Documenting history as well as my experiences with repairing and restoring vintage guitars.

Home Top Ad

The strangest instrument I've come across But built pretty well for being a DIY job. This is a 1920s Bruno & Sons No. 200 &...

Vintage Archtop to Banjo Conversion

The strangest instrument I've come across

But built pretty well for being a DIY job.

This is a 1920s Bruno & Sons No. 200 "Vernon" banjo neck mounted on a 1950s Kay tenor archtop body. The neck is birch with an ebonized maple fretboard that has mother of pearl inlays in it. I reinforced it with carbon fiber to help keep it straight but there is only so much it could do. The body has had a couple impacts and some were repaired with a really strong glue that I could not break with heat. The tailpiece is a tenor tailpiece that has been slotted for accepting banjo string loops. 
Note the pseudo-heel that was made from the neck. It screws to the neck and screws to the neck block.

Black clay inserts are pressed into the ebonized maple fretboard

They disguise screws

Two screws go into the neck block while a makeshift dovetail helps lock it in place.


Pearl fleur-de-lis hidden under the black paint
Original Kay tuners chopped and carved to fit on the neck
For sale here:
https://reverb.com/item/25829831-vintage-kay-archtop-bruno-banjo-conversion

No comments: