Gallery - George Banjos

BANJOS

Student Model - Black Peghead

People frequently inquire about the availability of lower priced student or introductory frailing banjos, and though that's not really what we do here at George Banjos, we did come across some economy parts and put together some nice, affordable student/learner banjos. Both banjos were built from spun over metal rims built up with good maple, and the necks are imports that we recut the peghead and added good fretboards and inlay patterns. Both banjos feature frailing scoops.

This banjo features ebonized peghead veneer.

Price: SOLD January 2016

Student Model - Fretless

Open back fretless banjo, spun over rim, ebonized maple neck with a genuine ebony fretboard that features a frailing scoop. Single star inlay in peghead, dowel stick neck attachment.

Price: SOLD

2013 Mini-Tenor Banjo

Inspired by a Dale Small mini-tenor banjo that Tommy owns, Christian built this short-scale, 19-fret tenor on an 8" rim with a full resonator. The pot featrures a 1/8" hand rolled brass tone ring, a one piece flange and a gorgeous flamed maple resonator with a sunburst finish. The neck is also of curly maple finished with a burst, and the ornately inlaid and bound fretboard design hearkens back to the first decades of the previous century. Comes with a TKL hardshell case, which it fits like a glove.

This would be a perfect travel banjo for the tenor player, and it would also make a nice Irish session banjo. It's light weight and impressive tone and volume make it ideal for those who have grown weary of hefting a Silver Bell around.

Price: $1,000 (includes TKL hard shell case)

Deering Vega

This is a early Deering-made Vega Little Wonder (serial number 13), professionally setup with a new bridge, ready to play.

Price: $800 (no case, can be added for extra cost)

Fancy Beginner Bluegrass Banjo

No name imported bluegrass resonator banjo with a mahogany neck stained dark and an 11" rim with a rolled bronze tone ring, flange and mahogany resonator. Attractive hearts & flowers inlay pattern in the neck, done in genuine mother of pearl. Rosewood fretboard, 26 3/16" Gibson Mastertone scale neck.

Price: $500 (inlcudes hard shell case)

BANJO UKULELES

Blonde Maple Uke w/ Block Inlays

Curly maple with a blonde finish, this soprano scale banjo uke features pearloid block inlays and an ebony fretboard. Perloid fluer de lis inlay on the peghead with guitar-style geared uke tuners. Coordinator rod neck and rim attatchment.

Price: $700 (with gig bag)

Blonde Maple Uke w/ Galaxy Peghead

Curly maple soprano-scale banjo uke featuring moon, stars and planets mother of pearl inlay on the peghead. Ebony fretboard with dot MOP inlays. Dowel stick neck/rim attatchment. Friction uke tuners. Amber, ren-style banjo head.

Price: $700 (includes gig bag)

New Black Deco Uke

Concert scale deco banjo ukulele, featuring black pearloid fretboard and white pearloid inlays. 8" rim. Fleur de lis pearloid peghead inlay, attractive nickel plated bracket band and pearloid binding/heel cap.

Price: $800 (gig bag included)

2011 Black Deco Uke

Concert scale deco banjo ukulele, featuring black pearloid fretboard and white pearloid inlays. 8" rim. This uke was completed in October of 2011.

Price reduced from $800 due to a diagonal pearloid crack in the peghead which is tricky to see but is there nonethless. A great deal for a slight flaw.

Price: $700 (gig bag included)

Elderly Instruments Banjo Ukuleles

A pair of nearly identical banjo ukuleles made exclusively for distribution through Elderly Instruments. These ukes feature curly maple necks, ebony fretboards and ebony peghead overlay. Mother of pearl starts and dots inlay pattern. Dowel stick neck attatchment and Rickard tension hoop, tailpiece and dowel stick yoke.

Price: $800, available at Elderly Instruments online

http://elderly.com/new_instruments/items/GBU2.htm

OTHER INSTRUMENTS

Taylor 614-CE Guitar

Took this in on trade, and man, what a beauty! All maple construction with a spruce top, and just look at that gorgeous quilted maple back and sides! Acoustic-electric, gloss finish, double bound 15-7/8" body, rounded cutaway, spruce top, abalone rosette, flamed maple back, maple sides, 14 fret maple neck, bound ebony fretboard, wing inlays, 20 frets, ebony bridge, ebony headstock overlay features logo inlay, gold modern style tuners, factory Fishman Prefix pickup system, 1-3/4" nut, 25-1/2" scale. Pro set up. Includes original Taylor hard shell case and a new set of strings.

