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Custom Minstrel-Style Saturn Banjo , 24.5” Scale, 1-5/8” Nut, Hard Accent Bag
This is a 12"-head “Saturn” Banjo (named after the Saturn inlay on the headstock) which has a slightly wider and beefier neck (and wider 13/32”string spacing) designed to suit many players, especially those players with larger hands and/or older players who have difficulty navigating shallow and narrow necks. The headstock shape is reminiscent of early minstrel-style banjos, but the geared tuners, adjustable truss rod, radiused frets, etc. make this banjo much easier to play and maintain than vintage models. The string spacing is about 13/32” between strings and the width of the main bone nut edge-to-edge is about 1-5/8”. The fifth-string nut is made of brass. The fretboard has golden-colored 12”-radiused “Evo” frets (most banjo fretboards are flat rather than radiused) which assist in barring the frets to make it easier to play up the neck. Evo frets look like brass but the Evo alloy is harder and longer-wearing than traditional nickel/silver frets. The banjo comes with a black Access brand banjo “hard bag” offering over 1? thick core of superior high-density, closed-cell HardCell™ foam, with the Pisgah logos on it (a $139 value), a 12" (Balsam Banjo Works) steam-bent American Black Walnut rim with a Big Leaf Maple rim cap, Balsam top-grooved tension ring, flat hooks, Balsam rolled brass tone ring and Balsam nuts; two-way low profile truss rod accessed at the neck heel, a frailing scoop, a Hard Rock Maple and black fiber skunk stripe down the middle of the Walnut neck, Rosewood fretboard underlay, Pisgah Hawk Tail tailpiece, 16 Rickard brand ball-type bracket shoes, and an abalone star on the Ebony neck heel cap. The hardware is nickel-plated brass. There is an old-style nickel-plated brass armrest.
The approx. 24.5" scale makes notes easier to reach than a more traditional 26.5” scale while allowing standard tunings. The string height at the highest fret is about 4 to 5/32”. The banjo has a Walnut neck with a strong volute and a horizontal Scroll headstock with a pearl and abalone Saturn inlay, Gotoh nickel planetary tuners with black buttons, Bolt on neck and wood/brass coordinator rod with a skunk stripe matching the neck, gold-colored frets, 12” radius ebony fretboard with dot, star and diamond inlays, custom minstrel-style (7/8”height) Maple/Ebony bridge, and a 12” Remo hi-rise Fiberskyn head with a Pisgah/Balsam logos on it. The location of the tuners features a nearly-straight pull on the strings which makes accuracy of tuning simpler (less binding at the nut). There are inlaid fret markers along the edge of the fretboard. The finish on the wood is satin stringed-instrument lacquer. The banjo was built in 2020 and is in used pristine condition. A brass plate on the coordinator rod reads “John McKinstry, Builder, Iowa City, Iowa.” The banjo comes with a banjo bracket wrench, an extra bracket shoe w/ bolt, two extra hook/nut sets, and an extra 13/16” bridge in case you want to lower the strings a bit. The overall length of the banjo from tailpiece to tip of the headstock is about 38-1/2" with a total width of about 13" and a 3-1/2" depth at the pot including the armrest. Reasonable offers will be considered.
Please excuse my flubs on the video. You can hear that the simple rolled brass tone ring provides some "pop and growl" but without the pronounced ringing and overtones often found with more complicated tone rings. There are a great varieties of tones and styles of banjos, and I hope this banjo's features match your tastes and style of playing.
I will ship the banjo in a padded sturdy carton in its densely-padded Pisgah bag with the bridge taken down and the strings loosened. The spare parts, bridges and wrench will be found in the accessory pocket of the bag, which also has shoulder straps and handles. The cost of insured shipping will be a flat rate of $80.00 for the contiguous 48 states and actual cost elsewhere; please inquire for a shipping cost estimate if you'd like to know in advance of bidding. Local pickup is free if the banjo has already been paid for via PayPal. I have tried to give an accurate and detailed description; I will be pleased to answer any question you have about the listing. Thank you for reading the entire description.
