c.1890 Lyon & Healy 5-String Banjo

This is an old gut-strung, boat-heeled 5-string banjo c.1890 or so, made by Lyon & Healy and sold by some misc. distributor. This one happens to be a customer's instrument and I simply did the minimum required to get it up and playing like it should -- new Remo Renaissance head, new bone nut, take-apart and put-back-together, setup, etc. Only minimal cleaning and light oiling of the fretboard and neck.

Oh, and a new 5th peg.

New Renaissance head, new bridge. Funky 60s 6-string (guitar banjo) tailpiece... but the extra downpressure sure gives this banjo some pop.

New bone nut, thin ebony fretboard and headstock veneer.

Nickel-silver frets. Forgot to mention I did a light fret dress, too. Unfortunately for this neck there's a small warp to it due to steel string use at one point.

Neck and pot look like maple with some stain to me. The pot is spunover on the bottom but the top of the pot is simply shaped wood -- so no tone ring effect on this fellow, but it does have that snappy, mellow, woody and poppy tone.

Nice quality spring-loaded c.1920s/30s Grover pegs. These replaced what would have been original ebony pegs.

Boat-style heel gives this a minstrel feel.

And no neck brace -- instead it's a couple of screws right into the heel.

Yessir, if'n one was looking for a fun old time banjo for gut or nylon strings, this would be a good choice as a road, camping, or show instrument... feels great and plays nice but isn't in super condition so you don't have to worry about adding some more scratches.

This banjo is the same model, essentially, as this banjo (click for link).