Description
Exc(+) condition / SN: 4-2004-4
Gold Hardware / Style 5 Marquetry
“Dr. Ralph” inlay in Peghead
One Owner (besides Ralph Stanley)
Ok folks, here’s a pretty rare one-owner 2004 “Stanleytone” 60th anniversary archtop banjo, by Frank Neat. This banjo is very clean. It was seldom used and the gold is showing excellent aging patina. Ralph Stanley, the banjo playing singer in the “Stanley Brothers” and Frank Neat, a reknown Kentucky banjo builder, teamed up to build and sell a series of banjos produced by F. Neat that commemorated Ralph’s playing and were often salutes toward Ralph Stanley’s favorite old 1929 Gibson RB-5 banjo.
This banjo shows some extra wooden marquetry purflings and Wreath inlays, for example, that old “Style 5” Gibson banjos had.
The Banjo:
The neck, resonator and the three-ply rim are all made of hard rock Maple. The back of neck and the resonator show lots of strong figure which is highlighted by the medium brown see-thru finish. The neck and resonator are bound with grained ivoroid bindings, with colorful wooden marquetry purfling strips along the sides of the neck and side wall of the resonator.
All gold plated hardware. The head is signed by Dr Ralph Stanley.
The Neck:
The neck is a decorative 5-pc neck, with the Maple having a center strip of Rosewood/Maple/Rosewood in the middle. The peghead is a classic “fiddle” peghead with pearl inlays. “Dr. Ralph” is inlaid at top with classic Wreath pattern below. Abalone truss-rod access above the bone nut. Flat Ebony fingerboard with small frets and pearl Wreath inlay pattern in fingerboard. The 7th fret has “60th Anniv” pearl inlay and the 21st fret has solid pearl block engraved, “Stanleytone”. Ebony heel cap. Gold 5-star tuners with Gold Schaller 5th – all with matching pearloid buttons.
The Pot:
This banjo is made as a throwback to the early Mastertone banjos before the Flathead tone rings and one-pc flanges. This one has the classic 3-ply hard Maple rim with “Tube-and-Plate” flange and No-Hole Archtop tone ring. I think this formula yields great sound! The serial number is written inside the resonator and stamped into the inside wall of the 3-ply rim. The resonator has a one-piece figured Maple veneer for the back.
This banjo sounds great. It has a very good voice… Well, it should, being built by Frank and Ricky Neat!
Comes with its original hard case.
