Fairbanks Electric banjo serial number 14620. From 122 years ago.
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All the hooks, nuts, bolts, bracket shoes and the tension hoop are original and in very good condition. The 10 5/8 inches in diameter rim is also in very good condition. The brass '' Electric'' tone ring is stamped Pat.Dec. 30 1890. The goatskin is recent.
The frets, the inlays and the fingerboard are also original but the ebony fingerboard needed to be re glued. I also installed a truss rod to correct the neck bow. I re laminated one layer of pearwood that was falling apart and re glued the fingerboard that still had the maple and redwood laminations on. The neck is now straight with the correct relief and is strung with steel strings. The headstock veneer needed to be replaced. The cherry neck has been partly refinished.
The action is 1/8 of an inch at the last fret with a 1/2 inch Moon bridge.The scale is 25 inches. Fingerboard is 1 1/4 inch at the nut and 1 7/8 inch at the heel.
The No knot tailpiece and the Vega wire armrest replica are also new.
Great sounding and easy to play old time banjo with a history and a memory.
Plated Second Life banjo No 1273-4 and ready for another century of music.
( The price is actually $1180,00 if the banjo is picked up at the shop and without a the TKL hardshell case. )
