Hornbeam Special

This banjo features a wood tone ring installed on a similar hard maple rim as used for the Style 1 Fretted and Fretless instruments. The wood tone ring is a 2 ply construction of Hornbeam, aka North American Ironwood. The Hornbeam ring is 3/4 x 3/8 set on a Hard Maple rim. It is a slip fit with sufficient tolerance to allow for seasonal change. The Hornbeam Special features a book matched neck of lightly figured Curly Maple stained a light Cinnamon. An Ebony finger board, peg head overlay and heel cap complete the neck.

The neck inlay features two mythical beasts. The fifth fret inlay is the head of an eagle-ish like figure in engraved Mother of Pearl while the 17th fret has the complete serpent. This beast is a composite from two different carved panels. The rim is stained to match the neck and both are finished in gloss lacquer. Planetary geared tuners and a right angle 5th string gear with Ivoroid buttons are used. Amber buttons may be requested. Either a Fibreskyn or Renaissance Head is standard. It comes strung with GHS PF 180 medium gauge strings. Lighter gauges may be used but there will be a difference in tone.