Members johnkline Posted January 25, 2010 Members Share Posted January 25, 2010 I posted earlier about inheriting that 64 Kay Bass, the Martin 00-18c, and an autoharp. The last item is a Fender 5 string banjo. The serial number is 04815 and just says "Artist". So I don't know what kind of artist model it is. I can rule out the artist tenor banjo, because those were 4 string. Unfortunately, Fender's website on dating banjos is missing information. I can take pics if there's a someone who knows about these instruments... cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted January 25, 2010 Members Share Posted January 25, 2010 Post the pic and I'll see if a banjo-picking buddy can help...I know he has at least one Fender 5-string, not sure of it's age, but he's had it at least as long as I've known him (almost 20 years). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordchunker Posted January 25, 2010 Members Share Posted January 25, 2010 Fender made some of the best tone rings/bodies in the day. The best banjo player I know(his best friend is Alan Munde) plays a banjo he built from a fender body and a Baldwin neck. His is 65 and was a child star touring with Stringbean (who he learned banjo from)when he was a kid. He is one of those behind the scenes stars that has been a pro for 50 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted January 25, 2010 Members Share Posted January 25, 2010 Post several pics. At least one of the inside w/the back off so we can see the tone ring. One of the headstock & neck inlay. If there is a model name or any numbers anywhere, include those as well. Some of the older Fenders were darn good.Nowadays the new ones(last 10-15 yrs), the top of the line models are still pretty good, altho there are probably better options for the price.The lower priced ones not so much, many better deals out there, you'd just be paying for the name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members totamus Posted January 25, 2010 Members Share Posted January 25, 2010 the banjos being made in the 70s were quite decent. Good Gibson knock offs. About the same as the Alvarez's of the day. Probably made in the same factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johnkline Posted January 26, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 26, 2010 pics: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxorox Posted January 26, 2010 Members Share Posted January 26, 2010 Not sure how long they made 'em, but the original (Made in USA) run of Fender banjos were really nice. I think they were one of CBS's stabs at diversifying the line. Believe they stopped making them in the mid to late 70's. After that there was a period of time before they started selling imports. The ones I've seen have walnut resonators, and are well made of very fine materials. Comprable to the Ome/Ode banjoes of the time in sound. Wander over to the banjo hangout for maybe more info. I've seen two that had poorly fit tone rings. Easy to fix though. So QC was variable. I've heard that some rims were several ply instead of three ply, but so were Gibson RB-250s at the time. (Let us pause to cuss Norlin). Since banjoes are modular, banjo players tinker. I've seen more than a few with rim/tone ring upgrades. Again, the same can be said of Gibsons. Very good, high quality, US made banjo there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordchunker Posted January 26, 2010 Members Share Posted January 26, 2010 Thats a beaut! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted February 2, 2010 Members Share Posted February 2, 2010 Nice one!! It has been played a lot, good sign.Value could range from 500- to 1500, depending on condition and type of tone ring and rim. Look at the tone ring carefully and compare it to a Gibson flathead Mastertone ring(just google a pic). If it looks similar, good. If its just a simple brass hoop, or looks to be aluminum or steel instead of brass, not as good. Look at the rim carefully, 3 plys, best, more than 3, not as good but still can be decent. If that thing has a real 3 ply rim and brass flathead ring, its definatly worth well over $1000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stevieb Posted February 2, 2010 Members Share Posted February 2, 2010 I have no idea about Fender 'joes, (I'm all about making up abbreviations tonite- see my post to the Kalamazoo guitar thread) but I own a Harmony tenor guitar and a Gibson Uke. A Harmony tenor sold for $300 on fleabay a while back, and a guitar shop in Nashville has the same model of Gibson Uke- and is standing firm on their $1,295 asking price. No, I won't tell you what I paid for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxorox Posted February 3, 2010 Members Share Posted February 3, 2010 Tone ring is basic gibson style flathead. Rim could be more lams than the preferred 3-ply, but as said, that's not bad, in itself. I've done a lttle light grazing, and the prices I've seen for that model are between $1,350-$1,650. You know the variables, condition being the most important. Very nice banjo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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