With the ever increasing demand got the Raw Brass look in banjo building today, Smakula Fretted Instruments is pleased to announce the availability of planet tuners that will satisfy builders and players.
We offer the ABM small shaft German made planet tuner in raw brass. Cost is $80 per set of four.
Our biggest hurdle in the raw brass look has been the fifth tuner. All the geared fifth tuners available have a die cast potmetal housing, so natural raw brass is impossible. I have talked to both Schaller and Gotoh about having their fifth tuner housings brass plated, but neither was willing to give that a try. Gotoh, however, did show us their X-Gold finish. That finish is a little darker than the new raw brass finish, but remarkably close. So close that we ordered a modest number of the fifth tuners and Gotoh planet sets in their X-gold finish. The planet sets of 4 are $117. The geared fifth tuners are $18. A set of five is $135.
Another raw brass product that will be available soon is a No-Knot tailpiece. They are on a container somewhere in the pacific. I expect they will arrive here at the international headquarters of Smakula Fretted Instruments around April 15. The cost will be a little more than a nickel plated No-Knot because the hanger screw has to be made of more expensive brass rather than steel. Still, the $12 price tag makes it the most affordable raw brass tailpiece on the market.
These parts, along with our ever popular vintage style wire armrest, will allow builders and their customers to fully tie together the raw brass look on their banjos.
Thanks for your interest. We will continue to supply hard to find parts along with the interesting vintage instruments we restore and sell.
Bob Smakula