Price: $1,650 (includes OHSC)

RECENTLY SOLD INSTRUMENTS

New! 2015 Tenor Banjo Ukulele

Maple neck & rim. 17" scale, 10" rim. Fancy "George" scroll pearloid inlay and pearloid fleur de lis peghead inlay.

SOLD December 2015

George Large Fluer de Lis

A old Bacon 11" pot with a tone ring similar to a Vega Little Wonder but more substantial (Bacon used a 5/16" ring with a skirt, vs the Vega 1/4" ring) plays host to a new neck made by Tommy George in 2014. The neck is curly maple with black center stripe, ebony fretboard with mother of pearl dots, 27" scale. Original rim, tone ring and tension hoop, shoes, nuts & hooks are new. Dowel stick neck attachment.

SOLD October 2015

Vega Tenor Banjo Uke

Vega style K pot with a 1/4" rolled ring and all original hardware - brackets, nuts, shoes, tension hoop and dowel stick. S/N 38598. New tenor ukulele neck - curly maple with ebony fretboard and dot inlays. Vega style peghead with a single mother of pearl star. 17" scale.

SOLD: Summer 2015

Art Deco Banjo Uke (4 of 4)

This is the last of the batch of four identical Art Deco model banjo ukes. These ukes feature a new peghead design, loosely based on the Chrysler building architecture. Fingerboard, peghead overlay and all inlays are of beautiful polished pearloid material. This uke has a concert scale length of just under 15".

*NEW* Just added a pearloid flush resonator for extra volume and flash!

SOLD May 2015

2014 George Tenor Uke "Hula Girl In The Moon"

The official "Hula Hotty" tenor banjo ukulele is here, just in time for the weather to heat up! Tommy really outdid himself on this one, folks - this banjo uke features super-curly maple construction with a gorgeous finish and marquetry around the bottom of the rim. The peghead inlay is of a banjo-playing hula girl sitting in the moon, with stars and a comet in the background, and the end of the fretboard features a palm tree. White pearloid bound ebony fretboard with pearl dot inlays and black binding markers. The pictures really tell the story on this one, and it sounds and plays like a dream. I do not expect this uke to hang around here for very long...

Price: SOLD May 2015

Pre-war Supertone w/George Banjos neck

Another pre-war 5-string conversion project offered for you frailers and old-time banjo fans, this "new neck on an old pot" has some pretty awesome features. Tommy was able to save the original celluloid peghead veneer and heel cap - the peghead was beefed up with some matching binding, and this neck is a real gem on that count alone! A five-piece laminated neck with figured walnut and maple is paired with a rosewood fretboard and slotted diamond, mother of pearl position markers. Note the original engraved tension hoop and marquetry on the pot. This banjo both looks and sounds great, and it is a real steal at...

Price: SOLD April 2015

Student Model - Walnut Peaghead

People frequently inquire about the availability of lower priced student or introductory frailing banjos, and though that's not really what we do here at George Banjos, we did come across some economy parts and put together some nice, affordable student/learner banjos. Both banjos were built from spun over metal rims built up with good maple, and the necks are imports that we recut the peghead and added good fretboards and inlay patterns. Both banjos feature frailing scoops.

This banjo features an attractive figured walnut peghead veneer.

Price: SOLD March 2015

Intermediate Bluegrass Banjo

A new neck on an old pot makes a killer combination for this intermediate bluegrass model. Import neck features super curly maple and a stunning MOP inlay pattern. The pot was cobbled together years ago with parts from various sources - a Gibson factory rim coupled with a late 1970's First Quality flathead tone ring. Tube and plate styled flange and a Liberty Banjos resonator round our the pot. Pro set up and a crisp, clean, bright bluegrass sound.

Price: SOLD March 2015

(Another!) Pre-War Supertone w/George Banjos neck

Yet another pre-war 5-string conversion project offered for your consideration. This one features a Bacon FF tone ring for that really premium old-time sound, and like the one above has the original celluloid peghead veneer and heel cap - once again, the peghead was beefed up with some matching binding. Same style five-piece laminated neck with figured walnut and maple as the banjo listed above.

Price: SOLD February 2015

Gold Tone WL 250 (Supercharged!)

This is a Gold Tone WL 250, featuring sold maple neck and rim construction with a White Lady-style tone ring and pearl cloud inlay in the fretboard. Tommy replaced the guitar-style tuners with banjo planet tuners and gave it a pro set up - this banjo is now supercharged for the intermediate clawhammer player!

