I was listening to some music a couple months ago and heard a banjo tone I loved. So I messaged the artist looking for details on the banjo, and lo and behold the exact banjo, from the recording, was for sale. It was a Ramsey. After much research and reading that to proceed with caution if purchasing a Ramsey sight unseen, I bought it from the musician.
I am really happy with it and its tone is lovely. Can anyone tell me more about this banjo? Model? Wood type? Tone ring details? My only other banjo is a cheap Gold Tone CC-50, so I'd like to get to know my new purchase a bit better.
<a href="https://ibb.co/9NYBLH5"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/drKXq4Y/IMG-8757.jpg" alt="IMG-8757" border="0" /></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/0mSTb8h"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/MZ4r0WM/IMG-8762.jpg" alt="IMG-8762" border="0" /></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/tJNxw3T"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/crpCKxS/IMG-8763.jpg" alt="IMG-8763" border="0" /></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/8NmXz6s"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/HBKXNn4/IMG-8764.jpg" alt="IMG-8764" border="0" /></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/mN0ZtRt"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/jJz0G8G/IMG-8765.jpg" alt="IMG-8765" border="0" /></a>
12 Comments |
 | Castania says:
10/4/2024 6:07:14 PM
Zepp (Donald Zepp, a member here) was a retailer of Ramsey Banjos, and knows quite a bit about the models, one-offs, etc Try contacting him .
|
 | Theresse says:
10/4/2024 6:37:38 PM
That looks to me like a Ramsey Fairbanks, per this below. I think I read that his maple banjos aka "special" ones are a bit brighter or louder whereas the mahogany ones are deliberately darker or softer sounding. It's an attractive design. I have the Chanterelle Special myself and love it - it was Mike's own banjo as a matter of fact. Or so he convincingly told me! ;) I wish I had what it takes to experiment with different skins. I'm always after the more soft and plunky sound myself.
|
| Theresse says:
10/4/2024 6:38:14 PM
Whoops forgot the link!
google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%...QAAAAAQJw
|
| Theresse says:
10/4/2024 6:51:00 PM
themusicemporium.com/products/...e-12-used
|
 | Silver_Falls says:
10/4/2024 7:01:57 PM
Yes, that's Ramsey's "Fairbanks Electric" homage. I have one, (almost) exactly like it. Terrific banjo, beautiful tone, very articulate. Mahogany neck, whyte laydie tone ring. I put a Balch/Stern calfskin on mine and it is so responsive -- the notes just pop. Congratulations on a great banjo score!
|
 | ZEPP says:
10/4/2024 7:02:24 PM
That is, indeed, Mike's "Fairbanks Electric" model. The model was based on my 1908 Fairbanks Imperial Electric No.0.
Mike played my banjo at Mt. Airy 20+ years ago, and liked it, so he took measurements and photographs of it.
Some months later, he called and said he'd built a prototype, and he wanted to known if I'd like to buy it. Of course, I said yes, and that instrument became my favorite banjo...and it still is.
Congrats on getting a wonderful banjo!
I still have the 1908 Fairbanks, but I have long thought of Mike's version as being my go-to instrument.
|
| ZEPP says:
10/4/2024 7:11:07 PM
With all due respect, my being a a lover of the Electric, I must point out that the tone ring was patented as the "Electric Tone Ring," and was later used in Fairbanks' newer, Whyte Laydie model: I.e., the Whyte Laydie uses an Electric tone ring, not the other way 'round! :-)
|
| Theresse says:
10/4/2024 7:17:29 PM
Starting to feel jealous over here! My Chanterelle is loud and boisterous - I need to go find more examples of the sound of this banjo y'all love so much! Not that I'm in the market for a new banjo.
Hey - I'm using a MacBook Pro and it's been a long time since I used this forum regularly. Things seem different. How come I can't even give a thumbs up on people's comments?
Silver Falls - my son and his gf just stayed in the Silver Falls cabins the last few nights. :) I'm in Portland.
Hi Zepp! I know you wouldn't know/remember me but we all know you! :)
|
austin11235 says:
10/5/2024 5:49:38 PM
Thanks for all the responses! So it looks like the neck is mahogany, whyte laydie tone ring. Can anyone tell me if the inlays are unique to Ramsey banjos or are those also homage to the original Fairbanks electric?
Side note: I cannot get good tone out of the third string. I can tune it true, but when fretted, the notes are always flat at the second through fourth frets. They sound a bit rattly too. I can see that the frets are pretty worn down at those points. Might it be time to have those frets replaced or am I having a different issue here?
|
| ZEPP says:
10/6/2024 5:28:50 AM
The inlay was based on my old Fairbanks. Mike did move the oval inlay from the 9th to the 10th fret , in keeping with the "modern" standard,* and he used a differently shaped headstock (he was "experimenting" with the shape from an old mandolin-banjo...insofar as far as I know, the prototype is the only one having it).
And, to confirm, yes, the neck is mahogany, the tone ring is an (ahem) _Electric_ tone ring, and the inlays are the same as the originals (more or less...there are engraving differences).
I don't know what to say about your fretting issues. I would advise having your trusted luthier check to see if they are worn and in need of need replacement or if there is distortion in the neck. Too—and I really hate to say this—Mike's quality control has been know to be genuinely bad at times. He had substance abuse issues, and some pretty egregious errors were shipped. Here, too, ask your luthier if the frets may have been mispositioned. If so, I would argue that it would be worthwhile to have them corrected, as Mike sure ain't making any more banjos.
Cheers!
ZEPP
* The "movement" of the inlay 9th to 10th fret made me a bit crazier than I had already been: I had been playing the Fairbanks for 30 years or so, and having the inlay move up a fret took some getting used to. Of course, after a few decades of playing the "new" one, I had trouble playing the original... *sigh*
|
| ZEPP says:
10/6/2024 5:30:33 AM
Oop. I just noticed that yours doesn't have the 9th-10th fret oval, but a dot instead. Sorry for my confusion.
|
| ZEPP says:
10/6/2024 7:59:03 AM
With all due respect, my being a a lover of the Electric, I must point out that the tone ring was patented as the "Electric Tone Ring," and was later used in Fairbanks' newer, Whyte Laydie model: I.e., the Whyte Laydie uses an Electric tone ring, not the other way 'round! :-)
|
Post a Comment
|
You must be logged in and a member of this group to post a comment.
|
