Custom Orpheum (ca.1918) No. 1 Tenor Banjo VINTAGE

Made circa 1918 by the Rettburg & Lange Company who built the famous Paramount banjos. The instrument is all quality. It has a nice, heavy-duty hard maple rim with fancy veneers, flamed-maple 5-piece neck with bound dyed-hardwood (two vertical laminates of pearwood for strength), 21″ scale fretboard, and detailed multi-layer headstock veneer. The inlay positions are fanciful, symmetrical decorations made up of impressionistic birds and flourishes of flora.  The back of the rim is plain blonde maple and so is the dowel. It features the standard square wooden (maple) dowel that is stamped with the serial number, and the usual tensioner device where the neck joins the body on the inside of the rim.  The heel is pearwood capped and bordered by maple and dark wood; and this dark-light-dark motif continues down the wooden interior dowel.   Tuners are original 4 un-geared machine heads with grained ivoroid buttons and an adjustment screw for tension.  The serial number on this instrument is 6538.  The original hardshell case is included.