Tenor resonator banjo
Date1920-1940 ca.
Place MadeNew York, New York, United States, North America
ModelMajestic
SignedMother-of-pearl inlay at top of peghead: MAJESTICMarkingsStamped on clear plastic head, under tailpiece: REMO [inside four-pointed crown outline] / WEATHER KING / BANJO / [underscore] / MADE IN U.S.A.
Stamped onto tailpiece: GROVER PATENT / Presto [cursive]
Stamped onto base of all four tuners: [two stars] GROVER U.S.A. [two stars]
Stamped inside of tone ring: 3
Stamped inside rim: PATENTED JUNE 29[,] 1920
Painted in green on inside of resonator: KBS ’95
DescriptionNeck: mahogany; 3-ply veneer layer of dark-stained hardwood/maple/dark-stained hardwood runs underneath fingerboard; inlaid stripe of the same runs down center of neck on the back, from the base of the same veneer which extends 95 mm (3-3/4”) from base of peghead
Peghead: mahogany with 2-ply dark-stained hardwood [on top]/maple/dark-stained hardwood veneer on front and dark-stained hardwood/maple/dark-stained hardwood veneer on back; veneer on back extends 95 mm (3-34”) down back of neck; 4 tuners; red, white, and orange rhinestones inlaid around much of the outline of the top of the peghead [several are missing]; decoratively cut mother-of-pearl inlay on face; MAJESTIC inlaid in mother-of-pearl on face
Fingerboard: dark-stained hardwood; 19 nickel-silver frets; decoratively cut mother-of-pearl inlays behind 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 15th, and 17th frets; ivoroid binding; black plastic side dots inlaid in ivory behind 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, and 15th frets
Heel cap: dark-stained hardwood/maple/dark-stained hardwood veneer
Head: later clear plastic
Tone ring: arched; nickel-plated brass
Rim: multi-ply maple with maple veneer on inside; mahogany veneer on outside; thin strip of dark-stained hardwood inlaid around lower circumference on inside; three-ply light hardwood/dark-stained hardwood/light hardwood inlay at center on outside of rim; three-ply light hardwood/dark-stained hardwood/light hardwood strip along lower edge; nickel-plated steel resonator-mounting hardware; 20 white rhinestones, one next to each hook
Bracket hooks: 20 nickel-plated steel
Shoes: 20 nickel-plated brass
Tension hoop: nickel-plated brass
Dowel stick: nickel-plated metal
Resonator: arched plywood with mahogany veneer; binding/veneer on edges comprised of maple/dark-stained hardwood/maple/dark-stained hardwood [thick strip]/maple/dark-stained hardwood around both edges; inlay of thin strips of dark-stained hardwood/maple/rosewood/maple/dark-stained hardwood in a circle on the back, 18 mm (23/32”) from outer edge; later painting inside on a brown background of a blue tulip, three black-eyed susans, and a white cross-hatch pattern between two pink flowers, signed KBS ’95 [below right pink flower] in green
Nut: bone
Tuners: 4 later chrome-plated steel tension tuners
Armrest: later chrome-plated steel
Tailpiece: nickel-plated brass
Finish: clear lacquer
DimensionsTotal instrument length: 846 mm (33-5/16”)
Vibrating string length: 559 mm (22”)
Fingerboard length: 385 mm (15-5/32”)
Fingerboard width at nut: 26.5 mm (1-1/32”)
Fingerboard width at body: 40 mm (1-9/16”)
Head diameter: 278 mm (10-15/16”)
Resonator diameter: 338 mm (13-5/16”)
Rim and resonator depth: 74 mm (2-29/32”)
Credit LineGeoffrey Robert Rezek Collection, 2014
Object number14879
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