Please note: All instruments that have stock numbers followed by an asterisk (*) are in stock at our San Diego store. Please call Tom @ (619) 280-9035 for further information.
New! Deering Vega Tubaphone #2: This updated version of the classic Vega Tubaphone banjo of the early 20th century has the tone and volume that will satisfy even the most discriminating player. Like its predecessor, it has a maple rim, heavy Tubaphone tonering and the all important “ bracket band” that allows the tension hooks and shoes to be mounted without drill through the rim. Additions to the tradition include a fully adjustable truss rod in the neck and dual coordinator rods that allow precise neck angle adjustment to suit any players personal preferences. Well made right here in Southern California. With Deering hard case. List $3959 BuffaloBros. price $Call! Stock# NBB27294 photo
ca. 1880s Dave Forty & Co. English Banjo: (VG+) For folks who have never seen or played an English banjo, they are unique and have a fine tone that is quite subtle. First, an English banjo has 6 tuning machines, 3 on a side like a classical guitar. This was done not only because banjo gears were not available, but also to give the peghead visual symmetry. Only four of the tuning machines are used to tune the strings that flow over the nut and down the fingerboard. A fifth string goes from the tuning machine, into a small tube that runs through the neck and emerges at the fifth fret. The beautiful rim contains a smaller sized skin head that is adjustable from the top (wow! the first top-tension banjos!). The tone is exceedingly sweet, and although not as loud as their American counterparts, still provides a wonderfully warm tone. With Chipboard case $350 Stock#UBB25934 photo
1916 Gibson PB-0 conversion: Way back in the deep, dark woods of West Virginia, so deep back in the hills that you need to take an interpreter with you to speak to the locals, there is a workshop hidden in a hollowed out log, where small woodland creatures convert old Gibson banjos to specifications for modern players. The foregoing is not true. But it is typical of some of the stories told about instruments to give them a mystique that will encourage you to own them. The fact of the matter is that there is a workshop in West Virginia where our friend Mr. R.C. Powell converts plectrum banjos such as this one to 5 string banjos. It is not in a hollowed out log, it is in Mr. Powell's workshop attached to his home which is in a residential area much like many of us live. However, he does have some mystifying process by which he makes 5 string banjos out of plectrum banjos using the original neck. The result produces a fine instrument that retains all the aura of the original. He also converts the case, producing, if nothing else, a real conversation starter among banjo pickers. With case $900 Stock#UBB27375 photo
New! Gold Tone CC-OT: An incredible instrument for those who want a complete starter package with some of the features that are usually found only in more expensive instruments. The tone comes from an 11" wooden rim with more tension hoops than most instruments in its price range. The fingerboard is scalloped in the manner of more expensive instruments, so that players have a special place for the claw in clawhammer. Real banjo (Planet) styled geared tuners complete the features of this value-priced package. Wait! Keep looking! There's a carrying bag, and the Bob Carlin video as well!!! All included in the BuffaloBros. low price. With gig bag $329 Stock#NBB27547 photo
New! Gold Tone CC-OT: With gig bag $329 Stock#NBB27550
New! Gold Tone CC-OT: With gig bag $329 Stock#NBB27551
New! Gold Tone BC-350+ Building on the success of the original Bob Carlin signature model, this new upgraded version has gold plated hardware, a rich looking traditional mahogany stained finish and very fancy mother of pearl inlays in the fingerboard and headstock. Like the original it has an extra deep (2 1/2”) 12” maple rim with a simple rolled brass tone ring giving it a big , deep “plunky” voice that’s so perfect for clawhammer and other old time banjo styles. With hard case. BuffaloBros. price $1199 Stock# NBB27844* photo
