My Banjoline story

[PVeru]

In the mid 90s, I started collecting vintage guitars when I was living in the East Village of Manhattan. In 1998, I started a band called Feathermerchants. Kind of dream/folk/rock, female lead singer me as the principal songwriter. I think it was 1999 or 2000, I went into a guitar store down the block called Mojo Music. The owner was representing a lawyer who was in desperate need of cash. He had a blonde carved top, Banjoline, which I think is the 6006. I bought it for $1100. I knew nothing about it but it looked kind of cool. Within a few months I had written three songs on it and it had become a major part of my arsenal. The second and third studio records of Feathermerchants had my Banjoline on several tunes. I realized that if something happened to this, I would be really screwed. I was in a guitar store in LA three years later and asked if there were any around. The guy said sure, they're going for about $15,000. There went that idea. In 2008, I was in DC as a grad student. During the financial crisis A guy on Ebay had a cherry red Banjoline without the carved top which I think went for $4,000 (I was late). The owner said that he also had the Banjoline prototype. His father had known Eddie Peabody. The body was a Domino Californian Rebel from 1967. Built in Japan by Kawai. The neck was from a Vega banjo. I bought it for $800. As you can imagine by the shape is unwieldy and it didn't sound that great. I wasn't in love with the pop up toaster pickups on the Banjoline and I still needed another one of these. I ended up buying an Airline Tenor for $700 and having my guy fit it for 6 strings which was surprisingly easy and looked totally natural as you can see. I had him put Seymour Duncan hum buckers in too and the thing great, much better for the music I'm doing. I could have passed on the pickup change and if I had, the whole thing would have cost about $1600. For anyone who gets a nose bleed from the Banjoline price, this is a reasonable option.

[admin]

Peter thanks for this wonderful story regarding the banjoline and indeed electric banjos and how you found them. A nice bit of New York music history as well. I would not have imagined the Airline as a banjo, so fully marks on creativity. Do you have any recordings of the banjoline with your group?

[jdogric12]

Welcome Peter. Great story. I am the guy with the banjoline video on youtube you recently commented on. Thanks for sharing your story! I love to discover other music people have made with Banjolines. The $15K price you were quoted in LA 20 years ago was dreaming then, and still steep now. I got mine around 2017 for about $5K. I think they move now around 8k but it's hard to say with so few sales. I would love to find an affordable Bantar but no luck yet.

[PVeru]

Peter thanks for this wonderful story regarding the banjoline and indeed electric banjos and how you found them. A nice bit of New York music history as well. I would not have imagined the Airline as a banjo, so fully marks on creativity. Do you have any recordings of the banjoline with your group?

Not being a banjo player, I never considered it a banjo, more of a tenor guitar. You can tune in multiple ways. Also I write the craziest songs on it because it takes you out of the normal space. Yes, on the second Feathermerchants record called Unarmed Against the Dark there is a song called Dan. This was the first song I ever wrote on Banjoline. On Last Man on Earth, Finish Last and Head to the Here and Now. I see it more of an indie rock-folk instrument.

[PVeru]

Welcome Peter. Great story. I am the guy with the banjoline video on youtube you recently commented on. Thanks for sharing your story! I love to discover other music people have made with Banjolines. The $15K price you were quoted in LA 20 years ago was dreaming then, and still steep now. I got mine around 2017 for about $5K. I think they move now around 8k but it's hard to say with so few sales. I would love to find an affordable Bantar but no luck yet.

I saw your video. I could definitely see the Byrds using it. I love the way it sounds. It's going to be a big part of my new bands' sound. The other guys love it and it's great in the studio because it occupies a whole different space in the mix. Like a Nashville tuned acoustic.