Price: SOLD Janaury 2015

Economy Tenor Banjo Ukulele

The latest fad for ukes that we have kicked off here at George Banjos is for lon scale, 10' rim "tenor" banjo ukuleles. We just can't seem to keep them in stock!

This economy version of our popular tenor banjo uke features a full 17" scale "speckled black" painted mahogany neck, a 10" maple rim and white pearloid freboard with black dots.

Price: SOLD December 2014

Pre-War Beltone (c.1930) w/New George Neck (2013)

This banjo started life as an 1930s Beltone banjo mandolin. The old neck was removed and this solid old pot got a new lease on life as a 5-string open back banjo. All orginal pot parts, save for the tailpiece. Original Jos. Rodgers Jr. calfskin head. The neck is fashioned from curly maple with a black center strip. Ebony fretboard, attractive pearl inlay and a Dobson-style tone ring. We were able to salvage the old Beltone emblem on the backstrap, and this banjo features a curved frailing scoop. This would be a nice one for the old-time festival or late night campfire jam circle.

Price: SOLD on 5/24/14

Used George Banjos Longneck (2011)

This banjo was completed in January 2011 and has recently returned to us. 11" maple rim with a bracket band and a simple bronze flat rolled ring. The neck is dark-stined curly maple with an ebony fretboard and a whopping 32" scale. 25 frets, with the 5th-stiring tuner at the 8th fret (capo 3rd fret for regular G banjo tuning). Fleur-de-lis and "George" script pearl inlay on the bound peghead. Fancy pearl inlay pattern on the fretboard. Includes a Shubb sliding 5th string capo. Single coordinator rod neck attachment.

SOLD on 5/12/14

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George Banjos Curly Walnut Dobson

This old-time beauty has a 25.5" scale curly walnut neck and a 12" walnut rim. Built in early 2013, this banjo features a frailing scoop and state of the art Colby tailpeice. The neck is a 5-piece construction of curly walnut-maple-rosewood-maple-curly walnut. Peghead veneer is rosewood, as is the fretboard.

Price: SOLD on 4/18/14

c.1930s Supertone Banjo w/New George Banjos neck (2013)

Another tenor banjo conversion. Original 11" lightly figured curly mahogany rim with a ring of marquetry at the shoe line. Tension hoop, shoes brackets, nuts, neck yoke and dowel stick are original, the tailpiece and tall "little wonder" style tone ring are new. New George Banjos neck is of mahogany with a rosewood fretboard and diamond pearl inlay pattern. Neck is 25 1/2" scale, no frailing scoop. Peghead shape retains the character of the old Supertone style, to which we have added a tasteful fleur-de-lis pearl inlay.

You can see and hear this banjo in action in the video below, which shows Christian playing Chris Coole's beautiful tune, Skating On The Harbourfront, on the Supertone. This is simply an amazing banjo, we will not have this one around for long.

Price: SOLD at Breakin' Up Winter on 3/7/14

2013 George Banjos "Woody"

This custom made beauty features some fine woods! A 12" black painted maple rim with a natural granadillo wood tone rim pairs with a 25 1/2" dark mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and exotic awaba (Australian abalone) dots. Frailing scoop. Dark rosewood peghead veneer. Moon Bridge by Randy Stockwell. This banjo was completed in February of 2013.

Price: SOLD on 2/27/14

c.1929 Gretsch Pot w/New George Banjos Neck (2013)

A fancy Gretcsh pot from c.1929, originally a tenor banjo and now a champion clawhammer model. The pot has been refinished but retains all original hardware (tension hoop, shoes, nuts, bolts, tailpiece, neck brace) PLUS we were able to save and reuse the original dowel stick with the "Gretcsh" stamp on it. The neck is premium, highly figured curly maple with an ebony fretboard and a fancy old-time stlye inlay pattern. The rim is 11" and the scale is 25 1/2". Awesome pre-war tone, another frailing favorite.

The video below the photos shows Vera playing Sandy River Belle on this banjo.

Price: SOLD on 2/24/14

2013 George Banjo Ukulele

This concert scale banjo ukulele was inspired by an Art Deco-styled design found on a period Epiphone guitar. Feaures an 8" maple rim with pearloid block inlays in an ebony fretboard. Five piece neck is of curly maple and black pearwood. "George" scroll inlay at the top of peghead. Made in July 2013.