Smakula,
Smakula
Fretted
Instruments
304-636-6710
Banjos, Contact us...
Page updated 7-2-10
New Product; Vintage style wire armrests for banjos. Only $15 each. Call or email for more information FIVE STRING BANJOS
Openback 5 string banjos are a specialty here at Smakula Fretted Instruments. Everyone who works here plays clawhammer banjo, a style well suited to the open back five string. We rarely have resonator Bluegrass banjos for sale, but from time to time we will have one or 2 in stock. Please inquire, as those instruments might not make it to the web page.
New Enoch Dobson model. This long awaited Enoch banjo is a thrilling addition to the Enoch line. The neck is similar to the Tradesman instruments, being made of Walnut with an ebony fretboard, but the addition of the engraved pinwheel star makes it all the sweeter. The rim is improved over the Tradesman with the addition of a Dobson style tonering. This upgrade offers a brightness and clarity to the tone that has made this banjo the most played instrument in the shop. 11" or 12" rim and a 25 1.2" scale. Limited production, Priced with an Enoch gigbag at $1,495. Unfortunatly the supply is limited, but call or email to reserve the next one that is sent to us.
New Enoch Tradesman by Enoch Instruments. 11" or 12" rim with black finish, 25 1/2" scale, natural finish walnut or cherry neck with a Dobson-style profile and round heel, ebony fretboard with dot inlays. Geared planet tuners and cool octagonal dowel stick. Available fretted or fretless. In our opinion, the best new "utility" banjo on the market. GB; $895 fretted, $850 fretless. A fretboard scoop is a factory option at an additional cost of $30.
Enoch Tradesman Semi Fretless. So you like playing fretless banjo but are afraid of hitting a wrong note up the neck? Then this is your banjo. It's fretless to the 6th and fretted from #6 to 15. It's new with a gig bag. $995
Enoch Tradesman Flush Fret. Another banjo for the timid. Instead of raised frets, this instrument has inlaid white lines where the frets normally go. You can get the fretless sound and have the accuracy as long as you are looking. New with a gigbag, $875
Click here for a list of new Enoch Tradesman banjos in stock and ready to ship today.
1988 Goose Acres Electric. OK, I admit it. I left a sold Goose Acres banjo on my list of banjo descriptions for over a year so whenever someone did an internet search for Goose Acres banjo, they would eventually find my site. Well, now we have one of these custom instruments for sale. Similar to that last one, but a little cooler. This rare banjo was made at the high point of Goose Acres banjo production. With the late Peter H. Smakula, Bob Smakula, & Kevin Enoch making Goose Acres banjos at that time you know there is no better Old Time banjo. The heart of this instrument is the spun over rim with a scalloped tone ring. The Fairbanks Electric was the inspiration for this design, but I have to say Peter H. Smakula's metal work was more precise. The neck is made of straight maple with a natural blond finish. The engraved mother of pearl inlays are suggestive of a Fairbanks number 2 with a fancy peghead design, engraved diamond and star inlays on the fretboard. The heel carving is also reminiscent of the great old banjos of the 1900 era, but not a direct copy. The Fairbanks shaped neck is back-strapped giving an elegant look to this amazing instrument. The blond rim is 11" with tortoise celluloid binding on the inside and the scale of the tortoise celluloid bound ebony fretboard is 26 1/4". The tone is full and snappy and the feel is precise. From the original owner, this banjo is in excellent condition and has the original hard case. $3,000 Photos
1908 A.C. Fairbanks Whyte Laydie #2. This post fire Fairbanks banjo was made a few years after Vega bought A.C.F. & Company. This instrument is in very nice shape and conforms to the standard description. The neck is blond maple with a dyed maple fretboard and peghead overlay. The 10 15/16" rim has the bracket band and the Whyte Laydie tonering. The griffin peghead inlay was recently re-engraved by master inlay artist and banjo builder, Kevin Enoch. Interestingly, this example is one of the rare Fairbanks #2 banjos with the griffin inlaid upside down. The pe ghead overlay was replaced (using the original inlays) about 20 years ago at Goose Acres in Cleveland, Ohio. We decided though the 20 year old repair was decently done, there was room for improvement, so the lacquer refinished peghead was stripped and a new French polish finish has been applied. It is nearly impossible to distinguish this bit of new work from the original that left the factory more than 100 years ago. Original Fairbanks Whyte Laydie banjos are one of the most in demand of the older 5 strings. Give this one a try, you'll be glad you did. EC, HC, $4,500 Photos
