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Hunting
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$300 plus $20 S&H
No serial number, no maker's marks. Branded dowel "Yellowstone", my number 001.
20 hooks, closed ball-end nuts, all appear original. Arm rest also looks original or else period-consistent.
The "dished" tone ring is similar in appearance to a tone ring style that Bacon used.
CONVERSION:
This vintage banjo had a nice fingerboard that I wanted to save, so I converted from tenor to 5-string by removing all frets, adding a wing on the 5th string side of the neck and re-fretting (i.e., "one-wing" conversion). Stained the wing to match the fingerboard.
Removed fingerboard above the octave for brass-floored frailing scoop.
This is a short-scale banjo, since it uses the original tenor neck. Original friction peg tuners on strings 1 through 4, a period-consistent replica Stewart-MacDonald peg @ 5th string. Tenor banjo strings plus a 0.009" 5th string. Yellowstone head.
DIMENSIONS:
Head dia. = 10 5/8 in., 20 hooks.
Now set up w/ scale length 201/4 in.
String span @ nut=11/16 in. (skinny !)
String span @ heel = 1 7/16 in.
Bridge = 1/2 in. tall
SETUP:
* action @ scoop = 5/16 in.
* action @ octave = 3/16 in.
FLAWS:
Normal scuffing due to age.
Had a nut & bolt through the heel when I got it. I fixed the dowel-to-heel glued joint, but the old drilled hole was discolored, and my repair is fairly visible (but well-finished to the heel).
If you have big hands, the neck is going to be too skinny for you.
If you like light-gage strings, this banjo won't work for you..... needs to have tenor banjo strings to sound right, and these are roughly equivalent to heavy-gage 5-string banjo strings.
The dowel looks like it was removed then replaced upside-down.... the partially-finished side faced the pot opening.
ON THE PLUS SIDE:
Good sound, good playability, overall in nice shape. A pretty fingerboard....this banjo took to the 1-wing conversion pretty well.
CLIPS
YouTube
