Does anybody have experience with these?  I have the opportunity to purchase a 1918 11'' Orpheum No. 3 pot with a Bart Reiter repro neck (26'' scale length).  The banjo is a wonderful player but seems on the quiet side and has little punch.  It currently has medium gauge strings and a weatherking head.  What are these banjos known to sound like?  I'd describe this one as warm and round, harp-like, with lots of sustain but little bite or presence.  It does have a classic-style 2-foot bridge and a tailpiece that applies a lot of down-pressure.  Maybe a renaissance head would brighten it up and increase the volume?

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These are good tenor banjos especially for Irish music. Orpheum five string banjos can be a bit on the thin side sound wise. Sustain is usually short with not much bass response. Warm and Round would be unusual. Not much punch is typical but not always the case.  Weatherking heads are always brighter than Ren heads identically tightened.  The tone and response you are describing sound as if there is a mute of some sort between the dowel stick and the head. Like a diaper or a pair of socks. 

26 inches is short for an Orpheum. The ones I have played and seen are at least 27 and sometimes 28 I think. But even then they are typically not loud. they are good banjos all the same.

No more Van Eps?!

The No. 3s were the fanciest, but the extra work went predominately into the head and fretboard. The neck was laminated, and cured at length versus the lower grades, and mother of pearl in the fretboard and head was over the top. The difference between the No. 1, 2 and 3 pots though was minimal.

Sounds like the "harp-like" tones may very well be head related as these are usually, in my experience, bright and crisp...

I sold the Van Eps because I'd rather wait for a flush fret version. I sell banjos as quickly as I acquire them! It is fun trying lots of different types, but I'm still looking for "The One".

I had taken the Orpheum home on acceptance and I really found it to be lacking.  I tried a different head and different strings/tailpieces, and it was just too quiet and mellow.  Must have been this banjo in particular, and maybe the modern neck had something to do with it.  The hunt continues...

In a strange turn of events, I found another Orpheum... this one is an all original 1915 No. 3 special in excellent condition.  I think I might give this one a go... it can't be worse than the other Orpheum I tried, and judging by the descriptions of the Orpheum tone given here I'll probably like it a lot.  Fit and finish-wise these are really nice banjos for the money.

Congratulations on that. Hope this one sings.

The first one I tried had a great underlying tonality.. I think it wanted to sing, but something was holding it back.  Beautiful banjo though.  In my opinion, the Orpheum banjos are all quite stunning, and the No. 3 and No. 3 specials have my favorite heel carvings.

#3s are stunning, and much more elaborate than the #3 Stewarts. :-)

I think the build quality is better than the Fairbanks-Vega banjos of the time.  They feel much more solid.  I also like the narrow fingerboards with their chunky neck carve.

My own opinion, regardless of the contemporary market, is that these are at least equal to the best banjos being made at the time. And remain wonderful playing instruments today.

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