Product Description

A fine example of a mid-level fancy tenor from the days when fake pearl was more valued than the real stuff. This is "pearloid", called by the older of us, "mother of toilet seat". The youngsters don't know about this formerly ubiquitous material. The fancier ones went way over the top, leaving this one as an almost tasteful example. The Bacon & Day company from Groton, CT, became the favored tenor banjo maker, in the way the Gibson Mastertone is the favored bluegrass banjo. The Montana series was named after Ray Montana, a popular plectrum player (though he used a 5-string oddly enough) who must have had a predilection for white banjos, because they are made of white holly and the aforementioned mother of TS, much of it engraved and painted. Metal parts are gold plated, including the knee-mute and the 2-band Grover tuners, the buttons are solid (real) pearl. The heel is carved, the peghead is ringed with rhinestones. The tone is ultimate crispness and volume.