This banjo is an amazing piece of early post civil war history and banjo history! Dobson made high end fretless banjos in New York City. This is an early example of a Dobson banjo before he switched to making fretted banjos with tone rings. The wooden rim + resonator has lovely wooden inlays on the back and sides. The hardware is shiny brass. The neck is solid Brazilian rosewood. The strings are authentic gut strings tuned to (D G D F# A). This is a lovely playing banjo that will be perfect for any civil war or banjo collector.