Electric banjoline
Date1965
Place MadeFullterton, California, United States, North America
ModelPrototype
Serial No.none
SignedBlack decal on head, now removed: FenderMarkingsWritten in blue marker on body under neck joint: LAB.
Stamped on body under neck joint: 1 · 18·65
Written on top under pickguard in blue ink: Reg. / S. B.
Written on top under pickguard in blue ink: S
Stamped on tuner plates: KLUSON DELUXE
DescriptionWhen Vega no longer wished to produce the banjoline, they released its production rights to Eddie Peabody. Leo Fender, a friend of Eddie's, worked with him to make a prototype Fender banjoline in early 1965. The instrument is entirely custom made, from the pickups, body, bridge, and electronic controls, to the neck. Eddie was dissatisfied with the instrument, in part due to the finish, which chipped easily in contact with his jacket buttons. It was never commercially produced. At some point, Peabody scratched the Fender decal off the head, for reasons that remain unknown.
Stringing: six steel strings
Pickups: two single-coil pickups with individual pole pieces, volume potentiometers with black plastic knobs and white numbering [1 through 10], and three-way switch with black chicken-beak knob
Body: single piece alder; potentiometer cavity on front covered with chrome-plated steel plate
Head: maple
Neck: maple; integral with head; bolted to body with chrome-plated steel plate
Fretboard: rosewood with 24 nickel-silver frets; single imitation mother-of-pearl plastic dots and ivory-colored plastic side dots behind, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 22nt frets; double imitation mother-of-pearl dots and double ivory-colored plastic side dots behind 12th fret
Nut: bone
Bridge: chrome-plated brass with individually adjustable saddles
Tailpiece: chrome-plated brass with chrome-plated steel vibrato arm with ivory plastic end
Tuners: six individual chrome-plated steel covered worm-gear tuners with chrome-plated steel heads
Pickguard: pearloid-over-black-over-white three-ply plastic, secured to top with 14 nickel-plated steel Philips’ head screws
Strap buttons: nickel-plated steel secured to body with nickel-plated steel Philips’ head screws
Finish: three colored gold, red, black sunburst
DimensionsTotal guitar length: 1059 mm
Back length: 464 mm
Upper bout width: 257 mm
Waist width: 228 mm
Lower bout width: 316 mm
Side height (including edging) at heel: 35 mm
Side height, at center: 35 mm
Side height, at end: 35 mm
Head length: 197 mm
Head width, top: 55 mm
Head width, bottom: 84 mm
Neck length (nut to body): 508 mm
Neck width, nut: 31 mm
Neck width, body joint: 40 mm
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 664 mm at high E-string; 667 mm at low E-string
ProvenancePrototype developed by Eddie Peabody and Leo Fender, Fullerton, California, 1965
Gift of George Peabody, Tuscon, Arizona, 2012
Credit LineEddie Peabody Collection. Gift of George Peabody, 2012
Object number14658
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