No sales tax for US customers outside California. Framus was a West German instrument manufacturer that built guitars, basses, and banjos from the late 1940s through the 1970s, supplying a surprising volume of reasonably well-made instruments into the European and American markets during the folk and trad revival era. Their tenor banjos are solid, workmanlike instruments — nickel-plated pot and tone ring, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard with mother of pearl dot inlays. Tenor banjos like this one were the workhorse of Irish traditional music sessions, Dixieland ensembles, and vaudeville-era playing styles, and the 22.5" scale and 1-1/8" nut width are right in the traditional tenor sweet spot — short enough for comfortable chord work across four strings, narrow enough for players coming from a mandolin or similar background. The 11-1/8" head diameter is standard for the format, and at 6 lbs 14 oz the instrument has a solid, planted feel without being unwieldy. This particular banjo shows honest use. The mahogany neck appears to have had a break repair at the heel at some point — it's holding and stable, as these repairs are when done properly. The frets, nut, tuners, and tailpiece are all original, though the tailpiece is missing its extension piece — a common casualty on these instruments and not difficult to address. The nickel plating on the pot and tone ring shows the kind of patina you'd expect from a well-traveled instrument. Neck thickness runs .909" at the first fret and 1.112" at the twelfth, giving it a profile that fills the hand without being chunky. The resonator depth is 1-1/4". Comes in a generic chipboard case. If you're looking for a playable, affordable tenor banjo with genuine vintage character — not a modern import — this Framus fits the bill. It's the kind of instrument session players, beginners looking for something with history, or collectors filling out a German-made vintage category will appreciate. SPECIFICATIONS: Weight: 6lbs 14oz Body: Nickel Plated Tone Ring: Nickel Plated Neck: Mahogany, looks like a break repair at some point at heel Fretboard: Rosewood Inlays: Mother of Pearl Dot Frets: Original Fret Count: 19 Nut: Original Nut Width: 1-1/8" Scale: 22.5" Neck Thickness At 1st Fret: .909" Neck Thickness At 12th Fret: 1.112" Total Length: 34-5/8" Head Diameter: 11-1/8" Resonator Depth: 1-1/4" Hardware: Original Electronics: none Bridge: non original Tailpiece: Original, missing extension piece Tuners: original Case: Generic chipboard Excerpts from real online end-user reviews: "Well-built and sound decent, and can be found for bargain prices." - Banjo Hangout"I have always been very impressed with the action on these banjos as they are incredibly playable." - alt.banjo Google Groups"Definitely worth consideration." - Banjo Hangout Be sure to check out the other cool guitar related stuff on our site!Gibson guitars - vintage & usedFender guitars - vintage & usedVintage & used guitar amplifiers - Northern California's largest selectionVintage & Used Effects Pedals Shipping PolicyBy completing your purchase you are agreeing to this shipping policy. Shipments require signature on delivery, no exceptions. Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely. If there is damage, retain all packing materials intact, photograph them immediately, and send the photos to [email protected] Shipping Stringed Instruments: Multiple shipping speeds are available for orders on our website — Ground, 2 Day, 3 Day, and Next Day Air Saver. For Reverb orders: customers from any state that is more than a 3 day UPS ground shipment from our shop will get their shipment via UPS 3 day air. Otherwise, ground shipping will be used.
