Fairbanks Banjos
Construction & Tone Rings
Contemporary Electric-Style Banjos
Several modern banjo makers are producing 5-string
banjos
modeled, to
some extent, on the original Fairbanks Electrics.
These include:
Mike Ramsey of Chanterelle Workshop with his "Electric" model,
and
Bart Reiter with his "Regent"
model.
The Mike Ramsey "Electric"
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Mike Ramsey's Electric model is his interpretation
of an original
1908 Fairbanks No.0 Imperial Electric.
It has a Whyte Laydie tone ring, and the brackets
are
attached with bolts
that go through the wall of the wooden pot.
It has, like the original, a mahogany neck with a
thin
ebony center lamination.
The profile of the neck is somewhat more rounded than
the Fairbanks necks.
It also uses a similar horse shoe style of neck clamp
and a metal bezel at the end of the dowel stick.
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In deference to current banjo playing tastes it has a frailing scoop to permit easier playing over the neck. |
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The Bart Reiter "Regent"
Bart Reiter makes a number of models that are close
relatives
to various Vega models.
His "Regent" banjo is most similar to the later half
spun Electrics.
The following information is taken from the Bart Reiter web site:
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Features: Rim Construction: Neck Construction: |
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Please contact me with any additions, corrections or comments in general.