Turtle Hill Banjo Company

Gold Tone 

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Bart Reiter

Stelling Banjos



Turtle Hill
Banjo Company
David E. Schenkman
P.O. Box 265
Bryantown, MD 20617
301-274-3441

 

New Banjos


5 String Resonator - 5 String Open Back

Click here for our Used Banjos page

STOLEN BANJO ALERT: On Monday (26 September 2005) my builder shipped me three of the new Turtle Hill Woody bluegrass banjos. On Wednesday three boxes arrived; two of them contained banjos, but the third one had been opened and the contents removed. We must assume that a UPS employee took the banjo and retaped the box. The banjo is mahogany, and is similar to the mahogany Turtle Hill Woody banjo pictured on my web site, except it has a one piece flange construction. The serial number 0517 is stamped on the inside of the rim. If you see this banjo, or hear of it, please advise me by emailing dave@turtlehillbanjo.com

Below is a list of new banjos currently in stock or on order. Our prices are competitive and will be quoted on request.

 What's New in Banjos

5 String Resonator Banjos

Bishline Midnight Moon. This is Rob Bishline’s latest model, and undoubtedly it one of the most attractive and innovative banjos we’re received in quite a while. I’ll be surprised if you don’t agree when you see the pics. Everything about it is striking, from the colorful binding to the unusual peghead and inlaid maple resonator. As with all of Rob’s banjos, the workmanship is impeccable. And, it sounds great. This one will really stand out in a crowd! -- Pics
Bishline
Heirloom in maple. We are proud to announce that we are now dealers for Bishline banjos. These banjos are hand made, one at a time, by Rob Bishline in Oklahoma. Rob knows how a banjo should be built (he's a really good banjo player, too, and one of the "good guys" of the banjo business), and his instruments are first class in all respects. -- Pics

Crafters of Tennessee Archtop. Mahogany. This prototype banjo (marked as such on the label) has a Tony Pass rim. If you like archtop banjos, you'll love this one! -- Pics

Deering Banjo Company is commemorating thirty years of quality craftsmanship with their 30th Anniversary model. Limited to a production of only 30 banjos, the ebony fingerboard and peghead of this banjo are inlaid with beautifully ornate and highly engraved mother of pearl; a design created by Greg Deering himself. Crafted from their premium quality curly rock maple and stained in a dark tobacco color, the Limited Edition 30th Anniversary model banjo has the new Kruger tonering and deeper resonator found on Deering’s Tenbrooks model banjos that are finding ever-increasing popularity among professional banjoists. The Deering neck profile, noted for comfort and ease of playability, is found on this commemorative banjo along with the new elegantly sculpted armrest, exclusive Deering planetary tuners, and the Deering premium tailpiece. The banjo has a retail price of $8,399. -- Pics
Deering Calico. This is one of our favorite Deering models. The attractive and tasteful inlays, plus a bound peghead and honey stained maple, make this an excellent value (sounds great, too!). -- Pics
Deering
Grand Ole Opry Goodtime 2. We saw these at IBMA last fall and had to order some. It is as neat as it looks, and it is a limited edition!. It would make a great beginner banjo, a good "second" banjo, or just to keep as a collector's item. The list price is $714, and we sell them for less! -- Pics
Deering
G.D. L. This classy banjo features a burl walnut resonator, abalone binding on the resonator and neck, and a bound peghead. -- Pics
Deering
Golden Era.
An excellent banjo for those wanting that traditional look (those streaks on the resonator are from the lighting). Pics
Deering
Sierra. New Model. This mahogany banjo has the same tone ring and pot as the higher priced Deerings; it just isn't as fancy. But, Deering has just upgraded it with neat maple fingerboard inlays. And, best of all, they didn’t raise the price! -- Pics
Deering
Tenbrooks Jens Kruger. We had this one made with a slender neck profile. It has a radiused fingerboard in addition to the other Tenbrooks features. New banjos just don't get any better than this! -- Pics

Deering Tenbrooks Legacy. This is the first mahogany Tenbrooks we've had in the shop. We're impressed! -- Pics
Deering
Tenbrooks Saratoga Star.
This is the third Deering Tenbrooks banjo we've received, and it is every bit as good as the first one we raved so much about. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes. We are very impressed, to say the least! -- Pics