Used Gold Tone BC-350: The Bob Carlin signature model openback features a 2 1/2 inch deep, 12 inch diameter laminated golden blonde maple rim with a rosewood cap, a brass hoop tone ring, and Remo Renaissance head. The dowel stick maple neck has a scooped 18 fret, black bound ebony fingerboard with star and dots pearl inlay and a wide 1 7/16 inch bone nut. The tasteful ebony peghead overlay has a single pearl star inlay. Planetary tuners with cream colored buttons, nickel plated hardware and a no knot tailpiece complete the package. Great tone and the wide fast neck make this banjo a frailer’s dream. With hard shell case. Our price $700 Stock#NBB20503 photo
Just In! New! Gold Tone OT-800: When we played the prototype for this banjo at the NAMM show last January, we were impressed with its fine vintage tone. This final production model does not disappoint. Built around a brass Tubaphone style tone ring, this great sounding banjo has a thin maple rim complete with the all important bracket band. This combination gives the banjo a strong bottom end with plenty of sustain much like the classic Vega banjos of the early 20th century. The maple neck is clad with a scooped ebony fingerboard and is inlaid with engraved mother of pearl in the Vega style. With the price of vintage Vega banjos climbing, the OT-800 represents a great value in a fine tradiitional sounding open back banjo. With hard case. List $1199 BuffaloBros. price $899 Stock# NBB28365 photo
circa 1900 Lyon and Healy Fretless Conversion: (VG++) This cool little banjo most certainly started out life as a standard fretted banjo but sometime in its not so distant past, it was made fretless (worry free?) with the addition of a nice rosewood fingerboard. With a 10 5/8” spunover rim, a new skin head and nylon strings this fine little player has a tone that is as sweet as mothers milk. BuffaloBros. price $400 Stock# UBC28216 photo
New! Chuck Lee Deep Hollow Vintage 12": Fretless Dobson style cherry neck. 3 1/4 inch deep transparent black finished maple rim. Rosewood fingerboard S-shaped frailer's scoop and brass overlay with matching S curve. Renaissance head, No Knot tailpiece, nylgut strings. Vintage style planetary geared peg tuners. With bump style archtop case. List $1980 BuffaloBros. price: $1799 Stock#NBB26525 photo
Just In! New!Ome Jubilee: This great frailer has a big 12” rim with a simple brass tone ring. The mahogany neck is topped with an ebony fingerboard complete with frailing scoop and the fingerboard and headstock are inlaid with a whimsical assortment of mother of pearl and abalone stars and moons. This is a beautifully made banjo with a fine traditional sound. With hard case $1705 Stock# NUB28128 photo
Just In! New! Ome Bright Angel: Built around Ome’s 11” Silver Spun tone ring and a 3 ply maple rim, the Bright Angel has a sweet punchy tone. This lovely banjo has a highly figured maple neck and all of its hardware is chrome plated. The rim, fingerboard and headstock are bound with ivoroid and its ebony fingerboard and headstock overlay are inlaid with a whimsical array of stars and moons and planets made with mother of pearl and abalone. Hand made in Boulder Colorado, the Bright Angel is meticulously built and has “out of this world” tone and playability. With hard-shell case. List $3520 BuffaloBros. price $3168 Stock# NBB28129 photo
New! Bart Reiter Standard: This Well made open back banjo features a dark stained maple neck and pot and an ebony finger board with scoop. It has a simple rolled brass tone ring (reminiscent of the old Vega "Little Wonder") that gives this great player a solid old timey sound. With hard case. List $1486 BuffaloBros. price $1099 Stock# NBB27804 photo
1920 Slingerland standard 5: (VG+) At the turn of the 20th century, most 5 string banjos were of the open back, spunover rim variety as seen here. Players in the cities took up the banjo as a classical instrument, performing the works of Bach, Brahms and Haydn. When the instrument was taken up by those in the southern Appalachians, they began to play the tunes of their Irish and Scottish ancestors. Many Companies, including Slingerland, who made many types of musical instruments, jumped onto the wave of banjo popularity with student models galore. Some of them survived, most did not. Thankfully, we have this very sweet example that plays magnificently, and sounds terrific to remind us of those bygone days when many parlors contained a banjo, a guitar and a piano. With gig bag $450 Stock#UBB25945 photo
