This is my personal favorite of the banjos that I took to Joe Val this year. In fact I have been playing this banjo as my primary banjo for the last year.
The pot assembly is a 100% original Style 11 from the late 1930s. A second coordinator rod has been added and a newer presto tailpiece. The banjo has been fitted with a Jerry Sloan, no-hole tone ring, which I believe yields the closest sound to the "pre-war" sound that can be achieved today using old Gibson wood. The neck was made using my templates from an original 1937 Gibson RB1. Everyone who has played necks that I have made with this profile really likes them. I wanted to stay true to the original design of the style 11 but I didn't want to play on the MOT that would have been on the original neck. Brian England cut pearl to match the original painted pattern of the RB11 neck and I inlayed that in to a select piece of Brazilian rosewood. I recently resprayed the neck because over the last year my wedding band had left some indentations on the treble side. The frets have all been dressed.
I can't say much more about this banjo except, to me it is perfect in every way and exactly what I look for in a banjo. A banjo like this does not come around very often, where everything work together to provide that sought after sound and play-ability. Comes with Guardian style HSC. Satisfaction is guaranteed...Bill
