Vintage George Washburn 5 String Open Back Banjo 19 Fret 11 Pot Bison Inlay

This is a nice Vintage American made banjo. From what I can find it looks to be built sometime in the late 1890's or early 1900's. Uring that time these banjos were produced by Lyon and Healy of Chicago under the George Washburn name. The peghead tuners look to be from the 1920's and all will hold tension for tuning. The feel and sight of the inlay and wood work on the neck give you that sense of a true vintage instrument.

The nut is Not Original. There are multiple nicks and marks on the back of the neck and a chip in the ebony fingerboard by the Cloud inlay at the bottom. There is No truss rod and the neck has a pretty good back bow.

That is why I strung it with the steal strings. The banjo plays well and is enjoyable for old time strumming, ect. The 1st fret is quite buzzy.. I thought about leveling the frets a little but have not attempted that yet. I installed the 5th string friction machine but did not glue it into place.

I wanted to see if I liked it before making it more permanent. The fret board looks to be ebony and the neck mahogany.

The wooden part of the pot is likely maple. 11 Fiberskyn 3 Medium Collar. The Fiberskyn head gives the banjo a nice old time look and feel. It is hard to tell but the tailpiece and 28 hooks seem to be original. The number on the back post of the banjo is "873".

Send me a message with any questions. The item "Vintage George Washburn 5 String Open Back Banjo 19 Fret 11 Pot Bison Inlay" is in sale since Thursday, January 2, 2020. This item is in the category "Musical Instruments & Gear\String\Folk & World\Banjos". The seller is "newbegining316" and is located in Brick, New Jersey. This item can be shipped to United States.

Model: 5 String
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Dexterity: Right Handed
Number of Strings: 5
Type: 5 String
MPN: 5 String
Body Style: Open Back
Brand: George Wasburn