Vega Little Wonder: It's little wonder that players love this one! A very traditional sounding 12" rim upon which sits the Vega rolled brass tone ring, which by itself looks like a metal hula hoop for hampsters. But when that very same round piece of metal sits upon an ancient Vega rim, and a 5 string neck is attached, such as this one made by Mr. Wyatt Fawley, who has done more conversions than a Baptist missionary, and that instrument is played expertly by one of the followers of Old Time string band music, the result is mighty pleasing. This is one of the best sounding clawhammer banjos we have heard in a long time! With hard case $1400 Stock#UBB27374 photo
1918 Vega Little Wonder: (exc) Superb sounding, beautiful looking, excellent playing 12" rim with the Little Wonder tone ring. These early 20th Century Vega models started out in life as tenor banjos, but when the "folk boom" hit about 40 years ago, Many craftsmen began to convert them to Old Timey banjos. One such craftsman was Mr. Bob Zink from San Diego, California, Mr. Zink who abandoned his table saw in the mid-eighties to go to work for Taylor Guitars, was, and still is, very particular about the wood he uses for his necks. That is why the neck on this beauty is a rim-matching curly Maple in a natural (blonde) finish. A great instrument for any Old Time player! With hard case $1400 Stock#UBB27986 photo
Used Wildwood Minstrel: (exc) The Wildwood Minstrel is a traditionally built open back banjo incorperating Mark Platin's patented block-pot design. This gives a very solid support to the tone ring resulting in that sweet ringing tone that is the heart and soul of the clawhammer experience. With hard case $1150 Stock#UBB21808 photo
New! Wildwood Minstrel: Since the mid 1970’s, Wildwood has been building these excellent open back banjos. The Minstrel is made with a heavy, 11” block constructed maple rim, and figured maple neck all of which is finished with attractive natural gloss lacquer. The rim is fitted with a Tubaphone style tone ring and a Fiberskyn head that gives it a loud, yet mellow, warm tone. With hard case List $1775 BuffaloBros. price: $1349 Stock# NBB24865* photo
1964 Bacon Belmont: (exc) When the great folk scare hit in the late '50s, college and high school kids (the ones who didn't want to be Elvis) grabbed banjos and practiced their Seeger and Scruggs and Stanley until their fingers bled. Gretsch, who had acquired the renowned Bacon banjo company, introduced the upscale student model. Complete with pearloid resonator, the Gretsch Company sold them by the thousands. A few excellently cared for versions, such as this one, are a cut above all other student grade Bluegrass banjos. With chipboard case. $375 Stock#UBB28675
New! Deering Goodtime 2 Special LEFT HANDED! Just the thing for all you lefty beginning banjo players! See our lefthanded page for more information on this great banjo. BuffaloBros. price: $698 Stock# NBB26022 photo
New! Deering Goodtime 2: The great Deering Goodtime, here with a resonator for all the aspiring Bluegrass pickers. $529 Stock#27936
New! Deering Goodtime 2: The great Deering Goodtime, here with a resonator for all the aspiring Bluegrass pickers. $529 Stock#27935*
New! Deering Goodtime Special: The Deering Goodtime 2, upgraded, improved, taken to the next level, whatever your means of expression, this special model has a nickel plated steel flathead tone ring for a brighter, punchier, louder sound. Certainly a more traditional Bluegrass style tone.With a nickel plated flange, Vega style armrest, 4 guitar-type tuners, and a geared 5th string peg, this is a fine instrument for the neophite Bluegrasser or experienced picker who wants a festival instrument. With gig bag. BuffaloBros. price: $709 Stock#NBB27937*
New! Deering Golden Era: What a great banjo. Built with Deerings’ 20 hole sand cast, bell bronze tonering and their 3 ply maple rim, this beauty delivers a traditional flat head sound with plenty of POP! Guaranteed to cut through in a crowd. The highly figured maple neck and resonator are finished in a gorgeous gloss sunburst and bound with crisp white binding. The fingerboard is inlay with a traditional “hearts and flowers” pattern. With custom Deering hard case List $4559 BuffaloBros. price $CALL Stock# NBB27119 photo