1909 A.C. Fairbanks Whyte Laydie #2. For some reason it has been raining griffin peghead Whyte Laydie #2 banjos hear lately. Having bought and sold 2 prime examples earlier this year, we now have this one and the 1908 model ready to play. The maple neck has a 27" scale ebony fretboard. The ornament is standard for a #2 with engraved dots, an engraved star, and the bell thingie on the first fret. The peghead has a nicely engraved griffin, star and bell thingie. The fretboard binding has been replaced by us and looks original. We also refretted the neck. The blond maple of the10 15/16" rim matches the neck. For some reason the owners of the banjo had the metal parts (with the exception of the A.C. Fairbanks plate) silver plated back in the early 1980's. Even after we had the parts replated in nickel, they still didn't look right. To make this banjo look and sound right, we took the metal parts off a slightly later Whyte Laydie tenor banjo and installed them on this 1909 banjo. This banjo has the volume of a Tubaphone with the full tone of a Whyte Laydie. Original Fairbanks and Vega Whyte Laydie banjos are an inspiration. When compared to some of the modern caricatures produced recently, you realize why their owners cherish these instruments. This one hundred and one year old instrument is in very good to excellent condition, comes with a sturdy Ess & Ess hard case, and is priced at $4,250. Photos
1909 A. C. Fairbanks Special Number 4. I always marvel how lucky we are to consistently get really nice old banjos for sale here at SFI. The Special number 4 is similar to the Fairbanks Regent model, only not quite as fancy. This banjo has a dark brown died maple neck with a 26" scale fretboard. The fretboard inlay is mostly dots with a few ellipses and one elongated diamond. The peghead has a star. Rim size is the desirable 10 3/4". This is as nice a playing Fairbanks as you can get. The tone is bright without being tinny. The big neck feels great in my hands. The condition is excellent and is set up with Pegheds geared tuners. This one comes with a gigbag for the price of $1,500
1925 Vega Whyte Laydie Number 7 openback five string banjo. This gorgeous instrument conforms to the catalog description if it's day. The neck is made of curly maple with a light burnt orange stain. The fretboard is ebony, with nine engraved Mother-Of Pearl inlays that nearly fill the fret space they occupy. The peghead face features Vega's engraved Flowerpot inlay while the back of the peghead has the shape known as the "Christmas Ornament". And in case you forgot this banjo's make, that inlay has Vega engraved in small letters in the middle. The carved heel looks as sharp as the day it left the factory. The rim features the famous Whyte Laydie tone ring and bracket band. Likely the only defect this instrument has is the 4 tiny holes drilled in the rim marquetry that I can only assume were for attaching some sort of resonator. The plating on the metal parts is good, other than a little rust on the hooks. The minor repairs and modifications we made to this instrument include; New fretboard binding (the original was quite cracked ans missing several pieces) geared tuners (Pre-war planets on the peghead and a Schaller fifth), a Fiberskyn head, and new frets. This banjo looks good and sounds great. What are you waiting for? 10 15/16" rim, 27" scale, EC, HC, $7,500 Photos
1928 Vega Tubaphone #3. Another original 5 string Vega banjo? How did we get so lucky? No major modifications or thoughtless "upgrades" have been performed on this banjo. Well, except for the name Rex scratched on the dowelstick. The 10 15/16" Tubaphone rim is in nice shape. One reason was the banjo came with a flush fit (no flange) resonator that kept the rim from being banged up. The tailpiece is an original 1920's Vegaphone Presto we modified for 5 string. The neck was professionally refretted and rebound here in the SFI shop. The peghead is inlaid with the word Vega surrounded by a floral vine. The original tuners are the diamond plate Grover Ideal and the banjo retains the original friction fifth string tuner. The mahogany neck's profile is slimmer than the earlier original Vega & Fairbanks five string banjos. It has some finish wear in the first position, but from the fifth fret to the carved heel it looks real good. Like any Tubaphone, this banjo has a bright tone with plenty of volume. A little too loud for your band mates? Take off the resonator! All in all the banjo falls in the very good plus to excellent minus condition categories. The price with the original hard shell case is $2,900 Photos
