ancient tones - Posted - 04/16/2026:  05:58:35

It's been many years since I have posted. I'm looking for a new banjo after beginning to play again.

I can buy this Ramsey 12" Woody for $2500. That seems very high to me. It's in my procession now. S/N 1237 made in Appomattox. The head needs tightening, new strings etc ... and a bit of cleaning. It's in ok condition, but looks to me to be in good shape mechanically. I saw that Retrofret sold a 12" Woody on Reverb last year for $2400. LOL, I'm certainly not Retrofret.

Is this asking price way out of line? I like the banjo a lot, but I don't like over paying for gear.

I'm also considering a Pisgah, a Bart Reiter, an Arcand, and whatever else comes up.

Thanks in advance for your input.

The Old Timer - Posted - 04/16/2026:  06:02:51

I once had a nice 12" fretless Ramsey made in Appamatox VA. I bought it for $1000 and sold it for $950.

That was several years ago.

I would NEVER pay $2500 for one of these banjos.

Jim_VA - Posted - 04/16/2026:  06:14:20

I have several Ramsey's, including a Woody, and one Reiter. I like all of them, but that seems like a really high price, especially for one that is not in mint condition. There are a lot of minor variations in the Ramseys, even among the same models like the Woody.

Edited by - Jim_VA on 04/16/2026 06:19:41

kevin c - Posted - 04/16/2026:  06:40:41

Hey Chris, there is a 2000 12" Mike Ramsey Woody - Man in the Moon banjo for sale in the Hangout classifieds for $2,000, listed in excellent condition.  I have no affiliation to this listing, just mentioning it in case you're interested.

banjohangout.org/classified/114745

Good luck,

Kevin

ancient tones - Posted - 04/16/2026:  07:42:44

Thanks everyone. Based on different inputs and common sense this Ramsey is not for me. I have several other well regarded banjos in my sights. One strum of a Reiter that I'm considering for half $2500 felt and sounded great! Not sure how I posted this Pisgah Possum that I no longer have? I would take that back for the $900 that I sold it for!

Edited by - ancient tones on 04/16/2026 07:46:04

Pisgah Possum

 

Silver_Falls - Posted - 04/16/2026:  08:50:32

In the latter part of his career Ramsey burned some customers badly and quality declined as he struggled with his personal demons. The bitterness of those experiences left a bad taste toward his reputation as a builder that continues to this day.

Over the past few years several online vendors have begun to put aggressively optimistic pricing on his instruments. Perhaps they figure enough time has past since his passing -- or that players have gotten younger -- that folks have forgotten about the darker side of Ramsey's legacy.

In my observation, the highly-priced Ramsey's one sees here on BHO and elsewhere take a long time to sell. So the inflated pricing of these banjos do not necessarily represent market value -- that is, the price people are actually willing to pay. There are just too many other fine instruments out there, new and used, that used Ramsey's have to compete with.

Ramsey did make some fine instruments during his career -- and I happen to be a fan. For example, I own an 11-inch "man in the moon" fretless that is terrific.

Generally speaking, though, they are not worth paying stupid prices for. As the OP has discovered, plenty of other banjo fish in the sea.

ancient tones - Posted - 04/16/2026:  09:35:04

I just posted in the Reiter group trying to figure out the model of a Bart Reiter that I'll probably buy. I wish this Ramsey was priced better. I like it! I think the seller must have seen the Reverb sale for $2400.

ancient tones - Posted - 04/18/2026:  15:53:14

The Mike Ramsey Woody is back at Guitar Center. If anyone wants it for $2299. It played well and sounded great IMO.

cevant - Posted - 04/19/2026:  11:46:43

Get the Reiter.

Bill Rogers - Posted - 04/19/2026:  14:07:14

Never, repeat, never buy a Ramsey you haven’t examined and played in person. Ramsey’s work was always inconsistent; a fair amount just plain bad. Bart Reiter did consistently excellent work throughout his career.