The Stichter was built by Henry Stichter in 1848. The original banjo from which this was copied in the Jim Bollman collection. Jim supplied me with many details to make an exact copy except for size. The original has a 14" rim and a 30 inch scale (nut to bridge). We have scaled it down to a more practical 13" rim and 28" scale. The rim has an unusual seven brackets which are asymmetrical. The dowel stick and reinforcement in the inside of the rim is heavy and crude. The back of the neck is made of curly maple and is not rounded on the lower half. The heel is square. The rim as well as the back of the neck that is rounded is painted black on the original. This can be left stained the same as the neck, but the black does add a certain antique flavor. All hardware is brass. Color is amber. Price $1450

The Andersonville minstrel banjo was name because of the movie it appeared in. The banjo was copied from a photo in which it was being played by a Civil War soldier. It is available with an 11 inch or 12 inch rim. The neck has a symmetrical peghead, horizontal 5th peg with the string feeding through a hole to the peg. There is a "half bracket" under the 5th string. The head used on these banjos are usually more splotchy and spotted than the pristine white heads. Available in your choice of amber stain (shown on the front view or brown stain (shown on the rear view). This model is available in Curly Maple for $1150 or straight grain maple for $1050