1921 Fairbanks by Vega Tubaphone Number 3. Imagine our dismay when we opened the shipping box to see the peghead of this original five string banjo separate from the rest of the neck. Fortunately SFI's Andy FitzGibbon took care of the problem and fixed the break invisibly. I keep looking for a hint of a crack, but can not find it. To reinforce the break he added an ebony back strap and replaced the peghead overlay using the original inlay. While we were at it, we decided the original fretboard had too many cracks and warranted replacing. As most modern players like a shorter scale, we replaced the 28" scale fretboard with a 27" scale, resulting in greater playing comfort and better bass notes from the bridge being a little closer to the center of the head. The neck's heel carving is as crisp as it left the factory. The original rim has 30 brackets and an 11 13/16" diameter. Overall condition is very good to excellent. With a newer hard case the price is $2,500. Photos
1970 Vega by C.F. Martin SS-5 Folklore Long Neck banjo. This is a fine example of The Martin Guitar companies finishing & assembly of Boston made Vega parts. The 32" scale of this long neck banjo facilitates playing and singing 3 half steps lower than a standard 5 string banjo, an innovation made popular by renowned folksinger, Pete Seeger. This openback banjo has a 3-piece maple neck with a 1/32" mahogany center lamination and a dot inlaid rosewood fretboard. The maker is identified by the Vega decal on the front of the peghead and the C.F. Martin & co. stamp on the back of the peghead. The 11" diameter nine-ply maple rim has 24 brackets and is finished in a medium brown color to match the neck. The excellent condition of this instrument makes us think it was not played much, so now's your chance to give it the workout it deserves. The price is $1,000, including the original chipboard case. Photos
1927 Bacon Super Banjo. A new curly maple five-string neck adorns this vintage 11" diameter Bacon Super banjo rim and features well done reproduction fancy inlay in mother-of-pearl. The fretboard is Brazilian rosewood and is slotted for a comfortable 26-1/4" scale. The original dowel stick retains the Bacon Banjo Company's Super Banjo graphics. Sound? This one is loud and snappy. Perfect for a player that has to compete with a full band while playing melodic leads. The original resonator comes off easily allowing the banjo to be an openback when necessary. The banjo is in very good to excellent condition, comes with a modern TKL hard case at a price of $1,400
1940 Gibson RB-00. How cool is it to have an original Gibson resonator five-string banjo? And it's a one-piece flange model to boot! Though it is an original Gibson 5, the neck was refinished to original specs as the original finish crumbled off. A little odd that happened as the finish on the resonator & rim is in excellent original condition. The metal parts look their age and are a little rusty and pitted, but not bad. This banjo has a great hollow sound that is a blast to pull old tunes out of. All in all the banjo is in very good plus condition. The $2,800 price includes a modern hard case. Photos
2008 Gibson Mastertone J.D. Crowe Blackjack. This is one good looking and powerful bluegrass banjo. There is nothing that does not conform to the catalog description. A 26-3/16" scale bound rosewood fretboard with plenty of floral inlay on a mahogany neck. The rim is the standard 11" with a one-piece flange. All the metal parts are finished in an antique gold color. The tension hoop, tonering, armrest and tailpiece are engraved in a pattern similar to what Gibson used on their style 6 banjos. All the wood parts are finished in a light chocolate brown. Last; the interior rim label is autographed by J.D. Crowe. Now all of that is good news, but it gets even better. The current retail price is $5,554 with a street price of $$4,999. For this original excellent condition, barely used example with the equally excellent condition original hard case, we are asking $3,200 Get your National fingerpicks and give it a try.Photos
