1897 SS Stewart Special Thoroughbred 5-String Openback Banjo

This beautiful thing was a trade-in. It's a gorgeous instrument and, in true Stewart fashion, it's well-made, high-spec, and post-repairs sounds excellent. These have comfortable, quick-feeling necks and a respectable "surety" of feel and build to them that make you feel confident when playing them.

It's all of the little details that add-up on Stewarts that make them pretty special compared to the rank and file banjos of the time. For example -- the fretboards are thicker ebony and feature layered "edging" below them that give a classy look. The inlay is folksy and of the time but clean, and the overall build is rugged. The heel carving on this particular banjo is spot-on and very pretty.

The serial number on this one places it at 1897 -- very close to the end of production for the "original" Stewart instruments. As such it has the "modern conveniences" of the time -- screw-tightened mechanical friction pegs and the nice reinforcement bar/turnbuckle heel-tightener/adjuster. This last bit is basically your "action adjustment on the fly" mechanism and works similarly to the lower coordinator rod in a Gibson banjo. You can adjust the turnbuckle either way and action will rise/fall as it flexes the rim just slightly to align the neck angle. It's very useful.

A note, though -- these were built with the intention for use with gut strings. I have Aquila Nylgut strings on it but the LaBella nylon set is a good match, too. Do not use steel on these period banjos or you will wind-up with unhappy necks. Also, I have a set of Gotoh 4:1 geared tuners on hand if the next owner of this is interested in having them installed to replace the (functional but not the best) friction pegs. It would mean larger shaft holes at the headstock but considering the mismatched hardware, it might be a sacrifice worth making (I can't help it -- I like geared pegs).

Repairs included: a fret level/dress, replacement head, replacement tailpiece, replacement bridge, cleaning, new nut, and setup work.

Scale length: 26 1/4"

Nut width: 1 9/32"

Neck shape: medium soft V

Board radius: flat

Head diameter: 10 1/2"

Depth overall at rim: 2 1/2"

Rim wood: maple or cherry

Tonering: integral (spunover hoop)

Bridge: maple/ebony

Fretboard: ebony

Neck wood: probably cherry

Action height at 12th fret: hair-under 3/32" overall (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: Aquila Nylgut medium-tension

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: lower/smaller

Condition notes: it's in remarkably good shape, to be honest. The head is an old Remo frosted-top one from my parts bins. The bridge is a new 3-foot Grover. The tailpiece is a new No-Knot-style one in nickel. The screws that mount the neck/heel reinforcement turnbuckle adjuster bar are probably '60s or '70s and not the originals. The hooks on the rim appear to all be replacements but they're 1920s in era so they're older and blend well. The nut is new.

It comes with: sorry, no case.

Consignor tag: JW