info on short neck tenor banjo sought

Subject: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 03:34 PM

Hi,

    I've been asked to find out how much an old Selmer (sp?) short necked tenor banjo might be worth. The owner wants to sell it. He has looked on the web and found a lot of information on long necked tenors, but nothing on the short. So far folks I've talked to at our local song circle think he might be able to get a couple hundred for it, but not much more. Does anyone out there have any ideas? I should say, I've tuned it up and found that the low strings buzz on the neck, so there's going to be some repairs needed before the instrument is playable. I tuned it CGDA, which I believe is standard tenor banjo tuning. I appreciate any input you guys have.

Thanks.

Subject: RE: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: Patart
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 09:19 PM

Hello Phil, the tuning I use is GDAE, like a mandolin or fiddle, it's good for playing tunes, (dance tunes seem to be mostly written on fiddles.) the larger gauge may cure the buzz if it is just the strings sitting loosly in the nut and the saddle. might be worth srolling through ebay history to see what that model has gone for in the past. cheers Patrick

Subject: RE: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: Jimmy C
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 10:23 PM

Phil,

I don't know that much about Selmer banjoes, in fact I have never heard of them, but a decent short neck will cost you between $ 300 to $ 600 depending on the condition and manufacturer. I would try Mandolin Brothers in New York, they may be able to give you a more realistic price. I have an 1887 Bacon Blue Ribbon (17 fret) and it is valued about $550.00 american. I also tune it GDAE, it's almost standard tuning for Irish tunes. I have a longer neck (19 fret) framus which is tuned CGDA.

Good luck

Subject: RE: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 01:24 AM

Patart & Jimmyc,

If I decide to buy this from my friend, I probably would use heavier strings and use the GDAE tuning. I'll recommend mandolin brothers to him. I know that long necks are more popular models than short necks. Thanks for responding.

--Phil

Subject: RE: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: GUEST,barry
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 04:19 PM

Depends what kind of music your into,there are three types of neck for a tenor banjo,as far as i know. plectrum,standard tenor,and short,if you fancy playing irish or scots reels,then the shorter the neck the better.

                      Good Luck
                        Barry.

Subject: RE: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 05:26 PM

Thanks for the previous posts. I should point out I mistakenly said the short necked tenor banjo was a selmer. It's really a slingerland maybelle model 203. So, a bit more information. A friend who collects slingerland guitars thought it might be worth a couple hundred dollars. So, sorry for the earlier misinformation.

Subject: RE: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: Mooh
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 11:47 PM

Can't help you on the price. Did you check Ebay?

I've played a couple of Slingerlands and thought they were pretty good. A friend has a Hamilton which is sort of alike. In my experience, banjos can greatly benefit from decent strings, set-up (including bridge and nut), but especially head material. The longer I live the less I like plastic heads, though those synthetic hide-like ones can sound okay. A near perfect hide head can sound, well, near perfect. All things considered, if the basic elements are in place, that is good construction and parts, good playability and sound can follow with a good set-up. Around my neck-of-the-woods, price has more to do with market than quality since hardly anyone could even identify a banjo, never mind play one.

Look for my PM for a contact number for our local stringed instrument guru.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 08 Apr 05 - 03:43 AM

The head bit is purely a matter of taste although real hide is more sensative to changes in temperature and humidity. As a rough guide, "plastic" = sharper, brighter, louder; hide and "synthetic hide - fyberskin" = mellower, quieter. The only place I can think of where there are sort of "rules" is with the 5 string banjo. A bluegrass player is likely to use a different banjo and setup (including the plastic head) to an old time player to get the sounds they want.

ieng pedantic, barry is wrong in calling a plectrum banjo a type of tenor banjo neck. The plectrum banjo was a 5 string banjo with the 5th string removed (and changes to the neck to make it a 4 string instrument). The tenor banjo was a later effort to make shorter scale instruments.

Valuation of tenor banjos probably vary a lot from country to country. In the UK, a tenor (19 or 17 fret) probably has sort of equal popularity with the 5 string. I believe that in the us 5 strings are dominant and good tenors are often looked upon as candidates for conversion to 5 strings.

Subject: RE: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 08 Apr 05 - 06:25 PM

Thanks, I'll check ebay and mandolin brothers website. This banjo would probably not adapt to being a five string very well, as it's a very short necked critter.

Subject: RE: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 08 Apr 05 - 06:46 PM

Phil, they have a new neck fitted. I'm not sure about yours as I don't know the instrument but certainly something like a Tubaphone or a Mastertone tenor would be candidates for conversion.

I came across a "tubaphone" tenor over here (UK) last year as a friend of mine had bought one (knowing it wasn't all genuine). It was probably the "other half" of a conversion - the neck was genuine but the pot was something else and certainly not any Vega. Still, it made a rather nice light weight session banjo.

Subject: RE: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: mooman
Date: 08 Apr 05 - 07:50 PM

Dear Phil,

That Slingerland model I think is very similar to a short-scale Lyon & Healy I recently sold (probably made in the same factory in Chicago). My Lyon and Healy fetched € 520 (+/- $ 670 or £ 356). If it is a 17 fret short-scale they are fairly sought after by Irish players and somewhat harder to find than regular tenor banjos (19 fret) (particularly in Europe so value may be a tad lower in the States if you are there)..

Hope this may be of some use.

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: info on short neck tenor banjo sought
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 08:56 AM

mooman

   I am, indeed, in the US. In the Chicago area. Not surprised to hear Lyon & Healy probably made it. Thanks!