Desert Rose Wildrose "Pearly Gates." This is actual prototype for Scott Zimmerman’s new model. It is made of mahogany, with a beautiful quilted mahogany resonator. The binding on the neck and resonator is pearloid. To describe the stunning fingerboard, I quote an email from Scott: "The fingerboard is a full 1/8 inch thick cast acrylic resin backed by hardwood, it offers stability over either rosewood or ebony and offers stability, longer life and durability FAR surpassing the cheap plastic .040 inch thick drum covering offered by other makers with a pearl type fingerboard. The fingerboard designs are hand engraved by master engraver Wayne Holcombe." Whoever buys this will not only get an attention-grabbing banjo, but also one with great tone. And, of course, from a quality standpoint it doesn't get any better than this. As a bonus, because it is a prototype it is an instant collectible! -- Pics
Desert Rose Wild Rose; maple with bound peghead. Like all of Scott Zimmerman's banjos, this one has a Tony Pass rim. In our opinion these are among the very best banjos being built today...at any price! -- Pics
Desert Rose Wild Rose. Walnut. These banjos are built by master craftsman Scott Zimmerman. Scott is well known for his columns in Banjo Newsletter and his "Z" bridges, as well as for his wonderful banjos. The workmanship on these instruments is impeccable, the design is beautiful, and all of Scott's banjos feature Tony Pass Lost Timbre rims. What more could you want?-- Pics

Gold Tone Bluegrass Special BG-250F -- Pics
Gold Tone Cripple Creek CC-100R -- Pics
Gold Tone CC-Traveler. Same as the CC-100R, but with a "A" scale neck (like a regular banjo capoed at the second fret). A padded gig bag is available. -- Pics
Gold Tone EBM Electric. These are really nice instruments! -- Pics
Gold Tone Orange Blossom OB-250 -- Pics

Huber Berkshire Custom. This one-of-a-kind banjo differs from the standard Berkshire model in that it has gold plated parts with Granada-style engraving; the clamshell tailpiece is also engraved. And, it has concentric inlaid wood marquetry rings on the resonator, similar to those on the Granadas of the late 1920s. If you have been looking for a really neat Huber banjo, your wait is over! -- Pics
Huber
Lancaster. We are pleased to announce that we are now dealers for the popular Huber banjo. This mahogany model just arrived; hopefully we’ll have more soon. -- Pics

Huss & Dalton. Maple. Another great banjo from this custom maker. Options include sunburst finish and purfling rings on the resonator. Maple binding on the neck and resonator. -- Pics
Huss & Dalton.
Mahogany. Options include sunburst finish and purfling rings on the resonator. Maple binding on the neck and resonator. Great workmanship! -- Pics

LouZee Mahogany. Nickel plated, with a Tony Pass old wood rim. -- Pics

Nechville Meteor Electric banjo. Features include dual pickups, EMG active electronics, radiused fingerboard with hexagonal inlays, and tunneled 5th string. Not only is this by far the best electric banjo I’ve ever played, it is a lot of fun! -- Pics
Nechville
Phantom in walnut. This one has an ebony fingerboard with Galaxy inlay. It was made with beautiful walnut wood, and of course it has a radiused fingerboard, tunneled fifth string, and Nechville's cyclotronic tone ring. -- Pics
Nechville
Phantom in mahogany. We've ordered a couple of these for customers, but this is the first time we've had a mahogany Phantom in the shop. It has the optional Galaxy inlay, radiused fingerboard, tunneled fifth string, and Nechville's cyclotronic tone ring. It is an incredibly good sounding banjo. -- Pics
Nechville
Phantom custom in walnut. This model usually has either a cocobolo fingerboard (with no inlay) or an ebony fingerboard with Galaxy inlays (which is how we usually order them). We had this one made with a beautiful cocobolo fingerboard AND galaxy inlay. It is stunning (but you already know that if you've looked at the pics). The wood is fancy walnut, with maple binding. It has a radiused fingerboard, and tunneled fifth string. It also has Nechville's cyclotronic tone ring. Even the armrest is different, and quite a bit more comfortable than conventional armrests. If you've never played one of these, you're in for a surprise. I find it to be one of the easiest playing banjos I've ever had. -- Pics
Nechville
Phantom in maple. This is one of my favorite banjos. As a matter of fact, I recently purchased one for myself, and love it. You only need to play one to find out why. It has the optional Galaxy inlay, radiused fingerboard, and tunneled fifth string. It also has Nechville's cyclotronic tone ring.
-- Pics

Ome Bright Angel Custom. This one has a beautiful blue finish, and heavily engraved gold and chrome metal parts. I really didn't need this banjo; I have a custom Bright Angel in stock. But, I saw it on display at the IBMA show and couldn't resist buying it. You'll know why when you look at the pics (it looks much better in person). -- Pics
Ome
Bright Angel Custom. This differs from the "stock" Bright Angel by having a beautiful blue finish, and inlays on the back of the resonator to match the fingerboard inlays. It also has a mix of gold and chrome plated metal parts. And, of course, it has a rim which I had made by Tony Pass, so it sounds as good as it looks! I had two of these especially made, and it took two years to get them. One was sold immediately, and I imagine this one will not last long. -- Pics

