Hawthorn RB-18 Top Tension in Excellent
Glenn custom built this banjo for me. It was finished in December, 2025.
I have played it a couple of hours around the house in total. It sounds, plays and looks incredible! It's truly a stellar instrument. It has all the best qualities of a TT banjo, including amazing tonal balance between highs, mids, and lows. The banjo has a modern profile neck, which is really easy to play from the first to the 24th fret.
The banjo features:
- Huber HR-30 tone ring
- Huber (three ply maple rim)
- Solid maple top tension resonator (flat inside)
- Sinker mahogany speed neck
- Rickard 10/1 ratio Cyclone tuners
- 24 fret extended ebony fretboard
- 9 - 12” compensated radius fingerboard
- Evo frets
- Antique binding
- Nickel plated hardware
- Comes with (like new) HSC and two head tension keys
Here is a video of Wes Corbett demonstrating, and talking about his Hawthorn top tension banjo.
youtube.com/watch?v=V9LiNZS9nqA
Here is a video of Ned Luberecki compairing an old Gibson to the Hawthorne TT:
youtube.com/watch?v=KS0i4jxcBGA
I am able to FaceTime to see the banjo.
$6500/ OBO
Serious inquires only please
I would consider a partial trade (banjo and cash) for a professional quality bluegrass banjo (Gibson, Neat, Smith, Deering, etc) made of mahogany or walnut in excellent condition.
