Months of collaboration occurred with Ken to create this 6 string banjo.
It was inspired by the 1920’s Gibson 14 inch banjo.
However, we got creative and took a bit of a different approach.
The pot is 3 ply laminated. It’s been a while, but I think it was made from cherry.
The tone ring is a 14 inch version of a tubaphone tone ring.
Ken made a wooden tailpiece, but it only held up a couple of years. It was replaced with a Deering 6-string tailpiece.
The original bridge got lost somehow, and I replaced it with a bridge that I made.
The original nut was a zero fret nut. I didn’t care for it and after a while I made a different one out of Rosewood.
The neck inlays are of a scene of Mount Kilimanjaro. It features 3 elephants, with trees and the mountain in the background. The mountain is set with a cloud bank surrounding it.
I will never know how Ken was able to do this, but the overall picture was done by utilizing precise cutting and fitting small pieces of wood together. The detail is not something I can put into words.
It also has some railroad spikes for the 6th string. That is because I play with using the 6th string as a drone, in the way a 5 string banjo uses the 5th string for a drone.
I have set it up in open D, E, F, and even G. Incredibly, it sounded great in G.
The tailpiece is a slot tailpiece, with Gotoh tuners.
The only case that will accommodate this size of a banjo is made by GoldTone. But it is well made and has been a very dependable case and was a very good choice for this banjo.
The tone is clear and powerful.
The asking price is much less than what it cost.
I am selling this due to arthritis. It needs to be in the hands of someone who can put it to the use for which it was made.
Thanks for looking.
