Baycu Bacon Fretless Pony Banjo S/N 2208 w/HSC! One of a kind!

Description

Baycu Bacon Pony Fretless Banjo #2208
This is a true Pony size five string with an original 1925 Bacon No.2 Banjo Ukulele and my custom shaded curly maple neck to match.The Bacon rim and original head is eight inches in diameter and the neck is twelve inches from nut to rim, exactly as S.S. Stewart intended for his Pony Concert banjo.
Bacon did not offer a Pony size 5 string banjo like this but they should have!  The peghead design is my own as is the abalone inlays, but otherwise this banjo is similar to many of the 1920's Bacon banjo ukes and tenors.
Often in this era, all short five stringers seemed to be labeled as a "Pony". Beware...
The scale length this banjo is around 17.5 inches, longer than the Piccolo of fifteen inches.
I use only the finest Gaboon ebony for the fingerboard with Bacon Number 2 style pearl inlays, and custom abalone and pearl in the headstock. The neck has a Carved fifth string shoulder which has been my style since 1976. This shoulder design was not uncommon on old banjos prior to 1880 and this is where I got my inspiration.
The neck is fine curly maple shaded to match exactly the original Bacon rim and dowel stick, with turned bone pip and bone nut.  The bridge is custom made and from the same curly maple as the neck and shaded similarly.
The tailpiece rosette is hand carved from Moose antlers and is the shape of a Daisy flower, which is the painting on the original lovely skin head.
The heavy Bacon rim assembly is capped on the bottom with a similar design as the tone ring, making this banjo very distinctive in appearance.  All the hardware is original, except the tailpiece, and the tension hoop is particulary heavy and in lovely condition.
The neck width and string spacing on most of my little banjos is usually a little wider than the old Stewarts. This greatly facilitates the clawhammer style of playing I find.
An absolute lovely banjo to play and hold! The Bacon tone ring is a notch below the Silver Bell but it yields a warm and even tone... not too harsh and tinny like most little banjos.
International buyers are welcome as this lovely banjo can be shipped with its new Tweed case anywhere in the world.
Thanks for looking!