1920s "Lyre" Lyric Tenor Banjo by Schmick for Vega

In 1914, William O. Schmick of Camden, New Jersey, across the river from Philadelphia, applied for a patent for a novel way of making a tenor banjo, with the neck and tailpiece attached to a substantial resonator and a pot/tone ring/head that slides out of the resonator after the strings are removed and one bolt on the head next to the neck is loosened. The patent was approved in 1916. Schmick developed a line of instruments using this design, and according to Michael I. Holmes in Mugwumps, online, these were made for Schmick by the Vega company. Check out his page on Schmick. This tenor banjo is probably a century old.

The head is trapped between two parts of the tone ring that is separated from a two-pound iron ring by a maple band and connected with bolts with 1/4” heads. Very stable for adjusting the head. The resonator is solid 1/4” curly maple, as is the neck. The fretboard and plate on the headstock are ebony. Bar frets! Fortunately, in good shape. The banjo is in good shape but the binidng is missing on both sides of the neck.  

It was made to be used with gut strings if desired. Steel banjo strings work better.  This comes with the original 1930s hardshell case.

It is super loud so be prepared.

Sold as is, no returns