1930s Kalamazoo KTB Tenor Banjo

Price: $475.00 USD

I’ve been lucky enough to have had a few of these Kalamazoo banjos and this is by far the coolest one. Plenty of character and patina on this piece, which is presumably from the 1930s given the lack of a factory order number. The finish is very checked and flaked off in places. All parts are original except the thumb screws, which are vintage but are replacements I sourced as when I acquired this banjo, the resonator was held on with a bungee cord.

The rim is the standard thinner variety often found in these instruments. There are a few very shallow delaminations in this rim that I am personally not worried about but I want to be upfront in disclosing.


The biggest and most obvious issue is that some one (presumably one Dr. R. Akers) drilled the neck to accommodate a friction fifth peg. Wish he hadn’t have done that, but also it’s endearing and it goes with the folk art aesthetic this banjo possesses in spades.

This banjo can ship assembled with no case, assembled in a 1970s Japanese tenor case, or with the neck removed without a case. The Neck removed will be the cheapest by far.

Thanks for looking and feel free to reach out with any questions.

Shipping: Cost

Posted By: Karl Smakula
United States, Nashville, TN,

Condition of Banjo: Used - Good Condition

Type: 4-String, Brand: Gibson

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