Crafters of Tennessee Flathead (2002)

Description

Crafters of Tennessee banjos have been getting tougher and tougher to find in recent years - a shame, because they're excellent, professional-grade instruments that have just about everything the bluegrass picker looks for. The personal project of Mark Taylor, who carried on with his luthiery shop after Rich and Taylor split up, Crafters of Tennessee furthered Mr Taylor's excellent reputation as a builder and feature much of the fit and finish that made Rich and Taylor banjos so sought after. As such, the Tennessee Flathead is an A-grade bluegrass machine complete with a Tennessee 20 tone ring, modeled after  nickel flathead rings from the pre-war era. When paired with the full nickel flange and the curly maple on the banjo's neck, pot, and resonator, you've got yourself an instrument to be reckoned with, with all the bright, punchy sound that Scruggs-style pickers crave as well as a growling low end that bares its teeth when you dig in with your right hand. The full gloss finish and sunburst stain add some tasteful visual pop, and the Tennessee Flathead also features some exceptional vintage-style inlay work on the neck and headstock clearly aimed at the player who loves old school aesthetics on their instrument.

This Tennessee Flathead has seen a reasonable amount of playwear over its lifetime, and sports a tolerable amount of scuffs and scratches, including a one-inch blemish on the back of the neck around first position, as well as some finish damage on the back of the resonator from a nylon banjo strap. The wear on the head is consistent with any resonator banjo a few decades old, so we see no reason to replace the head given the fact that it's structurally intact. The instrument has an excellent, low set up and the frets have recently all been dressed, leveled, and crowned to eliminate fret wear. There is no structural damage to the instrument, nor is there evidence of it undergoing any major repair over its lifetime. We consider it to be in very good condition. Included in our price is the original hard-shell case.