Tenor & Plectrum Banjos

If you want a top quality reasonably priced Tenor banjo, this is a real find! Made in America at the Deering Banjo factory in California, the Goodtime open-back banjo weighs about 4 pounds so it is ideal for traveling, camping, hiking, taking to the beach and provides a vibrant singing banjo tone in any situation. Also, light enough for children to hold and play and is the perfect banjo for a child to start out with since it is fretted correctly and plays easily.   The Deering List Price is $499

The case lid has an old decal on it from the George Hotel in Bermuda (oh, the stories it could tell).  There are few tenor banjos as well regarded or as beautiful in their simplicity as the prewar B&D Silver Bell No. 1.  Silver Bell was the highest numbered series in the B&D banjo line.   This one has the scalloped headstock design, the flowery headplate that is inlaid with many dozens of pieces of mother of pearl forming wreaths and branches and leaves and flourishes with the words “B&D,” and then “Silver” and then “Bell” in large pearl script.    WAS $1335 BUT NOW ON SALE FOR:

The TB-11 was one of Gibson’s highest level non-Mastertone tenor banjos.    It has the greatly desired “one-piece” flange and the tragically yearned-for ultimate rim construction that renders ecstatic the person who wishes to convert this to a five-string banjo by way of having a new 5-stirng neck made for it and installing a first class tone ring.    The back of its maple resonator is pearloid covered and has a large four-point pastel-color flower whose petals are dark cherry sunburst, with some flourishes between the petals, and this is bordered in yellow with a black fluted border similar to a wreath.

This maple neck, maple rim, open back tenor banjo with an 11” diameter Joseph  B. Rogers, Jr. skin head, has the name “D. Meldrum” written inside the head.

If you want a top quality reasonably priced Irish Tenor banjo, this is a real find! Made in America at the Deering Banjo factory in California, the Goodtime open back banjo weighs about 4 pounds so it is ideal for traveling, camping, hiking, taking to the beach and provides a vibrant singing banjo tone in any situation. Also, light enough for children to hold and play and is the perfect banjo for a child to start out with since it is fretted correctly and plays easily. The shorter 17 fret neck reduces the length of the entire banjo to just 32 inches end to end.

The Deering List Price is $509

The tenor banjo is the most popular member of the four-string banjo family. It is tuned C G D A just like a mandola, a viola or a tenor guitar. It provides the alto voice to the jazz band and excels at both rhythm and lead functions About the banjo our beloved friend, Wikipedia, says: “In almost all of its forms, banjo playing is characterized by a fast arpeggiated plucking, though there are many different playing styles.” Did you know that? I didn’t know that.

Behold, a gorgeous thing was one of the 3 top-of-the-line Gibson banjos.  Steve Martin and John McEuen of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band each have a Gibson Florentine, Roger Sprung has a Gibson All American, and this was the third in the trilogy – the “Beautiful Voice” or “Bella Voce.”    The back and sides of the resonator are engraved and painted in many colors.   THIS WAS $9275 BUT THEN PUT ON SALE for $5671 with a Cash Price of $5,500.     THIS BANJO IS "ON HOLD FOR A BUYER FROM VIRGINIA. 

The Little Wonder is one of Vega’s prewar open-back models. It has a “rolled bead” of brass that acts as a small yet effective variation on a tone ring providing the instrument’s sound more punch and drive. It has 28 brackets, shoes and nuts (the sign reads “no brackets and shoes, no service”) and, guess what, 28 screws and washers. It has the standard Vega internal tensioner device holding the maple wooden dowel firmly to the underside of the heel, and the nickel-plated brass cube at the bottom.

The prestigious and gold-plated Aristocrat Model Paramount sports three headstock banners – one reads “Paramount,” one reads “Wm. L. Lange” who was the company's owner and one that reads “Aristocrat Model.” 

This example has the fairly standard 11 15/16” diameter head, which has been replaced with a frosted-on-the-face Mylar mama. We don’t see very many resonator-backed Whyte Laydies and we don’t see many full scale ones either.  This is, then a fantastic opportunity for some lucky future owner since it’s both clean, capable and affordable.   NOW ON SALE!  This was priced at $1438 but now on sale for: 

This is an extremely handsome, and tastefully decorated, middle-of-the-line Paramount (“William L. Lange”)  tenor banjo; a fine looking professional quality performance tool, and one that, properly cared for, can likely provide its new owner another 80 years of stage, screen and radio use.  

A short scale tenor banjo has 17 frets; it was made for semi-professional musicians with small hands.  Nowadays the players of Scots and Irish music prefer this type of banjo.  Our shop replaced the missing neck binding, performed a set-up and restringing.  Now this precious pimpled peccary has become an excellent player with just the right lineage, from the right period and definitely carrying the right credentials.   THIS WAS $1850 BUT IS NOW ON SALE.   Now available for way less! 

This is a semi-custom order (see More Info) Granada 40-hole archtop plectrum with some interesting features. Its gold plating is slightly dulled from time and oxidation; it shows light normal scratches and minor signs of use. It has the modestly figured maple resonator with the white-black purfling on four borders and the serial numbers written in chalk near the center back of inside resonator and also painted (with chalk for the last two digits) near the neck opening.

We present a tube-and-plate flange banjo having a refinished mahogany resonator that may not be original to this banjo rim since the serial number painted into the back of the resonator is #9113, but the serial number on the inside rim is #8826-2. The back of the neck and the headplate are refinished as well. This comes in a prewar (period) Paramount Banjo case that’s been painted and taped up. 

This banjo, which bears the illustrious Whyte Laydie tone ring, has a generous head diameter of 11 7/8".  This is the perfect head size for conversion to a Round Peak old time clawhammer banjo, and this is easily obtained by simply adding a 5-string replica neck. This example has the pie plate flat resonator with one screw at the center inside back; said resonator shows a few normal scratches.THIS WAS $3087 WITH A CASH PRICE OF $2995 - BUT IT IS NOW ON SALE (BIG TIME - $1,649 LESS):  

Deering 20 hole bronze tone ring, mahogany 3-ply maple rim, mother of pearl & maple inlays, the slender Deering neck shape, a zinc flange, nickel plated metal parts, and a fine satin finish makes for an exceptional full-scale tenor banjo at a reasonable price. The Deering List Price is $2,839.