Mike Ramsey Fairbanks Electric Open Back Banjo Mahogany Whyte Laydie Tone Ring Hand Made Old Time

Here's a really great old time banjo!

A Fairbanks Electric model from one of the south's foremost makers of professional, handmade banjos, Mike Ramsey. I recently had the banjo looked at by a friend of Mr. Ramsey who knows a good bit about the instruments and he said the Appomattox, VA period was the best years for Ramsey banjos.

The Fairbanks Electric is very similar to a Whyte Laydie, employing an almost identical tone ring, but with no bracket band and made out of Mahogany instead of Maple and therefore a little darker sounding. This combination is just about a perfect old time banjo to my ears. All the pop and volume you could want with a classic voice. It's a good one!

This banjo is in nicely maintained, well played condition and shows a few light scratches (most notably on the heel, as pictured) and some moderate oxidation on the tension hoop and some of the treble side hooks. Currently set up with a medium action (about 5/32" at the 12th fret) and a handmade walnut bridge marked "11/16 Crowe Walnut 5" on the feet. It's got railroad spikes at the 7th, 9th, and 10th frets.

Scale length is 25.63"

Nut width is 1 5/16"

Neck is a two piece Mahogany laminate with a thin ebony centerstrip.

Fingerboard and Peghead overlay are Ebony

Hand Engraved pearl inlays are beautifully done. A few dots of inlay filler have come out around the 10 and 12th fret inlays but it poses no functional issue and you have to look for them to find them. I tried to take a picture that shows them.

Ships in a deluxe TKL case with red velvet interior. Shipping to lower 48 as priced, Alaska and Hawaii contact for a quote.