Ome Odyssey. Curly maple. It has been quite a while since we've had this popular new model in stock. It was worth the wait! -- Pics
Ome Odyssey. Curly maple. This one has a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. It is a beautiful banjo, with tone to match! -- Pics
Ome "Wildflower" Renaissance. Here's another stunning custom banjo from the Ome shop. It is the prototype banjo for this model, and has carved & hand dyed resonator back and sides, and peghead heel and peghead. Metal parts are gold plated and engraved. Top tension! In my opinion these works of art are very much underpriced. -- Pics

Recording King. One of a kind PROTOTYPE . This banjo was completely hand built by master craftsman Scott Zimmerman. The folks at Recording King decided not to make this model, so we acquired it from Scott after the recent IBMA convention. Scott purchased the figured walnut resonator from Steve Gill. The rim is a Tony Pass birch thinskirt. A RK tone ring was used, of course. Scott’s signed label is on the rim, and on the inside of the resonator, in white ink, is written (by Scott) “8/30/2007 Recording King Prototype ‘Studio’ model, Serial # 001. (signed) Scott D. Zimmerman, Designer & Craftsman.” The lucky purchaser of this banjo will have a great sounding, hand crafted, instrument that will always be the only one of its kind; an instant collectible! -- Pics
Recording King
R50 “Melody King.” This new RK model features a mahogany resonator and neck, one piece flange, 3-ply rim, rosewood fingerboard, 1930s-style “fan” inlays. It does not have a metal tone ring, so is considerably lighter than most bluegrass banjos. And yet, tone and volume are surprisingly good. This will definitely give your back a break! -- Pics
Recording King
RK-97. Gold plated and engraved. Maple. This is the top of the Recording King line, and it is not only a really great banjo, but a bargain for the price. -- Pics
Recording King.
Gold Plated Mahogany. If you want a great gold plated banjo at a modest price, this is it! Pics
Recording King
. Maple. We are extremely impressed with these banjos, and consider them absolute bargains for the price. They look great, and have tone to match. -- Pics
Recording King.
Mahogany. The new Recording King banjos are finally available, and they were well worth the wait! In my opinion this is a fantastic value for the money. Greg Rich and Scott Zimmerman are to be commended for producing a high quality banjo for a very modest price. -- Pics

Saga Rover RB-45. This is a very nice student banjo. Features include geared tuners, mahogany neck and resonator, cast aluminum alloy pot assembly, and adjustable truss rod. A lot of banjo for the money! -- Pics

Stelling Bellflower. It has been quite a while since we've had one of these walnut banjos in stock. -- Pics
Stelling Crusader Deluxe. Stelling's mahogany banjo with matte gold plating and engraving. -- Pics
Stelling Golden Cross. Tony Pass Thin Skirt rim. -- Pics
Stelling Masterflower. If you're looking for a walnut banjo, you can't do better than this! -- Pics
Stelling Staghorn -- Pics
Stelling Sunflower. This popular model never stays in inventory very long. -- Pics
Stelling Swallowtail. This is one of our favorite models. We are only able to get a couple of them a year and they never last long, so if you’re looking for a Swallowtail, act fast! -- Pics
Stelling Virginian. This one has the Tony Pass thin skirt rim, as do all new Stellings. -- Pics

Sullivan Festival De Luxe. This is a nice banjo in all respects, and in our opinion a bargain for the price. -- Pics

Turtle Hill Bluegrass Woody. After extensive discussions with Tony Pass, the first Turtle Hill Bluegrass Woody is finally a reality. It has a Tony Pass Thin Skirt rim and wooden tone ring, and other than the fact that it is noticeably lighter than other bluegrass banjos, you probably wouldn't know it doesn't have a metal tone ring. Great tone, good volume, and no harshness! This one is the prototype and it has different inlay than the subsequent ones will have. -- Pics
Turtle Hill
Bluegrass Woody. Walnut neck and resonator. Like all of our “Bluegrass Woody” banjos, it has a Tony Pass Thin Skirt rim and wooden tone ring. -- Pics
Turtle Hill
Bluegrass Woody. Maple neck and resonator. One piece flange, and a Tony Pass Thin Skirt rim and wooden tone ring. This one has a bound peghead and a radiused fingerboard. -- Pics
Turtle Hill
Bluegrass Woody. This one is maple, has a one piece flange, and of course a Tony Pass Thin Skirt rim and wooden tone ring. It is also available in mahogany. Try one; you'll like it!-- Pics
Turtle Hill Bluegrass Archtop Woody. This banjo has everything you'd want; wonderful tone and plenty of volume. And of course it is considerably lighter than its metal tone ring counterparts. Tony Pass thin skirt rim. Available in mahogany or maple. -- Pics

