Here are two old banjos of Reed Martins that I have always loved.  Wasn't sure where to post this but thought you builders might enjoy.  These aren't for purists, if you are one of those don't look further, these are for having fun, and much fun has been had with them.   I've been known to be a nut for authentic old banjos and just about anything else old, but there is also a time for fun, and these are two of my favorite banjos of all time because I love the humor in each one of them.

The first banjo is just plain great.  Its probably an 1860's era banjo with a few humorous additions that make it in my opinion.  It was the inspiration for a low banjo I built a few years back, always loved the sound of this for A and D tunes.  Don't worry, the peghead script is an "onlay", no original banjos were harmed in the process....... There are some great details on this one.    I am going to built a duplicate of this one, it'll be my first and only "Gibson" replica. 

The other one is what Reed has always called his cello banjo but it may also be the worlds first steampunk style banjo.  Something Reed cobbled together along time ago for fun, it has bits and pieces from all kinds of stuff including neck sections dug out of the trash, a section of old shovel handle spliced into the neck, a cello peghead, painted on inlays (the most practical ones I've ever seen), a rosewood Paramount pot, a Vegaphone dowel stick, and other assorted bits and pieces....  Reed recently gifted my son Russ and I with this masterpiece, and we are having a tremendous time with it....

More photos of each in my photo page in two folders, enjoy,

Glenn C.

3, 7, 5, 9, that's some neo-modern hyper-experimental bluegrass chord pattern in the Nashville number system, no?

Ah, you're a quick study Lew!

Glenn,
I have a great recording of Reed playing the 'Gibson' 1860s banjo at the first Banjo Camp North - just tearing it up on 'Hells Rolling In the Kitchen'. I love that guy's playing so much. He just blows my mind.
He tells a great story about it too - how it hung on his wall for years and then he fiddled with it a bit and discovered "there was a banjo in there."
Awesome.

I like a little quirkiness too!

Robert, He can make that thing talk for sure.   I've got it for a little while now and have been playing it a lot but can't get all those Martin licks.  You can also hear Reed and this banjo on Bob Buckingham's "My Friend is a Mule In the Mine"  cd and on Jane Rothfield's I fiddle, They Banjo cd.    Glenn

Thanks for posting Glen.....I love the Gibson......where is the mastertone block?