For sale is my father’s personal James Ashborn–inspired fretless, built in 2020. The instrument follows original Ashborn design and construction principles very closely, with a few subtle deviations based on personal playing and building preferences.

The neck is figured maple with a satin oil varnish finish, and features Brazilian rosewood for the peghead veneer, fingerboard (cut from matching sections), and heel cap. The peghead is slothead style, with Ashborn-style fifth string construction, fitted with modified aged Rubner geared guitar tuners, including the fifth. The scale length is 28¾", placing it comfortably in long-scale minstrel territory.

Hardware consists of 14 handmade brass upper hook clips, browned steel hooks, and browned S.S. Stewart short nuts (not recessed). The reduced hook count keeps the visual feel very much in line with early banjo construction while still maintaining excellent head tension.

The rim was built by Richard Newman (the best!) and is a two-ply hard maple Ashborn-style rim, measuring 12" diameter by 3" deep, with the traditional turned ledge and marquetry insert.

Additional details include a rosewood floating tailpiece, a figured square maple dowel stick with a separate dowel end section at the tailpiece connection, and a slightly extended heel. The banjo uses a square dowel stick rather than the more typical rounded profile and is currently set up with gut strings.

Overall the instrument stays very faithful to the Ashborn aesthetic and structural approach, while incorporating a few thoughtful tweaks.

It’s an excellent playing minstrel banjo with a deep, original voice and a very authentic feel under the hands. Check out the playing demo in the more info URL link.

Includes a very nice Reunion Blues high-quality gig bag.

Thanks for looking,
RC

youtu.be/u9WmoQ5kfEM

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