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  • Banjos      


    Latest Arrivals

    SB - 0003 ca. 1896 S.S. Stewart Banjeaurine     EXC -   Very nice old S.S. Stewart with a 10" rosewood rim and a 20 1/8" scale length but with the extended fingerboard giving a full 22 frets. One missing nut and bracket. Very attractive fingerboard and headstock inlays. Original tuning pegs and Elite tailpiece. Mahogany neck and dowel . Serial number 17374. Lovely carved heel with a solidly repaired hairline crack. Nice old skin head and a great old timey sound along with a great old timey hard shell case that has seen many trips on the road.
    Price:   $1395.00    ON HOLD



    Gibson Banjos

    GB - 00039 1940 Gibson TB- 11 Tenor Banjo     EXC -   A fantastic example of Gibsons pearloid delight. These come in many shades of color but I really like the blue ones and this one is true blue from the headstock to the resonator. It is in fine condition with just a couple of scratches on the side of the resonator and one teeny surface crack in the side of the resonator at the heel. The hardware is in very nice shape and the coveted original one piece flange is a fine example as one can see from looking at it from both the bass side and the treble side as well as at the heel. Original Grover two tab tuning pegs. Interestingly this banjo was fitted with a guitar banjo tailpiece with 6 tangs. It's original hard shell case is in decent shape as well.
    Price:   $4400.00

    GB - 00035 1935 Kel Kroyden (by Gibson) Conversion     VG++   Here's the real deal and you can hear it in the tone. You got your one piece flange full thickness rim same as a Mastertone without a tone ring. The flange is a Nashville Plating Co. replacement since the old one (included) was broken. And we had Larry Cohea install a Mc Peake flat head tone ring and a second co-ordinator rod (the KK rim is originally drilled for it but has only one installed) as well as a nice Wreath Pattern five string neck and then set it up perfectly with spikes at frets 7,8,9, and 10. It plays beautifully and sounds incredible. Gibson script on the headstock and Planet tuning pegs and the fabulous M.O.T. resonator with original lugs. Original case and tenor neck with original pegs, flange (and broken pieces), and brass rod 'tone ring' are available if you so desire.
    Price:   $4950.00


    Paramount Banjos

    PB - 00404 1924 Paramount Style C Plectrum Banjo     EXC   This is a fine example with good strong sound and great playability. Good neck, frets, etc. and wonderful condition. Nice old skin head. The dove pattern fingerboard inlay is Paramounts most beautiful in my opinion. The Cupid or Ludwig Van Beethoven on the first fret is a pleasureable puzzlement. And the high grade mahogany used in the neck and the maple capped rim and the resonator are beautifully accented by the colorful marquetry used throughout. Original Page tuning pegs in fine condition. Fancy headstock inlay. Carved heel. Lovely volute. (Don't ya just love volutes?) Original tailpiece and .... it's wired for .... light. (Perhaps you noticed) The serial number on the rim matches that on the dowel. The label proudly states "Piano Volume - Harp Quality Tone". No lie. Original Paramount double pocket blue lined hard shell case in pretty nice shape.
    Price:   $1795.00


    Vega Banjos

    VB - 00015 1930 Vega Tubaphone #3 with Wildwood #7 Style Neck     EXC   Here's a fine sounding and playing and looking banjo for you. The 1930 Tubaphone rim which is serial # 88860 has been mated to a beautiful flame maple Wildwood neck that is finished to match the original flame maple resonator whose inside is also quite flamey and bears the Vega stamp. Exquisite Style 7 engraved inlays in the fingerboard and the Wildwood engraved inlay on the peghead. Original 4 piece flange and tubaphone tone ring. New Weatherking head . Newer planet type tuning pegs. Hard shell case. Great banjo for either old timey or bluegrass.
    Price:   $2250.00

    VMB - 00017 1922 Vega Tubaphone Style X Mandolin Banjo     EXC-   This may have been a custom order because it contains some of the features of the Style 9 series like the fancy marquetry on the bottom of the rim and engraved fingerboard inlays. Yet it clearly states Style X on the dowel stick. Nice engraved inlays on the headstock and original enclosed tuning pegs. Flamey maple neck and lovely carving on the heel cap. There is a solid expertly repaired crack on the heel. Bell Brand tailpiece. Seems to be a skin head that has been 'rubbed down'. Original hard shell case has seen better days. Good setup with nice comfy action and a fairly mellow (for a mandolin banjo) sound.
    Price:   $1695.00


