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About Antique and Vintage Banjos

The first American banjos were made by African slaves, who built them in the style of the gourd-body instruments they had played in their homeland. Minstrel shows of the 1830s and 1840s, both in the U.S. and England, popularized the instrument more broadly. By the end of the 19th century, numerous instrument makers were building banjos, including E.J. Cubley of Illinois, and A.C. Fairbanks and Co. of Massachusetts.

One Fairbanks banjo in particular, the Curtis Electric, is extremely rare because as few as 50 of them were made. The Curtis was loud but not a lot of fun to play. Slightly better were the four-string banjos made by Stella of New Jersey, while the cream of the crop were the banjos made by Gibson, who ruled the banjo world during the mid-1920s to mid-1930s.


Interviews & Articles

An Interview with Banjo Collector, Player, and Historian Lowell Levinger New!

I bought my first really good bluegrass banjo in 1963 from a banjo player who lived in New York. His name was… [more]

An Interview With Vintage Guitar Collector Clay Harrell

I grew up in upstate New York in Rochester, and started playing guitar when I was about 10 years old. We had… [more]

An Interview With Vintage Guitar Collector and Author George Gruhn

I started out primarily as a collector and the business aspect of it evolved over time, almost by accident. I… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Banjo Hangout New!

Banjo Hangout

Billed as “the world’s largest, most active, banjo community,” this site's Forums pages boast thousands of to… [read review or visit site]

Mugwumps.com New!

Mugwumps.com

First published as a folk music magazine in 1971 by Michael I. Holmes before going online in 1997, Mugwumps is a no… [read review or visit site]

Vintage Guitars Info

Vintage Guitars Info

This great reference site features detailed sections for vintage guitar makers including Gibson, Fender, Martin, Gr… [read review or visit site]

The Les Paul Forum

The Les Paul Forum

If you're into Gibson's Les Paul models, or even curious, this is your site. Chock full of useful reference data, p… [read review or visit site]

Vintageguitars.org.uk

Vintageguitars.org.uk

Want to see all the old brochures and ads for your favorite vintage axe? Check out this great site, which showcases… [read review or visit site]

Museum of Musical Instruments

Museum of Musical Instruments

If vintage guitars could talk... they'd be digging this site. With its many themed collections and exhibitions, it'… [read review or visit site]


Got a site to suggest? Let us know.




