Innovative, but forgotten
De Wick Plectrum
© Frank Ford, 2000; Photos by FF

If there's one thing I really enjoy about early banjos is the proliferation of patent devices. This DeWick banjo, made in New York in the 1920s, has a couple of patented elements. The adjustable neck fitting actually works to handle action adjustments.

The unusual shell construction gives this banjo the thin, cramped tone you'd expect when you reduce the interior air volume by about half! It is cute, though, and very well made.

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