c.1920 Weymann Style #40 Tenor Banjo

UPDATE 2011: The wood on this fellow is actually flamed maple, stained darker like walnut. Sorry for the misinformation! Weymann did use walnut for fretboards, heel caps, and other decorative touches, though...!

I've uploaded a bunch of photos of this wonderful little tenor banjo as it's quite the class act. Its neck and pot are made from highly flamed walnut, it has a gorgeous, open, poppy and loud (but warm) tone, and it plays fantastically. It also looks awesome, and is all-original save the head, bridge, and one hook & nut.

Bone nut, fancy MOP inlay on the ebony-veneered headstock.

Ebony board with old-style thin nickel-silver frets and MOP dots. Bound, too, in yellowed white celluloid.

Nice rim! The head is a brand new Remo Renaissance synthetic head and sounds perfect.

Original Presto tailpiece and repro 1920s-style tenor ebony-topped two-foot Grover bridge. The tailpiece cover is a little raised as I have a small piece of foam stuffed under it to mute (somewhat) the extra string length. The foam is totally unnecessary.

Top down!

I haven't polished any of the parts -- as you can see, the condition is top notch, and the hardware has elegant patina with no rust at all.

Bridge again.

Action is perfect. The scale length on this is a little shorter than usual: 20" -- which gives it a very easy feel. It also has a slightly wider-than-normal neck, which makes it a heck of a lot more comfortable for playing chords as opposed to plain lead work.

Back.


Weymann decal and original ivoroid-knobbed tuners.


Awesome flame!

And there's a skunk-stripe of ebony sandwiched for strength in-between the flamed walnut.

Tuners detail.


Neck join.


Back... check out that rim-cap detail! Nice!

Serial number is lower than the range that I can find information about. 35000 was 1924, 3700 was 1925... so that puts this about 1920-1923 or so. Note the ebony shims for the neck brace -- those are new -- the originals were missing so I carved these quickly to match some period ones off another banjo.

Neck angle adjuster -- or rather, reinforcement.


With its own patent number...


Beautiful detailing on this rim cap.


...

Such a classy 'jo!

Side, hardware detail. Note that it still has its original armrest -- most of these are missing!


...


...flame!


Tailpiece again.


And it even has its original hardshell case... totally beat, but useful!