1920s Slingerland MayBell Recording Songster Resonator Tenor Banjo

Overview: This banjo is devilishly-seductive! It's kitted-out in bright green celluloid all over and bound in contrasting black with a high-contrast, cream-celluloid fretboard. It has heavy-duty hardware, a big old tonering that's vaguely flathead-like, an engraved tailpiece, and a ding-dong bird and flower in the headstock veneer. What more could you want? It's flashy, loud as heck, plays like a champ, and sounds killer. It's also very clean for its age.

While Slingerland sold these under their MayBell branding, I'm almost certain this one (like many of their banjos) was made by Regal for the company.

Repairs included: Jose did this one up -- fit a new, Remo FiberSkyn head, leveled and dressed the frets, fit a new bridge, fit new Gotoh geared tuners (the old ones were damaged), and set it up. It's playing spot-on and ready to roar.

• Weight: 8 lbs 10 oz
• Scale length: 22 9/16"
• Nut width: 1 1/8"
• Neck shape: medium V
• Board radius: flat
• Depth at first fret: 55/64"
• Depth at seventh fret: 31/32"
• Head diameter: 10 3/4"
• Resonator diameter: 13 1/4"
• Depth overall at rim: 3 5/8"
• Rim wood: ply maple
• Tonering: flathead-style
• Bridge: ebony/maple 2-foot
• Fretboard: maple with celluloid veneer
• Neck wood: maple, likely
• Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 32w, 20w, 13, 9 for CGDA tuning
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: narrow/lower

Condition notes: Aside from the head, tuners, and bridge, it's completely original throughout. The celluloid wrap is all in excellent shape with the only missing bit a tiny bit of edge at the very top of the headstock veneer. The hardware has some tarnish but overall looks grand.

It comes with: Sorry, no case.

Consignor tag: AXBD