Plectrum Banjo, made by Lyon & Healy, c. 1925, black hard shell case.

Plectrum Banjo, made by Lyon & Healy, c. 1925, made in Boston, Mass., natural mahogany finish, maple rim; laminated maple neck with ebonized fingerboard, black hard shell case.

This banjo is a bit of a 4-string mish-mash of original and later elements, but under a layer of old (probably 1970-80s) earnest modification lies a nice mid-1920s plectrum originally made in Lyon & Healy's Chicago factory. The laminated maple rim remains original complete with the company�s patented "Air Cushion Resonator" cupped tone ring, referred to by later collectors as the "Donut tone ring". The armrest and metal pickguard (with a small Lyon & Healy stamp) are original to the rim; the hooks, nuts and tailpiece are not. The dowel stick has age to it but is unmarked (and Lyon & Healy liked to mark things) so we feel it was likely replaced ages ago.

The original laminated maple neck has later heavier binding and some fairly klunky inlay work on the fingerboard with a large-wire refret; the headstock has a newer similar inlay. The tuners are fairly modern 2-band Grover knockoffs. There is a resonator with a wooden half-flange included that is a farrago of pieces with added mounting blocks and a wooden half-flange wit large diamond inlay around the rim. While no longer anything like an original instrument this is a decent player's piece and a good student long-neck plectrum banjo, something that is quite hard to find.

Overall length is 37 1/4 in. (94.6 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 27 in. (686 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/4 in. (32 mm.).

This cheerfully if fairly heavily modified banjo is quite playable and still sounds good, the rim with the elaborate Lyon & Healy "donut" tone ring having been left intact. What remains of the original finish is quite heavily worn and both the wood and metal hardware are visibly dirty overall; whoever did the extensive modification work apparently felt no urge to clean the instrument! Some sloppy gluing is in evidence here and there, but in general both the original and added components are solid. One of the added diamond inlays on the resonator rim has gone missing and the wood flange is cracked in a couple of spots.

The neck is not absolutely straight but close and remains quite playable; this would serve a ground-level, plectrum student well or be a good knock-around gigging instrument in either plectrum or "Chicago" (guitar) tuning. It works well in either resonator or openback mode, set up with a plastic head and modern bridge living in a molded plastic HSC. Very Good + Condition.