James Ashborn Banjo c.1852 

Along with William Boucher, James Ashborn was also a pioneer of factory produced banjos in the late 1840's. His factory in Wolcottville, Connecticut produced both fine banjos and guitars. Ed Britt calls the Ashborn banjo "the most sophisticated, modern, and technically-advanced banjo of the early minstrel period." The standard Ashborn banjo was made by division of labor methods which resulted in uniform construction and performance. This process avoided the inconsistencies inherent in home-made banjos. James Ashborn was the first to patent banjo parts in 1852 with his patented wooden peg. 

Another distinct feature of the Ashborn  banjo is the wooden bracket band with a 3-piece adjustable bracket hook. The number of hooks varies from banjo to banjo. 

The design for this Ashborn reproduction comes from original Ashborn banjos provided by James Bollman, Ed Britt, Michael Holmes, Eli Kaufman, Peter Szego, and Robert Winans.

This reproduction banjo has ten hooks around a 12.5" DIA x 3.25" inch deep bent maple rim with white goatskin.  The scale length is about 26.25" with the bridge a little back from the center of the pot. The neck is maple with a rosewood veneer. 

Price: $2400.