    Bacon Banjos

    PB - 0003 1930's Bacon & Day Senorita Plectrum Banjo     EXC +++   WOW! What Condition! It's great to find them like this. And the case too ... what character! Very comfortable and beautiful laminated neck with engraved pearloid heelcap as well as engraved pearloid lower fingerboard and, (wouldn't you know it)  upper fingerboard. The rim looks practically new with pearloid sides and cloverleaf flange. The resonator gleems as well. And even the inside glistens. Orignal Grover pat.pend geared tuning pegs and beautiful engraved headstock complete the picture. And the sound is fantastic. Clear and bright and suitable for anything ... even bluegrass.
    Price:   $1350.00    SOLD


    Other Banjos

    EB - 0007 Mid teens Clifford Essex 5 String Banjo     EXC   With its 11 inch rim spunover what looks like mahogany and a simple hoop tonering and nice skin head, this old feller gets a mighty sweet old timey sound. Scale Length is 26 3/4" and the nut width is 1 3/16" and the mahogany neck shows wear on the back and is very comfortable to play. Ebony fingerboard has lovely abalone and pearl inlays in it as does the headstock. The tuning pegs work fine. All parts appear original and match nicely and the 15a Grafton Street label proudly graces the dowel stick. Oversize chipboard case.
    Price:   $1395.00

    MB - 00011 Late Twenties Slingerland Deluxe Tenor Banjo     EXC+   Wow! This banjo certainly lives up to it's "Deluxe" classification. Nest to the top of the Slingerland line, it is indeed a gorgeous piece of art and craftsmanship. The highest quality woods and ornamentation are used throughout and the hand of Wm. L. Lange is evident. Not only that, there is a very faint stamp inside the rim .. "Lange Made". The rim is rosewood and marquetry trimmed even on the inside bottom. The neck is also rosewood with rosewood fingerboard elaborately inlaid with the avian motiff. the name "A Farland" is engraved at the last fret. Go figure. The resonator is likewise rosewood inside and out with colorful marquetry abounding. Even the heel is adorned with marquetry and capped with rosewood. All metal parts are gold plated and engraved. The tension hoop has a fancy engraving pattern around the top and the flange has lovely bells engraved on it. The armrest repeats the bells along with leaves with the center bell having an "S" engraved in it. The tailpiece is decoratively engraved with "Maybel" in script at the bottom. Original tuning pegs are lustrous gold and the headstock is resplendent with a peacock and other birds. This instrumnent has recently been renovated by Vinnie Mondelo "Mr. Vintage Banjo" himself and it plays wonderfully and sounds as good as any Vega or B & D Silverbell. Brilliant and Loud but with the sweetness that a gold tone ring adds. The original hard shell case is in pretty good shape with it's faux aligator covering mostly intact and all latches working fine.
    Price;   $1895.00    SOLD


    Banjo Mandolins

    VMB - 00017 1922 Vega Tubaphone Style X Mandolin Banjo     EXC-   This may have been a custom order because it contains some of the features of the Style 9 series like the fancy marquetry on the bottom of the rim and engraved fingerboard inlays. Yet it clearly states Style X on the dowel stick. Nice engraved inlays on the headstock and original enclosed tuning pegs. Flamey maple neck and lovely carving on the heel cap. There is a solid expertly repaired crack on the heel. Bell Brand tailpiece. Seems to be a skin head that has been 'rubbed down'. Original hard shell case has seen better days. Good setup with nice comfy action and a fairly mellow (for a mandolin banjo) sound.
    Price:   $1695.00

    MB - 00032 1927 B & D Silver Bell #1 Montana Special Mandolin Banjo     EXF   This is an astounding instrument. Check out all the pictures of it on it's page in the Museum.
    Price:   $3250.00

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    Or telephone:  415-669-1107   West Coast Time
    Or write to: Box 445, Inverness, Ca. 94937
    **email is best by far**
    Lowell Levinger - Proprietor


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