Wildwood custom "Bamboo Parrot." This spectacular one-of-a-kind banjo was built by Mark Platin of Wildwood. The pictures speak for themselves. The neck is made of highly figured walnut, with abalone binding. The fingerboard is heavily inlaid with parrots, and another parrot graces the peghead. The resonator is burl walnut, with a parrot inlaid; like the neck, it is bound with abalone. The metal parts are gold plated and heavily engraved. Flathead tone ring. This is a real showpiece. Expensive, and worth it. -- Pics
Wildwood
Soloist. Burl walnut, with beautiful tree of life inlay in abalone and mother of pearl. The resonator on this one is spectacular! -- Pics


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5 String Open Back Banjos

Cedar Mountain Fretless, by Lo Gordon. This neat little banjo features a brass hoop tone ring, Lo's block rim, and an attractive bird inlay on the peghead. -- Pics
Cedar Mountain
"A" scale by Lo Gordon. This cherry banjo has a cardinal inlaid in the peghead. Hand made by Lo in his Brevard, North Carolina shop, it is an excellent choice for anyone seeking an "A" scale banjo. -- Pics
Cedar Mountain
by Lo Gordon. This attractive banjo has a rosewood rim and ring combination, and an attractive flower inlay on the peghead.. Looks great and sounds great! -- Pics
Cedar Mountain
by Lo Gordon. Lo has been making great openback banjos for many years. This is the first one we've had in the shop, and we are very impressed! 11" pot, brass hoop tone ring, and a neat cardinal inlaid on the peghead. Pics

David Ball. As with all of David's banjos, this one has hand engraved inlays. This one has a 11" pot and brass hoop tone ring. We are rarely able to offer one of David's banjos, since he is a couple of years behind. This one just arrived, and the lucky buyer is going to be very happy! -- Pics
David Ball.
This custom builder does beautiful work, and we are honored to represent him. Four of his banjos are pictured here. They are sold or not for sale, and are shown just as examples of his work. The pics don't do justice to the beautiful engraved inlays. David's banjos have a very full, deep tone! All of the illustrated banjos have 12" pots; one has an internal resonator. Contact us if you'd like to place an order for one of his banjos. Banjo 1 Pics, Banjo 2 Pics, Banjo 3 Pics, Banjo 4 Pics

Deering -- see our Deering openbacks in the Vega section below.

Gold Tone "Cripple Creek" CC-100 -- Pics
Gold Tone
Elite Classic. This new model features a maple rim with "spun-brass" overlay, dowel stick construction, geared tuners, satin finish, skin head, and a beautiful abalone tree of life fingerboard inlay. A hardshell case is included. -- Pics

Gold Tone White Ladye WL-250 -- Pics
Gold Tone
White Ladye WL-250+ with fancy inlays. Gold Tone has taken its popular White Ladye banjo and added a beautiful abalone tree of life fingerboard inlay. -- Pics

Huss & Dalton Singletree. 12" pot. Best known for their custom guitars, H & D also make great banjos. This one has a full bodied old-time sound. -- Pics

Old Fiddle Road. A Scale with 11" pot. Mahogany neck, Macassar ebony fingerboard, and maple rim. The neck has a two-way adjustable truss rod. French polish finish. A scale banjos are fun to play, and this one sounds great! -- Pics
Old Fiddle Road. 11" pot. This one has a 2 ply cherry rim, mahogany neck, and Macassar ebony fingerboard. The neck has a two-way adjustable truss rod. French polish finish. An excellent sounding banjo! -- Pics
Old Fiddle Road.
12" pot. This is the first banjo we've received from this maker. We'll definitely be ordering more! Built by Noel Booth in North Carolina, it is a very nice handmade banjo at a reasonable price. -- Pics

Ome Jubilee. This one has an 11" pot, wooden tone ring, and a frailing scoop. -- Pics
Ome Jubilee. 12" pot, wooden tone ring, and a frailing scoop. Very nice, but it is an Ome so that's no surprise. -- Pics
Ome Juniper. 12" rim and brass hoop ring. Mahogany. This one has a frailing scoop. -- Pics
Ome Juniper. 12" rim and brass hoop ring. Mahogany. -- Pics

