Classic-Banjo

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Available 19th Century Banjos

So I have been sort of shopping around with the idea of getting a new (old) jo.

I will have to take a gamble and buy mail order. Dallas is saturated with guitar shops, and you can find banjos if you play "real banjo music" (bluegrass).

Looking a Bernunzio's I was checking out these.

http://www.bernunzio.com/item.php?sku=0811774

http://www.bernunzio.com/item.php?sku=0812823

http://www.bernunzio.com/item.php?sku=0812827

http://www.bernunzio.com/item.php?sku=0913138

If the Lewis is full sized then that might be the coolest pending condition. The Schall is a bit overkill.

What other places should I check out.

I'd love a Stewart Thoroughbred, but finding one ready to go may be a trick. I also don't think that they are worth what people want.

It's got to have friction tuners and skin head. Apart from nylon strings, I don't want modern components.

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Permalink Reply by marc dalmasso on May 5, 2009 at 10:42

deuceswilde said:

Sorry,

"common-sense"

congratulations for the SSS 13 ' ; you will have to play a duo with Rob ...
my Universal favorite ( the one i play on the SS Stewart song " concert march ") has a CS and a richly engraved head ; however it is a grade 1 because there are only 10 brackets each side and the grade 2 are 12 each side , grade 3 , 15 each side . That 's means that you could have everything you wanted as an option from the SSS factory

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Permalink Reply by Trapdoor2 on May 5, 2009 at 13:54

Dude! Glad you got the Stewart...and you can thank your lucky stars I didn't see that listing first. ;-)

Although I would prefer the CS tailpiece, I have nothing against the No-Knot...have 'em on several banjos.

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Permalink Reply by Jody Stecher on May 5, 2009 at 15:14

marc dalmasso said:

Wal_do you think ? Schall you buy ?
I Know Not what I Schall do. I Wooden Hoop to get a bargain. I could borrow the money from some Fair Banks. If I can't pay the interest I can immigrate to a Far Land.

Jody , my friend from Munich came to see this forum and he told me has your " up the mountain " CD .

Going Up On The Mountain. That was made in 1976. The CD version is that whole LP plus about half of an earlier LP re-sequenced. Fred Sokolow is the banjo player on that. I only play banjo on one number. Funny classic banjo story about Fred. He plays a lot of banjo ragtime which he taught himself in the 1970s. But with steel strings and picks. He got a good paying ragtime gig in Los Angeles. When he arrived at the gig he was warmly greeted by the presenter (who had heard Fred's LP of rags on the five string banjo). But when Fred took his Stelling banjo out of the case and put on his fingerpicks the presenter said he couldn't allow him to play that way. Only nylon or gut with bare fingers. He sent him home. Without pay I think. Fred was laughing about this. He knows it sounds better the authentic way but he didn't have the right kind of banjo and no experience playing on non-metal strings.