Everyone knows banjos just sound better when they have a tone ring installed. The only drawback is the weight, right at three pounds. First Quality is proud to introduce a direct replacement flathead tone ring made entirely from wood. These tone rings are made on the same machines as the regular rings and they are have all the same features. You can get a ring with a long or short skirt and with or without 20 holes. The one pictured was custom ordered out of factory floor maple and a Brazilian rosewood top. Call for more information. 800.635.2021
Aaron Thomas was in the showroom this week from Washington, IN and was kind enough to try out one of the new Sullivan Historic Vintage-35 Banjo Prototypes. We debuted this Banjo at IBMA and will have more information on it in the coming weeks – for now, the sound speaks for itself! He’s a great picker and in the video below performs a wonderful and unique version of “What a friend we have in Jesus”. Thanks for stopping by, Aaron!
We’re gearing up to launch the new sullivanbanjo.com ASAP, but we thought we should share a bit more banjo news with you in the meantime. Eric & Co. have been working on this tone ring for over three years, when we began by acquiring a pre-war flathead, and we’re nearing the ‘end’.
We’re preparing to send six of these instruments out to professional pickers to gather feedback before we begin offering the final version. Much like the prototype seen in the videos below, we’re building these banjos to extremely tight pre-war standards. Everything from the neck profile to the finish are as close to matching the pre-war style as possible.
We won’t be offering these until they are finished, and we’re generally not talking about them – we just thought we’d give you a sneak peak. Stay tuned here, and at the new Sullivan Banjo site when it launches, to learn more.
when you stop by First Quality on a Saturday afternoon. If you were by this week, you would have seen Eric and his buddy Bob out back melting bronze shavings and pouring it into cast iron molds to be used later in a new composition tone ring. Did you hear that banjo players? New tone ring in the works at First Quality!
When I was walking through the shop this morning, I saw something new laid out on the workbench. It was an open back banjo with ‘Sullivan’ in the peghead. This got me curious so I set out to find Allen (our Shop Manager) to find out about it.
Turns out it’s a prototype for a new model that Allen and Eric are working on. It will be an open back banjo with a 1/4″ brass ring (very affordable!) that is upgradeable at a later date to include a tone ring, flange and resonator (very adaptable!). What a cool concept!
There are a few minor tweaks that need to be made, but it should be in full production in a week or so. Each one will come standard with a Sullivan Old Growth Bridge. And, are you ready for the best part? The price is going to be less than $750!
