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  • Banjos      


    Latest Arrivals

    GB - 00200 ca. 1937 Gibson Charles McNeil original 5 string banjo. 1937 Charles Mc Neil - Gibson - 5 String Banjo No serial number One piece flange. Completely original and un-tampered in amazing condition. Straight neck, great frets, tuners all work fine. Almost like a new banjo but for the one chip on the side of the resonator. Resonator is a bit deeper than the standard Gibson Mastertone ones. Sunburst inside and out and at the heel of the neck. Gorgeous flamey maple on the back of the resonator. Original case also in amazing condition with it's purple inside and faux alligator outside.
    click the above picture to see all the pictures on its museum page.
    Price:   $3995.00

    PB - 00017 1923 Paramount Style B Tenor Banjo     EXC   This is a fine sounding excellent playing banjo. And it is the short 21" scale length with the 17 fret neck and a 1 1/8" nut width ... so easy to play. The Style B features a laminated maple neck with beautiful pearl inlays in the rosewood fingerboard as well as the headstock. The hardware is in nice shape as is the maple rim (serial # 1655) and resonator. The banjo exhibits mild player wear throughout and has obviously been well played and well cared for and it is an exceptionally full sounding one. Original armrest and flip up tailpiece. A previous owner put side dots below the neck marquetry. The original Page Pegs are in the case pocket and top quality two band planetary tuning pegs are installed on the banjo and work great. And it has the top grade zipper lined hard shell case as well as an attractive price.
    Price:   $1195.00    ON HOLD


    EB - 00012 Stromberg Electric Plectrum Banjo     EXC-   Well here's basically a banjo shaped electric tenor guitar with 22 frets to the body! Even with its 4" deep - 14 7/8" wide body with the spruce top, mahogany sides and fancy rosewood back (the back of a Paramount resonator no doubt), it still is not very loud played acoustically. But pleasant ... yes. And the pickup works fine and sounds good plugged in. The Gibson style neck has the Granada hearts and flowers inlay pattern in the ebony fingerboard and a 1 7/32 " nut width. Scale length is 26".   The headstock is spectacularly adorned with rhinestones. It has nice old tuning pegs which work smoothly and hold fine. And .... the case .... yep, a home made coffin case for sure. Sturdy. I have heard from Vinnie Mondelo (Mr. Banjo and a Stromberg expert (and relative even) that this is a Stromberg body with added pickup and replacement neck.
    Price:   $1195.00


    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 Reduced   $3995.00

    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 - 00015 ca. 1924 Paramount Tenor Harp II     VG   While we do happen to have a pair of Paramount Tenor Harps in our Museum this consignment is the only other Paramount Tenor Harp II we have ever run across. The spruce top provides a mellow tone and won't drive folks away like a banjo might. And the whole rest of it is pretty much rosewood. The back has the grain nicely bookmatched in a "V". The resonator and rim sides are rosewood with marquetry trim and the neck is a 7 piece laminate of rosewood and various colored dyed holly. Page tuning pegs of course. And that typical yellowing peeling old lacquer on the ornate headstock. The original hard shell case is pretty much a wreck that is held together by duct tape and will protect the banjo.... err ... I mean harp ... for shipping.
    Price:   $1195.00

    PB 00014 1925 Paramount "Leader" Plectrum Banjo     EXC   A clean example of Paramounts upper middle of the line banjo that features a lot of rosewood. The neck is rosewood with either maple or holly laminates. The rim is rosewood as well and has on it's bottom edge a rosewood cap. And the resonator is classic bold grained brazilian rosewood both inside and out. The grain shows nicely on the heel as well. The fingerboard is rosewood with a bell theme inlay pattern. The hardware is all in fine shape including the tailpiece and the Page Patented tuning pegs ... they work fine. Elegant engraved inlays grace the headstock. So if you're looking for Piano-Volume- Harp-Quality-Tone in a plectrum banjo here you go. Newer red line hard shell case.
    Price:   $1195.00    ON HOLD

    PB - 0004 1924 Paramount Style C Plectrum Banjo     EXC   What a beautiful piece this is. Fine mahogany rim and laminated neck with exquisite marquetry trim on the neck and resonator and even the inside of the rim. The back of the peghead is carved and the tuners are the original Page pegs. Intricate carved inlays abound on the peghead and in the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with the theme being doves in various poses with the exception of the first fret wherein resides either Ludwig Von Beethoven or Cupid ... you decide. Original hardshell case.
    Price:   $2350.00


    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


    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


    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


    Banjo Mandolins

    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


    To contact Players Vintage Instruments, e-mail us at info@vintageinstruments.com
    Or telephone:  415-669-1107   West Coast Time
    Or write to: Box 445, Inverness, Ca. 94937
    Lowell Levinger - Proprietor


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