1890's Cole's Eclipse Man-In-The-Moon. I love the engraving on Cole man-in-the-moon model banjos. The engraving is some of the best and has always been an example to study in my restoration work. This 100+ year old banjo is no exception. Besides the fancy engraved mother-of-pearl inlay, this banjo features a 27 1/8" scale and a 10 1/4" diameter rim. It has a calf skinhead and 5 geared tuners, so not only does it look good, but you can tune it too! Better than very good condition and the price includes a hard case. $ 2,500. Photos
1920 Cole's Eclipse. Though this is one of the banjos made late in this firms history, it is still a high quality instrument. With it's 27" scale and the 10 7/8" head it has a bright and precise sound. The ebony fretboard is inlaid with dots, the peghead features an engraved floral design. Modern geared tuners have been installed. This is one clean banjo. Excellent condition with an equally excellent original hard case, $1,900. Photos
1890 Lyon & Healy Left Handed Original Five String. We restored and sold this banjo about 3 years ago and now it's back and as big as ever. The scale of the ebony fretboard is 28-5/8" and the rim has a diameter of 13". Though not marked Lyon & Healy, this banjo has all the characteristics of the L&H Mystic line. The peghead on the birch neck is reminiscent of the S.S. Stewart shape, has an inlaid star and 4 newer small shaft planet pegs installed. The rim is spun over and features 30 brackets. The calf skin head was installed at the time of the restoration, as was the custom-made reproduction brass tension hoop. The tone of this beast is full and loud with a great sounding bass. The price, including a TKL hard case, is $1650. . The rarest banjo the right-handed staff of SFI will never be able to play. Photos
1880's Buckbee Fretless Made For Cubley. This oldtimer has a walnut neck with flush frets, a 10, 7/8" spin over rim, and is set up with Nylgut nylon strings. We instaled new Pegheds geared tuners that look like ebony friction pegs. and did a neck reset. Looks old, plays great! This is a nice banjo that carries the stamp of approval from Kevin Chesser and Becky Hill. EC, GB, $850 Photos
1890s Fretless by H.E. Forest. This original fretless 5-string banjo is one of the odder banjos we have come across. The walnut neck is made of 8 1/4" laminations and the peghead shape has so many turns and points, you wonder what they were thinking. This neck is married to a 11 3/4" rim with an unusual cast bracket band, top tension stretcher band with 24 bolts, and the most inventive neck attachment hardware to grace our shop in the 17 years we have been in business. Once you get past the fact that this banjo is not the status quo, you'll find it is fun to play and great sounding. We have it set up with steel strings and Pegheds, four to one geared tuners that look like ebony friction tuners. EC, GB $1,200. Thanks to Richard Cicciarelli for publishing a book of banjo patents of the 19th century that helped us identify this instrument.Photos
1900 George Matthews fretless. I often say the British have their own way of making banjos, but this one is a close to an American style as they get. A 12 3/8" rim coupled with the 25 5/8" scale gives this banjo a great old time sound. The fingerboard is ebony with a star near the 5th peg and 5" of engraved metal leaves at the octave. The side of the neck is inlaid with 1/4" mother-of-pearl dots approximately where the frets would be if this were a fretted banjo the neck itself is walnut, and the rim is maple with a full spinover. Geared tuners on the peghead and a friction 5th peg. EC, GB $1,000. Photos
1960's Harmony Resotone. Steel reinforced poplar neck and a plastic rim. But, you know, these banjos really sound good for under $200. So give banjo playing a try and don't blow the budget. EC, SC! 175
1976 Harmony Bicentennial. The coolest of the Harmony Resotone banjos. Sure it has a plastic rim, but Harmony upgraded this line in 1976 with a Minuteman decal on the back of the resonator and a Remo head with '76 printed on it. And to make it just a bit cooler the neck is painted red. EC-, SC $250
1996 Ome. This is one of the weirdest Ome banjos we have ever seen. In a nutshell it's an openback with a minstrel style neck and a Mastertone rim. Oh, you want more detail? OK. The neck has a bound ebony fretboard with a 26 1/8" scale nicely inlaid with moons and stars. The minstrel style peghead also has moon and star inlay and sports 4 in line Five Star Planet tuners. The neck wood is curly maple with a vivid flame. Both the neck and rim are colored in a tasteful red brown and finished in lacquer. The 11" diameter rim is 3/4" three ply maple with Ome's Mastertone style tonering. The tension hoop, tailpiece, and armrest are beautifully hand engraved and nickel plated. The tone is precise and excellent for melodic playing. A little heavy at 9-1/4 pounds, but sometimes that just what you need to play the tunes you want to play. This banjo is in excellent condition with a TKL hard case. It can be purchased for $1,500. Photos
