1950s Harmony Reso-Tone 5-String Resonator Banjo

The classic "Reso-Tone" Harmony banjos are a production-oriented instrument with plastic/Bakelite rims and resonators, a round-doweled no-frills neck, and the minimum extra appointments (the necks have binding). This one is somewhat original but has replacement tuners, tailpiece, head, and bridge. The owner (not me!) also "scooped" the fretboard extension as he was using it for nylon strings and wanted an "old time" sound from it.

My work was to give it a light fret level/dress, new headstock tuners (the ones on it were falling apart), a new (old) button and set-screw for the 5th peg, a new compensated bridge, a new adjustable tailpiece, and a setup with steel strings. This thing has a non-adjustable steel truss rod in the neck and even with its long, 26 3/4" scale length, it's strung-up with a set of 10s and has a dead-straight neck. That's progress! It plays with spot-on 1/16" action at the 12th fret.

The head is a hazy, semi-transparent Remo of indeterminate age. It's going strong so I left it.

Don't you love the headstock shape? This bigger-sized shape is rarer on Harmony Reso-Tones. I think the rosewood nut  (1 1/8") is something I knocked out for the owner years ago on the quick.

The replacement 5th string tuner (geared) lacked a set-screw and had a terribly gussied-up knob -- so I put on one of those "keystone" buttons that I'm used to seeing on old Kays. That's why I used the same up at the headstock (Kluson-style) when replacing the trashed old tuners.

The scoop is... simple... but works.

This has a new adjustable tailpiece and compensated, 5/8" bridge.

Forgive the fingerprints on the resonator rear. Its mounting-screw was missing so I attached it with one drywall screw instead.

 The rim hardware is original.