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Paramount Style A 5-string resonator banjo - $950 (Bellingham)

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Paramount Style A 5-string resonator banjo 1
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condition: good
make / manufacturer: Paramount
model name / number: Style A

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For sale is a lovely Paramount Style A banjo from about a century ago. It is loud, punchy, crisp, and yet also sweet. Currently strung with nylon strings, it makes an ideal banjo for classic style, but also works with light steel strings, and sounds good for clawhammer and all sorts of fingerstyle playing. Paramount was the top of the line banjo series from W.M. Lange, the highly acclaimed New York banjo maker who also made Orpheum, Langestyle, and many banjos that bore other brand names. Paramount banjos have some great innovations not found on other banjos – one of the best adjustable tension tailpieces, and probably the easiest resonator to attach and remove, plus their elevated tone ring and tapered outer rim – they basically set the standard, which was then imitated by Gibson in their early Mastertones.

This 1924 plectrum banjo was converted old style by drilling a 5th string tuner into the original neck. This is exactly like the banjo played by 2-finger player Will Keys, and also just like one played by a 'classic banjo style' player from England many decades ago. The spacing between the 4th and 5th string is a little tight as you play around the 5th-10th frets, which could be an issue if you fret the 4th string up the neck a lot. If you have small hands or don't play that way it would be fine I think. The banjo may have sustained a fall at one point; the neck and dowel stick have been repaired but are strong and stable now. The previous owner played it with steel strings, a-la Will Keys, but I have several nice steel-strung banjos already and wanted a great nylon one to play classic banjo music. However I've got to raise some funds so it's time to move along some nice instruments!

It has a 11 1/8" rim, and a 27" scale. Fitted with a period 2-footed all-maple bridge to bring out the greatest punch with the nylon strings. If you wanted to put steel strings on it I could swap that out for a bridge more suited for steel.

This comes with the original old case and all original hardware (the armrest needs a new bolt to be functional, I may be able to get that by the time you are viewing the ad). It's been set up well with an old Remo "wagon wheel" head from the very early days of Remo banjo heads.

Here's some videos video of Jerron Paxton playing some ragtime tunes on his paramount style A 5-string banjo in classic style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7pe5AT-vxo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FJo1YuSp0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcOQkb-92xw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHu6Aip0qQ8

And here are some of Will Keys playing a steel-strung version that was converted from a plectrum just like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq3864GG46Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QN_WnVONCA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOQrX_UzCJk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I029KWCeWNM

More photos available here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HaM3zVYXdde3peojgEZopCd_nXyIw7Og?usp=drive_link

I'm willing to ship as well, have sold and shipped many instruments over the years.

post id: 7926765886

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