Parts / Frankensquirrel Banjo
I bought this banjo off of Ebay several years ago out of curiosity. It is built like one of those Japanese Masterclone banjos and the previous owner said that it was 40 or so years old. It looks like an Alvarez or Ventura banjo with a few differences. It isn’t pretty, but it is one highly affordable and well set up banjo for a beginner or a fantastic campfire banjo for a bluegrass player. After I received it and played with it for a few months, I started loaning it out to friends and family that indicated they were interested in playing banjo. Like I said, I have had it professionally set up to be a good player. At least 5 people have used this banjo as their first experience with a resonator banjo. Three of those people are still playing banjo as far as I know…which given my experience is a good percentage. The previous artwork on the head was a bit intimidating so I cleaned it and hand drew a squirrel with a nut…just because. Some of the metal is showing some pitting on the flange and tone ring, but no rust and it isn’t deep pitting.
Anyway, if you are looking for an actual flathead tone ring resonator bluegrass banjo to learn on but don’t want to break the bank OR you are looking for a banjo you can take to the campfire or in the fishing boat that you don’t have to worry about but you still want that bluegrass sound, this may be the banjo for you. Or if you just want a banjo that people look at and say…what kind of banjo is that?

Banjo features:
1. Neck with no lacquer finish on it. The poor man’s speed neck. No truss rod but the neck is straight and has good intonation. Inlays are simple circles. Frets are in good shape. Holes from a schubb 5th string capo are there but capo is gone. Spikes at 7th, 9th and 10th installed.
2. Geared tuners - Get this, the tuners are actually Gibson Geared Tuners. Yep, worth more than the rest of the neck right there. They work great.
3. Dual Coordinating Rods
4. 20 hole flathead tone ring
5. Multiply Rim
6. 5/8” maple/ebony bridge
7. Cool flip up tailpiece kind of like a Waverly but smaller and with a butterfly etched into it.
8. Beatup, well travelled case with stickers on it. Case still works
9. Finally – clear banjo head with an original permanent marker art piece hand drawn by me.