Will Fielding created some of the finest banjos ever built in the history of the instrument--period. This 2006 Vermonter model looks and, more importantly, sounds it! What's unusual about this one is it has The Rooster models rolled brass tone ring. In other words, it's a plainer verson of a Rooster with the exact same foundation and tone. That said, Fielding paid close attention to the most minute detail in matching and carving every one of his banjos. The craftsmanship meets or exceeds most of the builders of his era and before--and I've played most of them. The tone gets deep and is also full range with bell-like notes in the upper mids and high tones--not bs. 11" pot, 3" deep...This thing sings! One of the two previous owners put a regular bridge on it--no idea why. So I wrote Greg Galbreath who makes his amazing Buckeye Banjos, and who makes almost a homage version of Fielding's ironwood bridge, but out of cherry--great guy. The neck and pot of this is cherry. The pot cap and headstock overlay are burl. And the fretboard is ironwood--one of the hardest, toughest wood species on Planet Earth. The scale is 25.5" and the nut is 1 5/32". The action's perfect at 1/8" at the 12th fret. The tuners are Five Star planets with celluloid-looking buttons. There are unabtrusive spikes at the 7th annd 9th frets. The frets are perfect. And the dot markers are abelone. There is no scoop, but the flat allows you to play fretless in that space--fun and effective! And I can't stand scoops--no offense to the believers. Installed is a calfskin head from a 30s KB-11 Gibson. Fielding offered either Renaissance or calfskin. Everything about the banjo is near perfect. There's minor hazing on the nickel parts. And it comes with the original Fielding tailpiece--an influential design and fine example of humans' excellence in industrial arts. The banjo will be shipped with the printed email from Will to the second owner, an original Fielding Banjo catalog/brochure, and one of Fielding's business cards. It'll ship in a perfect condition TKL Professional case, which for the life of me I can't imagine why they stopped selling. Cheers! And let me know if you have any questions.

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