Clubs & Associations: Guitars


Discussion Forums: Guitars


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Gibson Rb 75 J.d. Crowe Banjo$2,300 Ends Sunday 1 bid 24 watchers
Vintage Gibson Mastertone Tb-3 Banjo (5 String Convert)$1,776 Ends Monday 11 bids 68 watchers
1925 Bacon & Day B&d Silver Bell No.4 Tenor Banjo L@@@k$1,750 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 30 watchers
Fairbanks Vega Style 9 Tubaphone Plectrum Banjo #50923$1,142 Ends Wednesday 12 bids 100 watchers
Gibson Rb-75 Vl Banjo Mint Condition With Warranty Card$1,125 Ends Sunday 6 bids 24 watchers
Gibson Vintage Granada Hearts & Flowers 5 String Banjo$1,027 Ends Sunday 6 bids 35 watchers
1964 Vega Earl Scruggs Banjo Gibson Strings$763.82 Ends in 22 hours 13 bids 28 watchers
Vintiage Fairbanks Cole 5 String Banjo 1880 1890 Boston$710.00 Ends Friday 4 bids 21 watchers
Custom Made Banjo Copy Of S S Stewart$675.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 15 watchers
Wonderful Vega Vox I Tenor Banjo 1961$661.00 Ends Monday 19 bids 53 watchers
Deering Crossfire Electric 5-string Banjo$640.00 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 6 watchers
Paramount Style A Fivestring Banjo$610.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 52 watchers
Dobson Banjo$600.00 Ends Sunday 4 bids 25 watchers
Gibson 5-string Banjo Mid-60's Make/case$585.00 Ends in 22 hours 10 bids 73 watchers
Gibson Banjo Neck $565.55 Ends Wednesday 11 bids 54 watchers
Bart Reiter Round Peak 12" Rim Banjo$535.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 35 watchers
Banjo Open Back, Enoch Tradesman, Fretless, Mint,$500.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 28 watchers
New Recording King Open Bck Banjo Ne Plus Ultra Rb-o36$450.00 Ends Monday 9 bids 9 watchers
Epiphone Masterbilt 5 String Banjo Hard Case Md.mg-500$405.01 Ends Tuesday 5 bids 26 watchers
Gibson Banjo$400.00 Ends Sunday 4 bids 31 watchers
Hohner 5-string Banjo$400.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 3 watchers
Gold Tone It-250 Irish Tenor Banjo W/case & Strings!$399.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids 11 watchers
Fender Fb59 Banjo *minor Repairs Needed*$399.00 Ends Monday 2 bids 17 watchers
Minstrel Banjo Fretless Bluegrass Clawhammer Civil War $375.00 Ends in 15 hours 2 bids 17 watchers
Goldtone Bg250 5 String Banjo Bg-250 W/case Buy it Now$369.00 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 12 watchers
Recording King 5 String Banjo Melody King Rk-r50 2nd$365.00 Ends Tuesday 9 bids 5 watchers
Huber Conversion Tonering For Gibson Granada Banjo $356.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 26 watchers
Tiffany & Co. Banjo Clock By Chelsea Clock Co. $320.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 53 watchers
Rare Antique Old American Minstrel Banjo Ca. 1880s$308.00 Ends Monday 6 bids 31 watchers
Small Vintage Antique Celebrated Benary 5 String Banjo$305.00 Ends Monday 5 bids 51 watchers
Deering Goodtime Banjo 5-strng W/bundle Pckg! No Reserv$305.00 Ends Sunday 4 bids 12 watchers
Top Quality ''bacon'' 5 String Fretless Banjo Circ1900$299.18 Ends Sunday 6 bids 55 watchers
Mint 1988 Deering Crossfire 5 String Electric Banjo Red$290.87 Ends Sunday 4 bids 23 watchers
Old 5 String Banjo With Wooden Coffin Shape Case$280.79 Ends Monday 11 bids 52 watchers
Deering Goodtime Two Banjo 5 String W/ Hard Case$280.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 17 watchers
Antique 1921 Jazzbo Jim Banjo Dancer Wind-up Tin Toy$269.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 4 watchers
Gold Tone Ob250 Banjo (orange Blossom Special) $265.00 Ends Friday 4 bids 28 watchers
Vintage 1920's Epiphone Banjo Ukulele * Nice * Nr$256.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids 54 watchers
Banjo 5 String George Rush Late 1800 Early 1900 Antique$255.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 35 watchers
Florentine*** 5 String Banjo Neck *****$250.05 Ends Monday 22 bids 17 watchers
Deering Goodtime 2 5-string Banjo$250.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 6 watchers
New Guardian Deluxe Fiberglass Banjo Case-gibson Banjo$232.50 Ends Sunday 8 bids 29 watchers
Banjo - Recording King, Open Back With Hardshell Case Buy it Now$227.51 Ends in 17 hours 11 bids 19 watchers
Deering Goodtime Special Openback 5-string Banjo (used)$227.50 Ends Monday 2 bids 18 watchers
Gibson Banjo 1967 Mint Condition$224.50 Ends Friday 7 bids 21 watchers
Orpheum No.1 Tenor Banjo C.1915 With Resonator$222.49 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 36 watchers
Gold Tone Mini Banjo New$208.33 Ends in 13 hours 18 bids 21 watchers
Mahogany Banjo Neck W/gibson Flying Eagle Pearl Inlays$202.50 Ends Tuesday 12 bids 51 watchers
Bacon Professional-3 Banjo-mandolin Verynice Condition$202.50 Ends Thursday 3 bids 45 watchers
Almost Old Time 5-string Banjo$199.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 4 watchers
Sullivan Thunderbolt Tone Ring Prototype4 Gibson Banjo $195.00 Ends in 16 hours 1 bid 18 watchers
1942-48 Chevy Accy Banjo Steering Wheel Orig Restored$188.49 Ends Friday 2 bids 7 watchers
Vintage Bacon Belmont 5 String Banjo W/case Nice$182.50 Ends in 21 hours 27 bids 57 watchers
Deering Goodtime Banjo 5-string W/case Buy it Now$182.50 Ends Wednesday 12 bids 8 watchers
Vintage Vega Little Wonder Banjo Mandolin Orig. Case $180.00 Ends Sunday 15 bids 41 watchers
Antique Seth Thomas Mahogany Wall Banjo Clock Model 5$158.50 Ends Tuesday 9 bids 27 watchers
5 String Aria Banjo$153.50 Ends Wednesday 9 bids 12 watchers
Vintage 5 String Banjo-george Washburn Serial# 2935 $152.50 Ends Wednesday 7 bids 33 watchers
Tenor Banjo$150.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 5 watchers
Rare Vintage Majestic Tenor Banjo With Case$150.00 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 28 watchers

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