1922 Orpheum (Lange-made) No. 2 Archtop Tenor Banjo

This is a good example of what folks were trying to do to make tenor banjos louder in the early 1920s before resonators became the standard. The scale is still shorter at this point and suited to melody work -- in this case 20 7/8" -- and the rim is big at over 12" in diameter. A heavy-duty, archtop-style tonering has been installed, however, in the usual Orpheum way, and this makes the "effective" rim size about 11" but the ability to crank the head down fairly tight over the archtop tonering means this thing projects much better than your average openback tenor for the time.

It's actually almost a perfect instrument for "Celtic" players who want an openback for session work as it's got the short scale and a good, cutting sound which accentuates the upper mids and highs. It's mostly-original throughout, too, and quite pretty to look at with its profuse pearl inlay and excellently-carved heel. These Lange-built banjos were certainly well-made and are always favorites when they're in the shop.

Repairs were "glorified setup work" in nature and it's now playing bang-on and ready to go. I have it currently strung for CGDA standard tuning but it doesn't need to live there.

Repairs included: a fret level/dress, mild cleaning, and setup work.

Weight: 6 lbs 10 oz

Scale length: 20 7/8"

Nut width: 1 1/8"

Neck shape: medium V

Board radius: flat

Head diameter: 12 1/4"

Depth overall at rim: 2 7/8"

Rim wood: ply maple

Tonering: archtop Orpheum-style on brads

Bridge: ebony/maple

Fretboard: ebonized maple

Neck wood: 2-piece maple

Action height at 12th fret: 1/16” overall (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 32w, 20w, 13, 9 for CGDA tuning (can restring/retune as desired)

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: lower/smaller

Condition notes: for its age, it's in excellent shape and original save its head, bridge, and tailpiece. There's wear and tear throughout but confined mostly to light scratches and mild discoloration from playwear in the finish. The fretboard has lost much of its original darker color as it's aged, too, but still -- it looks great! If I were planning to use this for regular gigging or jam sessions, I would swap the tuners out for some sort of geared banjo peg just for ease-of-use. The original friction pegs hold just fine but they're 1:1 ratio and are a mild learning curve if you've never used them before.

It comes with: no case, sorry. It has a chip case that will serve for packing support in shipping but it's not good otherwise.

Consignor tag: B17