1994 Bart Reiter Whyte Laydie. This is Bart's interpretation of the classic Fairbanks-Vega Whyte Laydie #2. With the engraved griffin peghead inlay and the engraved dots & star fretboard inlay you are immediately reminded of the 100 year old classic. The neck and rim are maple, with a 26" scale and 11" diameter. It has a bound ebony fretboard that is scooped from the 17th fret to the rim. The lacquer on this banjo is checked, as are most of the Bart's banjos that are this old. All in all a good solid banjo with the Whyte Laydie tone you want. This banjo is in very good condition and includes the original Harptone hardshell case. $1,200. Photos
2005 Mike Ramsey Electric. Mr. Ramsey's inspiration for this model was the early Fairbanks Electric banjos made around 1900. This banjo has a mahogany neck with a bound 25-3/4" scale fretboard featuring engraved inlay reminiscent of those 110-year-old instruments. The painted black 11" rim with a Whyte Laydie tonering gives this banjo plenty of snap and volume. The fretboard is scooped and has a Price straight-line tailpiece installed. In excellent condition with a newer Superior Bump hard case, $1,150
2000? Epiphone Travel Banjo. Here is an odd duck. A short (19-7/8") scale banjo neck on an 11" spruce topped rim with a sunburst finish. Kinda quiet, but perfect for playing banjo in that motel room late at night. It's in excellent condition with the original gigbag. $175New Saga SS-10P travel banjo. Looking at an Augusta Heritage Arts Workshop catalog a few years ago, I noticed a photo of a 9 year old girl trying to play a full-size five string banjo. It looked painful!. To make Old time music a little more fun for small kids, I decided to stock these new travel banjos. The short scale of 19 3/4" make it possible for kids to play with out stretching their left arm to their limit. We go the extra step to make these banjos sound and play great by replacing the plastic head with a new Remo Fiberskyn head and doing a complete setup. It really makes a difference. GB; $350. A fretboard scoop for playing over the neck is available for an additional $50. We also have a lightly used example for sale at the price of $250. What are you waiting for?
For the last few years we have been looking for a decent low cost and good sounding openback that is perfect for folks learning to play Old Time Music. There are several manufacturers out there making banjos similar to what I want, but their quality control is inconsistent. The banjo you receive could be completely different from the sample you saw. Then came Gold Tone's latest offerings. Nicely made instruments that look and sound the way we think Old Time banjos should be.
New Gold Tone CC-OT. This model has a mahogany neck with a 26 1/2" scale rosewood fretboard. The 11" diameter rim comes with a Remo Fiberskyn head The tuners are all geared. We order this model with 4 to 1 planet tuners on the peghead. The neck comes from the factory scooped near the rim for clawhammer playing and Gold Tone even includes a 5th string railroad spike capo. And to sweeten the deal a little more the package comes with a gigbag, a strap and an instructional DVD. List price is $449; we sell them for $340.
New Gold Tone CB-100. This is the next step up from the Gold Tone CC-OT. Upgraded features include a maple neck with slightly fancier inlay and an archtop tonering with Remo Renaissance head for a brighter sound. List price is $$659. Our price with a gigbag is $550.
New Gold Tone WL-250. The addition of the Whyte Laydie style tonering makes this imported banjo a little brighter and clearer that the other Gold Tone banjos we sell. The comfortable, slim, maple neck is finished in a walnut color and features cloud inlays on the fretboard. 11" rim and a 26-1/4"" scale. The list price is $950. Our selling price with a gigbag includes is $650.
New Gold Tone CEB-5 Cello Banjo. Who would have thought that the banjo world in the 21st century needed a Cello banjo? Gold Tone has come through with a well built and good sounding instrument tuned to a low pitch, With a 14" rim there isn't a cooler imported banjo on the market. List price is $1,199. Our price with a hard case is $850. Yep, it's fun to play!
