Banjo Parts and Paraphernalia


Old National Fingerpicks -- USA's.
Many players still prefer the old Nationals.  These are the later version with the small USA stamped on the picks.  The earliest, I have been told, have Pat. Pending (I have never seen a pair of these). .  The next version has Pat. No. 1787136.  The last version of "real" Nationals were stamped as those above with the Pat. No. and USA.  There are variations of the size of the USA due, presumably, to different dies used for stamping.

                                                                                 Older National Pat. No. style picks compared to  the current version 
The current version National pick has only National stamped upside down on the finger band (above right).  These are hardly worth fooling with in my opinion. The most highly prized of the Nationals are those that were made before the USA stamp was added (above center).  Bill Stokes makes a pretty good new pick patterned after the old Nationals called the Showcase 41's.  Also, shown in the picture above is a Golden Gate multicolored "Clown" thumbpick.  These are pretty popular today due to mass (these are heavier that say, National thumbpicks).

Rick Polston's collection of  old-style, cam tuners.
While cam tuners have generally been replaced by the more modern enclosed Keith Tuners, there are still some who prefer the tone, simplicity and reliability of the old style cams.  The set of cams on the far left are currently available from Vern McIntyre's  Famous Old-Time Music.  I have recently put a set of these that were acquired in a trade with McIntyre on my TB-3 conversion.  These had to be modified to work, however.  (I don't know if the modification was due to the shape of the fiddle-cut headstock on this banjo, or due to where I drilled the holes.  I am happy with this modification since it makes these tuners a little less bulky looking on the headstock and they work just fine as modified.)

The tuners in the center are Pittman tuners.  I am looking for an interested machinist to make up a few sets of these. The ones on the bottom are OEM Gibson type.

A close up to the tuners installed on my 3 before modification   The same tuners after modification and installaton o the 3    A close-up of Pittman tuners.

Keith Tuners (Bill Kieth's Site).


                                                                                                                                                                            Clamshell tailpiece 

This is an engraved tailpiece on a 1929 Granada.  This tailpiece was often used on higher end Gibson banjos. The Grover Presto tailpiece is the type generally preferred by bluegrass players these days.  It is much easier to change a string on a Presto tailpiece than on the Clamshell type.

A Grover Presto Tailpiece.


Please feel free to contact me via email (tbiggs@cfl.rr.com).