Mike Ramsey 12" Custom Fretless. This one-of-a-kind banjo was made for me by Ramsey several years ago. It has never been played. The brass plate was engraved by Bob Flesher. The beautiful and elaborate inlays are engraved, and it has a carved heel. Expensive, and worth it! -- Pics
Mike Ramsey Regent Special. 11" pot. This is similar to Ramsey's "Special" model, but with a fancy Vega style inlay in the peghead. Brass hoop tone ring. -- Pics

Bart Reiter A Scale Standard. Mahogany, with frailing scoop. This is the first A scale we’ve received from Bart, and it is a really neat banjo, with a lot of volume! -- Pics
Bart Reiter
Galax with scooped fingerboard. We special ordered this mahogany banjo with a scooped fingerboard. It has a Whyte Laydie tone ring. -- Pics
Bart Reiter
Galax with Whyte Laydie tone ring. -- Pics
Bart Reiter
Bacophone, with Bacon tone ring. -- Pics
Bart Reiter
Special. Natural finish. Brass hoop tone ring. -- Pics
Bart Reiter
Standard. Mahogany. This is Bart's least expensive model, and it really is a great banjo for the money. -- Pics
Bart Reiter
Regent with scooped fingerboard. We special ordered this with a scooped fingerboard. It has a Whyte Laydie tone ring. -- Pics
Bart Reiter
Regent. Whyte Laydie tone ring. We only get a couple of these a year, and they never seem to last long. When you play one you'll know why.. Pics
Bart Reiter
Round Peak. This is Bart's latest model and, like all his banjos, it is very nice. 12" pot with frailing scoop. Mahogany neck. -- Pics
Bart Reiter Whyte Laydie. We only get a couple of these a year, and they usually sell quickly. If you've been waiting for a great Whyte Laydie, don't hesitate.-- Pics

Recording King Ne Plus Ultra. This is the top of the line for this new line of openback banjos. Designed by Greg Rich, it has a flamed maple neck with ebony "skunk stripe." The rim is maple with binding, and it has a Whyte Laydie type tone ring. Fingerboard, heel cap, and peghead overlay are ebony, and the peghead is bound. We are very impressed; this is a whole lot of banjo for the money! -- Pics
Recording King
California. This neat banjo features a walnut neck with maple skunk stripe, dual coordinator rods, and a no-knot tailpiece. The workmanship is great, and it is a lot of banjo for the money! -- Pics
Recording King California Deluxe. This new banjo is the brainchild of Greg Rich. It has a Whyte Laydie tone ring, walnut neck with maple "skunk stripe," and a bound maple rim. Fingerboard, heel cap, and peghead overlay are ebony. And, it has the classic 1930s Recording King peghead inlay. We just received our first shipment, and in my opinion you won't find a banjo with more features for the money. It has that ideal combination of great looks and great tone. -- Pics

Turtle Hill openback banjos with Whyte Laydie tone rings have arrived! We just received the first two, and they sound as great as they look. As with all "Turtle Hill" openback banjos, these are made using Tony Pass "old wood" block rims. They have a completely different peghead and fingerboard inlay pattern than our wooden tone ring banjos. -- Pics
Turtle Hill openback banjos. These banjos are made using Tony Pass "old wood" block rims and integral wooden tone rings. They sound great, play easily, and look beautiful; what more could you want in a banjo?
Turtle Hill with early Orpheum Inlay Pics

Turtle Hill with Weymann inlay. Maple. This one has a Tony Pass ThinSkirt rim. -- Pics
Turtle Hill with Weymann inlay. Tony Pass wooden tone ring/rim. Maple neck. -- Pics

Vega #2 by Deering. The pot has a Tubaphone tone ring, with bracket band. Curly maple neck. Glossy light amber finish. This one has a Remo head; it is also available with a fibreskin head. -- Pics
Vega
Little Wonder by Deering. In our opinion this is a very nice banjo for the money. -- Pics
Vega
Senator by Deering. This, Deering's newest model, is similar to the Old Tyme Wonder, but with additional features. It has a Little Wonder style tone ring, and a star is inlaid on the fingerboard. A great banjo for the clawhammer player! -- Pics

Wildwood Balladeer with tree of life inlay. Natural maple finish. Tubaphone tone ring and bracket band. Great looks and great sound; an ideal combination! -- Pics
Wildwood Heirloom. Natural finish maple. Tubaphone tone ring. -- Pics
Wildwood Minstrel. Stained maple. Tubaphone tone ring. -- Pics
Wildwood
Minstrel. Maple with natural finish. Tubaphone tone ring. -- Pics

Wildwood Troubador. Stained maple. -- Pics


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