c. 1890s · 5-String Open-Back
A. C. Fairbanks Special Electric No. 5
$7,500.00
Specifications
- Maker
- A. C. Fairbanks
- Model
- Special Electric No. 5
- Year
- c. 1890s
- Serial
- 18159
- Condition
- Excellent +
- Case
- Hard Shell
- SKU
- 30021
Description
Original, rare high grade banjo with full spun nickel silver rim with long two pointed shoes and cobra hooks; the interior of the rim is bound in ivoroid; the mahogany neck is carved at the heel in a double daisy style; the fingerboard and peghead are adorned with engraved mother of pearl in a pattern that eventually became the standard for high grade Vega banjos; the back of the peghead has the earliest version of the classic Gryphon inlay as well as a long multicolored backstrap lamination; the neck has been refinished and a few bits of pearl replaced at time of dowel stick reset (hairline surface crack present on dowel near endpin), rendering excellent playability and action; equipped with Champion friction tuners and reproduction neck hardware, No Knot, lag style endpin. This Banjo is from the collection of Akira Tsumura and featured on page 134 of his book 1001 banjos.