our Discount Price is $2,835.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $2,750.00.
78-7941
Deering (new) Boston 17-Fret Tenor
#M1101MB, with plush lined hard shell case.
With its 21” scale length (from the apparently ebony nut to the maple and ebony floating bridge) and from its 1 3/16” nut width to its 1 5/16th string spacing this is a professional instrument through and through. Having 17 frets to the body appeals to the Celtic player, or the jazz player who prefers a shorter reach in order to make sophisticated chords with the greatest of ease. The Deering List Price is $1,979
78-7859
Deering (new) Calico Tenor with resonator
#L815, with hard shell case.
The Deering Banjo Co. is chary with their website descriptions. They describe the Calico as follows: “Honey Stained Curly Maple, Ivoriod (sic) Binding, Wood Purfling, Bell Bronze Tonering.”
The Deering List Price is $4,519
78-7778
Deering (new) Goodtime Spec Open Back 17-fret Tenor
#ISI1827, zipper gig bag is optional for + $57.00.
Satin finished, rock maple neck with slender profile, standard 11" diameter pot, with armrest & adjustable tailpiece, multi-ply birch/maple rim, maple resonator with black binding. The Deering List Price is $759
78-7582
Deering (new) Sierra 19-Fret Tenor with resonator
#M085, with hard shell case.
Deering 20 hole bronze tone ring, mahogany 3-ply maple rim, mother of pearl & maple inlays, the slender Deering neck shape, a zinc flange, nickel plated metal parts, and a fine satin finish makes for an exceptional full-scale tenor banjo at a reasonable price.
The Deering List Price is $2,779.