c.1935 Gretsch? 5-String Banjo

Nice banjo! Great player with great sound -- and a perfect crossover if you're into old-time and bluegrass as it has good tone for either. I'm really not sure about the exact date, manufacturer, etc. What I do know is that this is quite similar to Gretsch banjos of the same timeframe in terms of build and feel, but that the pot is different from what I'm used to: it's a metal rim with a faux-wood grain painted exterior and "rusty metal primer" brown on the inside. The neck is mahogany with a bound ebony fretboard and MOP dots.

When I got this, the original (Jos Rogers skin) head had suffered someone's "artwork" and so it was promptly replaced with a new Remo Renaissance. I tore it all down, cleaned it up, added a new bridge, and set it up. It's a full-scale (26 1/8") 11" head banjo. Originally it might have had a resonator backplate of some sort because it has two extra holes on the rim for mounting hardware. Either way, as an openback it has plenty of pop, sizzle, volume, and ring. Love it.

New Remo Renaissance head.


5/8" ebony-topped maple bridge.


Original Grover Presto tailpiece.

MOP dots in an ebony board. Someone moved the 9th dot to the 10th fret and filled the old hole.

Rosewood headstock veneer. When this banjo came in it also had some lovely glitter decorations on the fretboard and headstock. You can still see the ghost of a moon and some stars in this photo. It's not really noticeable in person.

20s/30s style friction Champion pegs. Looks like someone might have had geared pegs on here at some point in the past.

Rim uses the rod-style rather than dowel-style join. I've had to shim the heel a tiny bit to get the angle a little better (it was actually too steep backwards).

Action is perfect and all the notes are nice and clear. This thing feels great in the hands, too -- nice wider v-neck gives you a lot more control.

Definitely a nice'n.

Ah, the case of the mysterious serial number: 2523. If anyone has any more information on this banjo, feel free to give a shout. BTW -- note how the head of the hooks are sunk into notches on the tension hoop -- a nice addition. No bumps for your arm to rest against and get sore.