Six String Banjos
1995 Deering B-6 Boston 6 String Guitar Banjo. From a well-respected modern maker we have the way for all you guitarists to start playing banjo without having to learn a new instrument. This American made instrument is in great shape and does not look to have been played much. It conforms to the catalog description of a mahogany neck & resonator, a 26 1/8" scale ebony fretboard, and a rolled steel 11" diameter rim. We have it set up with silk and bronze strings to deliver a little more funk than twang. Excellent condition with the original hard case. $950. On Hold Photos
1920's Majestic Guitar Banjo. Though we all get emails that size matters, this is on case where it really does. At 13 3/8" the rim on this Majestic is bigger than any commercially made guitar banjo available today. And what a sound that 13 3/8" makes. The coolest thunky banjo sound you could imagine. The neck is Brazilian rosewood with a crescent moon in the peghead. New parts include; Tuners, Tailpiece and the hooks and nuts. We also replaces the decomposing ebonized hardwood fretboard with one of ebony. A little shy of excellent condition and comes with a Gold Tone cello banjo hard case for $1950 Photos
1920's Majestic Guitar Banjo. As unbelievable as it may seem, we have a second Majestic Guitar Banjo in stock. This one is similar to the one listed above as we reset the neck, added a new ebony fretboard, and modern appropriate tuners. The subtle, but important differences include; the 13 3/8" rim on this Majestic has an archtop style tonering, giving the sound a slightly clearer tone. The neck is birdseye maple with "S.S. Stewart" inlaid in the peghead, indicating it was made for the musical distributor that owned the S.S. Stewart name at the time. As big as the rim is, the neck is a little narrow at 1-1/2" at the nut. Still ultimately playable and rather fun to boot. Time to bring out your inner Nate Lane and go for one of these rare amazing instruments. In very good condition and comes with a Gold Tone cello banjo hard case for $1950.
New Gold Tone I-BT-2000. Gold Tone has made the best sounding new Guitar banjo money can buy. With the 12" rim, this banjo has all the growl and funk you need in a guitar banjo. Not a wimpy, tinny sound you get from the easy to find 11" Asian imports. The list price is $919. We offer this model at $650 and include a good gigbag.
Banjo Research
J. French Cleve'd O. banjos. J. Lafayette French made banjos in Cleveland Ohio from the 1870's to about 1900. We are currently researching J.L. French and his banjos. If you have any information on J. Lafayette French the banjo maker, or his family we would love to hear from you. We are also documenting any banjos made by his company. Please click the contact button and let us know what you know. We will also gladly answer any questions about J. French banjos to the best of our ability. Check out the in progress web site www.jfrenchbanjos.com
J. French Banjos, Contact us...
FOUR STRING BANJOS
1928 Vega Style M Tubaphone Tenor banjo. Most Tubaphone tenor banjos from the later 1920's were from the Vegaphone series. This one has the older, shorter scale (20 1/4") on a 17 fret neck. The 10 15/16" rim has an original Pie style curly maple resonator. Period Grover Ideal tuners were likely installed when the banjo was new. Currently set up in jazz tuning, but we will be happy to set it up with Irish style stringing at your request. Physical condition is in the very good to excellent range. The action is low and it's very comfortable to play. With the original Vega hard case the price is $1,100. Photos
1930 Oriole Tenor Banjo by Gibson. In it's more than 100-year history, Gibson made many instruments with brand names other than the world famous Kalamazoo moniker. The Oriole brand was used on a line of budget tenor banjos from the mid 1920's to about 1932. Though inexpensive compared to the Mastertone line, this banjo is well built and a great instrument for Irish tenor banjo playing. The 3/4" thick, 11" diameter 3 ply maple rim has 22 brackets. The neck has a 20 7/8" scale bound fretboard and is ornamented with Oriole and fleur-de-lis decals. We added new Gotoh planet tuners and a Fiberskyn head to bring the banjo up to modern playing standards. With the exception of scratches on the bottom of the rim, the banjo is in excellent condition. The $500 price tag includes the original soft-shell (chipboard) case.Photos
1922 Gibson TB-JR tenor Banjo. Likely the smallest tenor banjo produced by a major manufacturer. The scale of the Rosewood fretboard is 19", the rim diameter is 10-1/2". All the other wood parts are black finished maple. Though a bit of that black varnish is worn off, the banjo is still in very good solid condition. Strung and tuned for Irish playing, this diminutive instrument is a winner. Very good condition with a new gigbag, $550Photos
