RIchard Spencer antique fretless banjo for sale at low price

[Jody Stecher]

Any British banjo players looking for a "smooth arm" (Fretless) banjo?  My friend Mike in Devon has an old Richard Spencer banjo he has decided to sell. When he mentioned it to me I offered to put a notice on this site as I think it would appeal to some members since it is a banjo built in London to play the kind of music discussed here.

It would have been made no later than 1915. I think the 1890s is likely. Mike is not looking for a vast fortune,  just a good home for it at a modest price.  I suggested £200 and he thought it might be too much.

It has 6 strings — 5 long ones and one short one. It has no frets. The metal-clad pot is about 12.2 inches. I remember it as larger but apparently not. Mike suspects that although the pot is like most other Spencer pots and the neck is stamped Richd Spencer, that the pot and neck are a mismatch because the dot markers on the neck would place the bridge very near the tailpiece. I disagree, since every British fretless banjo I've seen has this feature. Back when the banjo was made, the prevailing sonic banjo aesthetic was thin and plinky. The scale where the bridge is now is about 27.5 inches but obviously a fretless banjo can have the bridge anywhere at all. I'm sure the current bridge is not the original and I would advise replacing it with something lighter. The tailpiece could be original. The pegs are probably original. It is currently strung with a combination of nylgut and nylon.

The neck/fingerboard nut to heel is 19 inches. The pot is 2.5 inches deep. This banjo has a good deep sound.  If anyone is interested let me know and I'll put you in touch with Mike. Shipping within the UK or to Europe is possible but collection is better. Mike's work occasionally entails driving in all directions (not at once) so that may be another delivery option. Here are some photos.

[Richard William Ineson]

I'm interested in this banjo, I like thin and plinky, £150.00 would suit me, let me know if you want me to have it.

[Jody Stecher]

Thanks, Richard. I've sent you Mike's contact info. One advantage of fretlessness is that the player can make the banjo have a sound anywhere on the continuum from thin and plinky to thick and plunky just by moving the bridge further from or closer to the center of the vellum.