New! Deering Golden Wreath: Another great offering from Greg and Janet Deering! Built as a faithful reproduction of the classic banjos of the 1930’s, the Wreath has a mahogany neck and resonator (now bound with ivoroid binding), an unplated 20 hole sand cast bell bronze tone ring, and a 3 ply maple rim which combine to give it a warm yet punchy tone. Beautifully made right here in San Diego County! With hard case. List $4529 BuffaloBros. price $CALL Stock# NBB27279* photo
New! Deering Golden Wreath: With hard case. List $4529 BuffaloBros. price $CALL Stock#NBB27379 photo
New! Deering John Hartford: The temptation is to list this banjo as both an open back and as a resonator. Because many years ago the Deering folks got together with Mr. Hartford and designed a superb instrument to fit his multiple playing styles. The banjo has a beautiful tone which emanates from the Granadilla wood tone ring. The tone is rich and full with just enough punch to please the Bluegrass folks, and yet has that particularly mellow tone often associated with such players as David Holt and of course, John Hartford himself. The resonator provides enough projection so that you won't have trouble being heard in a large crowd of players, and yet "pops-off" with just a flick of the finger so the Old Timey players won't give you the stink eye for showing up with a resonator on your banjo. Then, when they aren't looking, you can pop it back on again. That'll show 'em! With hard case $CALL Stock#NBB26778 photo
New! Huber Lancaster: Steve Huber arguably builds the best replicas of the classic flathead banjos of the 1930’s. Played by the likes of Sammy Shelor, Jim Mills and Ron Block, Huber banjos have become the standard for players looking for that elusive, prewar sound in a modern banjo. Steve’s attention to detail is legendary. It took him 3 years and analysis of over 20 prewar tone rings to perfect the bronze alloy used to produce his Vintage Flathead ring. Even his 3 play maple rims are assembled with hide glue. The Lancaster has a mahogany neck and resonator and nickel plated hardware and more importantly killer Huber tone. With hard-shell case. BuffaloBros. price $3875 Stock# NBB27883 photo
New! Huber Berkshire: Killer Huber tone with the power and depth of a maple neck and resonator. With hard-shell case. BuffaloBros. price $3975 Stock# NBB27884* photo
New! Nechville Classic LC: Think Classic light. For those of you who don't like to wear a back support while playing the banjo, this tonering-less version of the Neckville Classic is a lighter, gentler choice. We don't know how he did it but, Tom Nechville has managed to build in great tone with plenty of volume even without the tonering. List $2400 BuffaloBros. price $CALL Stock# NBB26060* photo
New! Nechville Classic Deluxe: Engineering wizard, Tom Nechville has redesigned the banjo to be infinitely and easily adjustable and still maintain a great traditional tone. The Classic Deluxe has a mahogany neck and resonator, a radiused ebony fingerboard and Toms’ proprietary “Heli-Mount” rim and ball bearing “Cyclotronic Tone Ring System”. This is a fine sounding and playing banjo with a clear and balanced tone. With hard case. List $3750 BuffaloBros. price $CALL Stock# NBB27244 photo
New! Ome Primrose Custom: Superb Bluegrass Special from our friends in Colorado. With several of the folks here at Buffalo Bros. being pickers, we tend to gravitate towards certain instruments, and THIS is definitely at the top of the heap. As with all of Ome's creations, this is visually exquisite. Gold plated, with an outstandingly intricate fingerboard inlay, the visual appeal is unequalled. Sonically, it has everything the Bluegrass player could desire, super sharp and crisp highs and plenty of well defined bass. It plays like a dream. A real treat for any picker. With hard case (msrp: $5790) BuffaloBros. price: $CALL Stock#NBB25978 photo
New! Ome Phoenix Bluegrass: An incredibly great sounding Bluegrass banjo with amazingly clear sparkling highs and plenty of resonance on the bass tones to propel the Bluegrass band at those breakneck speeds they so often attain. If you desire to enter the knuckle-busting championships this year, you couldn't find a better cannon for your arsenal. All the tone comes from the patented "Megatone 200" tone ring and the Maple rim and resonator. And what beautiful Maple it is! Highly flamed Maple for the resonator that is beautifully matched to the flame Maple neck. The fretboard displays a super fancy, yet delicate inlay pattern, unique to the upper end of Ome banjos. A superb 5 stringer in every respect. With hard case. $CALL Stock#NBB26799 photo
