VINTAGE ORNATE BANJO MANDOLIN (BANJOLIN) PLAYABLE Possible Stewart/Vega Parts.

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VINTAGE ORNATE BANJO MANDOLIN (BANJOLIN) PLAYABLE Possible Stewart/Vega Parts.:
$384.00

This is a truly wonderful vintage refurbished banjolin. Real Eye Candy! Probably made in the early 1900s. Great addition for mandolin players looking to expand their soiund into different types of music like old timey, dixieland, bluegrass, even rock, where a banjo is called for. The head skin is new, and the dowel-stick was redone by luthier, Chris Mirabella. Frets are in great condition and the playing action is real good. Although this is a no-name instrument, the parts are of excellent workmanship, probably Stewart or Vega, and the inlay work is superb. There is a lot of abalone and MOP and also real tortoise shell on the headstock (legal back then). The casing cover of the tuners is engraved brass and nice MOP inlay on the ebony fret board (missing a tiny bit). As the photos show, there is exceptional herring bone multi colored wood inlay banding the outside and inside of the instrument. The wood veneer on the rim on the back seems to be a burled mahogany or walnut. There is beautiful wood everywhere you look. The head has a tone ring that raises the head a little about one inch in from the rim. The scale length is 13 inches and the nut is bone. The width of the head is 11 inches.
The instrument plays well. The straight line through the neck and dowel stick looks a little off, but does not seem to affect the playing or tuning at all. I tend to take a little tension off the strings when I know I will not play it for awhile. Years of tension on the dowel sticks render many old banjolins unplayable, but this one is a player. One other notable item is that when I bought this instrument it had a slight crack in the heel and that was professionally repaired and a little herring bone strip was added to cover the crack line. It is now as strong as a rock with no issues.
Has a non-original hard shell case that fits it pretty good. Sorry no returns on this one. Ask any questions and I\'ll try and answer. offer with confidence, as I have a perfect response Score.