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.
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| Note the pseudo-heel that was made from the neck. It screws to the neck and screws to the neck block. |
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| Black clay inserts are pressed into the ebonized maple fretboard |
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| They disguise screws |
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| Two screws go into the neck block while a makeshift dovetail helps lock it in place. |
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| Pearl fleur-de-lis hidden under the black paint |
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| 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
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