Weymann 19-Fret Tenor Banjo (1925)

Description

The four-string tenor banjo was probably most popular in the inter-war period, so it's cool to get to see an example of the instrument that was built during its golden age. This 19-fret openback tenor banjo has made its way to us all the way from 1925, but not without first being refurbished by the fine people at Ome Banjo Co. The original manufacturer, H.A. Weymann & Son, was a Philadelphia-based company active in the first half of the 20th century, and were fairly prolific builders whose Keystone-branded stringed instruments have now stood the test of time. This tenor banjo betrays impressive quality and fine craftsmanship, between the company's patented neck angle adjustment system, the vibrant sound thanks to Weymann's proprietary tone ring, and the lovely mother-of-pearl headstock inlays. Chuck Ogsbury and company have also done fine work in restoring this instrument to its former glory, while taking great care not to diminish from the instrument's natural vintage appeal.

Given the excellent refurbishing job, we consider this instrument to be in very good condition. The only non-original alteration is a new set of planetary tuners with ivoroid buttons, installed by Ome. The instrument also parted ways with its original case sometime over the last 96 years, and now comes with an Ome gig bag instead.