2011 Bishline Custom Zebrawood Mastertone-style Resonator 5-String Banjo

Bishline banjos are made by Mr. Rob Bishline out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He builds all sorts but seems to specialize in banjos intended for bluegrass (or newgrass, for that matter). This one was built in 2011 (click here for a video from way back then) and is made from zebrawood for the most part.

I only play two-fingers so I can't really get on show everything this banjo can do for you, but suffice to say it's a gorgeous-sounding banjo. It has a slightly shorter scale length at 25 1/2" (vs Gibson 26 3/8") that warms it up a little and gives it a bit of a sweeter overall sound. It still punches like crazy, though, but I think the tone's a bit more adaptable to folksy pursuits as well as, ya know, bluegrass/newgrass.

It arrived here for consignment via a local customer and was in pretty good order save a need for a fret level/dress and some compensation at the bridge. That done, and the setup tweaked otherwise, it plays perfectly and has a super-quick neck and stable, steady build. Did I mention that it's pretty, too?

The rim is Gibson-style with heavy-duty hardware, a heavy-ply design, a flathead tonering, and a quality build throughout. It has double coordinator rods, railroad spikes for 2 and 4 (7 and 9), and comes with a nice strap and good, hard case.

Repairs included: fret level/dress, setup.

Rim wood: ply maple

Tonering: flathead

Bridge: maple/ebony custom and comp'd

Fretboard: ebony

Neck wood: zebrawood

Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall (spot-on fast)
String gauges: 10, 24w, 14, 12, 10

Neck shape: slim C

Board radius: flat

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium

Scale length: 25 1/2"

Nut width: 1 3/16"

Head diameter: 11”

Resonator diameter: 13 3/4"

Depth overall at rim: 3 1/2"

Condition notes: it's clean throughout save only the most minor ding, scuff, or scratch here and there. There's a bit of pickwear on the head but it's not obvious at a glance.

It comes with: an original TKL hard case.