Vintage Banjo Parts
Vintage Banjo Identification

Smakula

Many have no identification at all. Most have the patented L&H tailpiece shown in the inset. These shoes are shown in an 1890s Washburn banjo catalog, on low end models with simple peghead shapes. Many seen have no identification at all. Also, the tailpiece on this banjo is a patent assigned to Lyon & Healy, further suggesting them as the makers. When my father-in-law's father passed, he left his banjo to my brother-in-law. I was just over there for dinner the other day - and now that I actually play, it piqued my interest and asked to take some photos of it. They don't know anything about it, other than that it's a tenor from the 1920's ish. It is likely a no-name import, and there is no easy way to identify a modern no-name import banjo; there are hundreds of import makers. This is not made by any of the well-known vintage makers. (speaking as one who is a banjo-picker and owner of several vintage banjos myself). The prewar Gibson Mastertone banjo is the rarest and most valuable model of Gibson banjo, so it is the most likely to be faked. References Banjophiles: How to Identify a Fake Vintage Gibson Banjo.

Fretted

Instruments

PO Box 882, Elkins,West Virginia 26241

304-636-6710

Phone Hours; 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Eastern Time,Monday through Friday and occasionally on Saturday;

Banjos,Contact us..
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Page updated 6-1-2021

Please Visit our Home Page for links to our guitars, fiddles, mandolins, and more.

Smakula Fretted instruments is on its way backto regular business. As you know, we have been shipping instrumentsand parts throughout the pandemic. Starting We are again acceptingbanjo, guitar, mandolin and minor fiddle repairs. For the safetyof our staff, we can not invite people into the shop, but we nowhave a heated camper trailer in front of the shop to use for repairdrop off and pickup, as well as a place to test instruments wehave for sale.

Thank you for your understanding and patienceas we all work through the details of the new normal.

Please stay safe.

Bob Smakula

Just In;

1890 AC Fairbanks Custom Electric 5-String Banjo. More details below. Photos
1891 A.C. Fairbanks Electric No. 2. More details below. Photos
1923 Vega Tubaphone Conversion.More details below. Photos
Recent Stone 23-3/8' scale 5-string. $900 Detsails and pics coming soon.
1917 Fairbanks by Vega Tubaphone NO 3 More information below. Photos

FIVE STRING BANJOS
New; As-Is Banjo Projects. We can't fix them all. Scroll to bottom of the page.

Openback 5 string banjosare a specialty here at Smakula Fretted Instruments. Everyone who works here plays clawhammer banjo, a style well suited to the open back five string. We do have resonator Bluegrass banjos for sale from time to time and currently have a nice Gibson bowtie RB-250 in stock. Please scroll down the page for more information.

Fifth String Railroad Spike Capos; Installed free on request when you buy one of our banjos.

1986 First Batch Goose Acres Electric. 1986 would prove to be a prophetic year for the American entertainment industry. It saw the births of Lady Gaga, Robert Pattinson, The Olsen Twins, Lindsay Lohan, Shia LaBeouf, and Drake, to name a few. And what cheesy, egomaniacal, overproduced hellfire hath been wrought in those brief 32 years. Meanwhile, in Cleveland, Ohio, the Goose Acres banjo company was catering to an entirely different sector of the 'entertainment' 'industry.' Calling back to an earlier America when the five string banjo actually *was* a leading symbol of popular entertainment, these rare Goose Acres Electric banjos day represent a benchmark in modern banjo construction. Personnel on file at this time include Kevin Enoch, Bob Smakula, and Peter H. Smakula, to give you an idea of the quality of this instrument. It has an 11' spun over rim with scalloped tone ring, mahogany neck, 26 1/4' ebony fretboard, and engraved mother of pearl inlays. With the exception of new, SFI-installed frets, and a fresh bridge and Fiberskyn head, this instrument is all original. Tone is clear and snappy and projects like an opera singer, or, perhaps, Lady Gaga? We'll let you be the judge. Sent straight to your domicile in a hard case, plus shipping. (P.S. - Goose Acres banjos never hang around for too awful long, so if you want it, move quickly!) Sorry, Sold.Photos

New Enoch Tradesman by Enoch Instruments. 11' or 12' rim with black finish, 25 1/2' scale, natural finish walnut or cherry neck with a Dobson-style profile and round heel, Richlite fretboard with dot inlays and an adjustable trussrod. Geared Gotoh planet & 5th tuners and cool octagonal dowel stick. Available fretted or fretless. In our opinion, the best new utility banjo on the market. GB; $1,335 fretted, $1,265 fretless. All our Enoch Tradesman Banjos are made with the optional fretboard scoop. Left Handed models in stock too!

Enoch Tradesman Flush Fret. A great place to start your fretless career. Instead of raised frets, this instrument has inlaid white lines where the frets normally go. You can get the fretless sound and have the accuracy as long as you are looking. New with a gigbag, with Scooped fingerboard; Walnut neck with 12' rim and neck scoop. $1,310 Sorry, Sold. A replacement is on order.

Click here for a list of new and used Enoch Tradesman banjos in stock and ready to ship today.

1901 A.C. Fairbanks Special Electric. No doubt this banjo deserves it's Special Electric moniker more than any other we've had. Starting with the neck material; It's rosewood. Not sure exactly which species, but it is dark red and very heavy. Some of that weight comes from the extra large size. Neck width is 1-5/16' at the nut and a 1-1/16' depth. The new ebony fretboard (replacing the decomposing ebonized hardwood) has a 27' scale. All the original Consalvi engraved mother of pearl inlays have been re-inlaid in the new fretboard and peghead overlay. The ABM planets with the Schaller 5th have vintage grained Ivoroid knobs installed. A slightly large 11-1/8' diameter electric rim has a Fiberskyn head installed and all the original hooks, nuts, and shoes. The new reproduction No-Knot tailpiece and armrest are not out of place. Do notice in the pictures the one small black mark on the neck. That is an original repair from the Fairbanks factory. It appears there was a small nick in the wood and that was their idea of an appropriate repair. Also notice the hole in the dowelstick. At some point a Farland mute was added. Disappointing the hole had to go directly through the Electric stamp. If you want us to instal your Farland mute, we're ready to go! This is a great bright toned banjo that plays with precision, and it your hands are bigger than average, all the better. Price is $2,700 with a modern Superior case included. Photos

1891 A.C. Fairbanks Electric No. 2. Here at SFI, we like our tone rings the way we like our potatoes - scalloped. And we like our Fairbanks banjos the way we like our coffee - 130 years old and full of metal. Now that we have the formalities out of the way, let us play fretted instrument matchmaker and tell you why you're going to fall in love with this banjo. The mahogany neck has a carved heel, and the 25' scale ebony fretboard boasts fancy inlays all over. It's outfitted with a grained ivoroid tailpiece, and ivory friction tuners. The head is high grade calf skin, and it sits atop a fully spun over, 10-1/2' rim. Elegant, but not overstated. It's set up with nylon strings for classic style playing, but will cooperate with thumb lead and clawhammer style as well. Banjos of all stripes seem to be flying out the door these days, so strike while the iron is hot, or more accurately, when the website is updated. Yours fo

Vintage Banjo Identification