1960's Kay Tenor banjo. Here is a nicely made solid tenor banjo that is perfect to start your tenor banjo career with minimal investment. The maple neck has a 23" scale rosewood fretboard with dot inlay. The 11" rim has 20 brackets and is set up with a resonator in the Vegavox style, that is the flange 1" below the top of the head and the resonator is extra deep (2-3/8"). The chrome-plated hardware is in excellent condition, like the rest of the banjo. We have this instrument strung with heavy strings for Irish tuning, but we will be glad to restring to jazz tuning on request. The price is $350 and a chipboard case is included.1925 Paramount Style A Plectrum. This is a good example of Paramount's lowest cost model. Maple neck, rosewood fretboard with fancy (but not too fancy) inlays. I like this model best of any Paramount because they used fewer dyed veneers in construction. Those veneers tend to decompose over time and make the instrument unstable until they are replaced. All original hardware including Paige pegs and flip tailpiece. Metal is Excellent condition, wood is Very good. With modern hard case. $1,200 Photos
BANJO UKES
1925 Gretsch Clariphone Banjo Uke. This is the one model of Gretsch banjo I actually like. With a 7" head, a 13" scale and a wide comfortable neck, these little guys are very comfortable to play. They are also a bargain in the vintage instrument world. This one has a blond finish and is in excellent condition. Price is $225
1922 Lyon & Healy Banjo Ukulele. This banjo uke has a longer than standard, scale, (15-1/8"), and a 17 fret neck on an 8" diameter rim. These details combined with the new Remo Renaissance head and a resonator on the rim give you the brightness and volume you have been looking for. This instrument is in excellent condition and includes the original hard case. Price for this weapon of jam destruction; $450. Photos
1922 Lyon & Healy Banjo Ukulele. This banjo uke is a twin to the one above. Same construction, same measurements, same loud tone. It differs with the resonator. This one has a metal resonator with a textured swirly pattern on the outside. A little weird and allot cool! This instrument is in very good plus condition and a gigbag Price is $350.
1925 Epiphone, new ebony fretboard by SFI, 13 7/8" scale, 8 1/2" rim, heavy! EC; $550
1925 Epiphone, 13 7/8" scale, 8 1/2" rim, heavy!, EC+++ with OHC that is also EC+++ $700. Photos
BANJO RIMS
1924 Vega Whyte Laydie Style R rim. Original Vega banjo rims rarely come into our shop in condition this nice. This 11-13/16" diameter Whyte Laydie rim is super sweet and includes the original Joseph Rodgers/Vega calf skin head. This rim will be perfect for your reproduction or custom five string banjo neck. Better than excellent condition. $1,250 Photos
1926 Tubaphone Style M rim. Excellent condition, with a new high quality head instaled. 11 13/16" diameter. $850. Photos
Guide to Abbreviations and Physical Condition;
New; An instrument that came to us from the manufacturer. It has never been owned by a consumer and has it's full warrantee.
Mint; As the instrument came from the factory. No blemishes at all
Near mint; Almost as it came from the factory
EC; Excellent condition, a very clean instrument that has a few minor blemishes
VG; Very Good Condition, reasonable wear for its age.
GC; Good Condition; plenty of player wear.
Plus or minus indicates the condition is half a grade better or worse.
HC; Price includes a Hard case, either made of laminated wood or ABS plastic. Hard cases offer the most protection for your instrument. The disadvantage is they are heavy.
OHC; Original Hard Case, the hard case purchased with the instrument when it was new.
SC; Softcase, refers to a chipboard (stiff cardboard) case,
OSC; The chipboard case sold with the instrument when new.
GB; Gigbag, a padded cloth bag. Usually with shoulder straps.
Shipping
We ship most of our instruments via UPS. Cost to ship a mandolin is $15 to $25. Cost to ship a guitar or banjo is $15 to $50. The cost of insurance is extra. We will be happy to quote before shipping.
Small goods like banjo heads and other parts cost $5 per order for Priority Mail shipping in the contenental US no matter what the order size. The cost of orders headed out of the contenental US will be quoted before they are shipped.
Sales Tax
We are legally obligated to charge 6% West Virginia sales tax on anything purchased here at the shop, or shipped within the state of West Virginia. We do not charge sales tax on orders sent out of state.
To Order
Please call us at 304-636-6710. As payment we accept checks, wire transfers and MasterCard & Visa.Email; Occasionally a customer will let us know that the "Contact Us" button will not work on their computer. If you have that problem, please use sfi<at>smakula<dot>com You will have to change the <at> and <dot> to @ and .