New! Stelling Sunflower: We are proud to offer Stelling banjos at Buffalo Bros. These fine Bluegrass banjos are hand built by Geoff Stelling and his crew in Afton, Virginia (though Geoff started out right here in San Diego) . At the core of every Stelling banjo is a Tony Pass “Lost Timber” rim and the proprietary Stelling flathead tone ring. The Sunflower has a figured maple resonator and neck and is finished with a rich gloss sunburst finish. The ebony fingerboard and headstock is inlaid with a traditional flower design in mother of pearl. Like all Stelling banjos, the Sunflower has a powerful voice with good bass and lots of volume. One customer described it as a banjo killer.....banjo! With hard case List $4300 BuffaloBros. price $3440 Stock# NBB26210* photo
New! Stelling Sunflower: Meticulously built banjo from the Stelling Banjo Works. Extremely powerful with Stelling’s proprietary compression fit flat head tone ring. The Sunflower has a sweet but impressively loud voice and is especially clear up the neck, with no loss of volume. With hard case List $4300 BuffaloBros. price $3440 Stock# NBB27414 photo
Used! Stewart MacDonald BG: (exc) The Stewart- MacDonald Company in Athens, Ohio, has guitar, banjo & mandolin kits that can be assembled by folks with reasonable woodworking skills. The quality of the parts supplied are good and the resulting quality of the instrument is solely dependent on the skill of the person assembling the banjo. This one was put together by a fellow in West Virginia, who in our opinion, should be building banjos for a living instead of selling insurance or working at Starbuck's or whatever he does to receive a weekly paycheck. The craftsmanship is first rate here with the finish (the hardest part) being smooth and even and well done. The neck is straight, playable, and the fretting is excellent. This is one you can buy and take it home ready to play for less than the price of the kit, finishing supplies, sandpaper, etc. With hard case $1000 Stock#UBB25943*
1934 Gibson MB-1 Mandolin Banjo: (EXC-) This is the ultimate jug band instrument (loud and obnoxious) ! Great jug bands such as The Pinkham Orchestra, always had the good taste to NOT use one! Set up with a new skin head and ready to play with good action and great tone, this old Gibson mando-banjo has a 10-1/2” Maple rim and Maple resonator. It is in excellent condition with a repaired crack in the neck heel. With original hard case. $1000. Stock# UBB20148. PHOTO
Ca. 1924 Orpheum No. 1 Plectrum: (exc-) Collectors and players alike can start calling now to purchase this wonderful vintage plectrum banjo. This open back beauty has a terrific tone. Afficianados of vintage banjos as well as players who love the vintage sound with all attest to the greatness of the Orpheum instruments. The exquisite inlays on the fingerboard are Orpheum's unique mixture of abalone, mother of pearl and snail shell. Yes, you read it right, snail shell. Apparently after the French were done dipping the little guys in garlic and wine, the shells were scooped up and shipped to Orpheum to decorate the fretboards of their banjos. Strange eh? With hard case $1000 Stock#UBB27152 photo
1928 Vegaphone Professional: (exc-) Yes, we know that in listing this instrument, we should prepare ourselves for a stampede of Celtophiles. This is for some, the most popular of those instruments that fall under the heading of "Irish tenor banjo". It has the individual flanges which support the 'pie' resonator, the original planet tuners are in place, and of course, the reason so many players prefer this instrument: the Tubaphone tone ring. Yes, this awesome 19 fretter has the famous ringing tone that is also incredibly LOUD, the kind produced by Vega's "improved Professional Tubaphone" tone ring. So, Celts unite! Keep some old tyme player from obtaining this beautiful banjo and cutting it up to put a five string neck on it. (they throw away the resonators, you know!). With hard case. $1500 Stock#UBB26346 photo
Please note: All instruments that have stock numbers followed by an asterisk (*) are in stock at our San Diego store. Please call Tom @ (619) 280-9035 for further information.
Looking for something special? We can't possibly list all we have ~ so please ask!