REB - Posted - 05/03/2013:  20:38:16

Years ago Walter came to the home of our band leader in the Essex area in Maryland.  We became friends and went fishing together.  He was playing at the Green Hill on Erdman Ave. about the same time.  One evening he invited me up on stage and I played his banjo.  The only thing I can remember about it was a light color Gibson with an American flag or an eagle carved in the resonator.  Does anyone know what model it might have been?  

Qarl - Posted - 05/03/2013:  21:03:14

banjohangout.org/topic/261310

REB - Posted - 05/04/2013:  05:49:01

After looking around I found that it may have been the All American and was made with white holly rather than the darker woods.

Oldtwanger - Posted - 05/04/2013:  07:20:15

Until the late sixties Walter played a Florentine, white holly with a shield on the resonator back.  It had a custom neck with FE fingerboard.

In the early seventies, Mac Justus, a friend of Walt's, acquired an original 5-str All-American but it is unlikely he would have had it at the Greenhill.  There was a converted All American in Baltimore at the time, but it was in a locked glass case at Fred Walker's Music on Howard st and also not likely to be in Walt's hands at the Greenhill.



I believe you saw the Florentine.

REB - Posted - 05/04/2013:  23:11:30

Thanks for clearing that up. I know it was a pretty banjo that practically played itself. Your description makes a lot of sense. Do you remember a legally blind man who played guitar that worked at Fred Walkers? Think his name was Tommy Lee.

Oldtwanger - Posted - 05/05/2013:  05:20:29

quote:

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Originally posted by REB

 

Thanks for clearing that up. I know it was a pretty banjo that practically played itself. Your description makes a lot of sense. Do you remember a legally blind man who played guitar that worked at Fred Walkers? Think his name was Tommy Lee.

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I did not visit Fred Walker's very often.  A lot of people worked there over the years  and I don't remember  a Tommy Lee.  My cloudy memory does, however, seem to recall that Fred Jr had very bad vision and did play some guitar.

torpedo - Posted - 05/05/2013:  06:17:42

As an aside, I remember Walt playing a Fender to. I asked him what strings he used and he told me Vega mediums.

The Pope - Posted - 05/05/2013:  10:11:16

Back in '68 I was in the Army & went to school @ Bendix for piece of equipment that the Army was thinking of buying. I went to see Walt's band at some bar in Baltimore & played his Florentine. I thought I was only going to play one or two songs but Walt was chatting up a woman & I played the whole set. Also bought a Bow-Tie from the mandolin player Frankie Short. Good times (not the Army)!