playable vintage antique 5 string banjo great inlays Start Price USD 259.00 Current Price USD 259.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, October 04, 2008 End Time Saturday, October 11, 2008 Location Iowa City, Iowa See more about 'playable vintage antique 5 string banjo great inlays ' Description This is an old-timey banjo with an old calfskin head in dirty/yellowed but well-preserved condition and beautiful inlays on the fingerboard.  I can find no labels on this banjo anywhere other than the tailpiece which is nickel-plated (rusty) steel and says "Bell Brand patented N.M.S. Co."   I'm not a bajno expert, but I think that the banjo and old tuners are from the 1900-1920 era. There is heavy wear of the first 3 frets and nice inlays at frets #1,5,7,9,12, 17.  There are three nice inlays in the rosewood (or dyed pearwood) headstock overlay.  The neck is very nearly straight, made of hard Maple with an ebony heel overlay, and action is good with a 9/16" tall Maple/Ebony bridge. The fingerboard seems to be a thinner Rosewood layer over a  thicker dyed pearwood core. I find it very easy to play with clearance of the strings being 3 to 4/32nd" at the 12th fret.  There are 18 old nickel plated brass shoes, nickel-plated brass nuts, and nickel-plated steel (new) flat hooks.  The tension ring is nickel-plated brass.  The pot is made of wood covered with nickel-plated brass, with the interior being painted black (paint is chipping).  The tuners on the headstock are all old vintage friction types which match perfectly except that one button is a bit different on the color it's aged to.  The fifth string peg is a modern Grover friction type with an ivory-colored button.  All tuners work well.  The nut has been replaced and the pip (5th string nut) is black horn.  There is a square stick with a cast metal wedge screwed to it which wedges the neck firmly against the pot.  Overall length is  36 inches.  There are new D'Addario ball-end strings installed. Please ask any question you have before bidding.  Shipping will be $40 for insured ground transport to the contiguous 48 and another $10 elsewhere.  Thanks for your interest. Place a Bid!