1982 King Whyte Laydie 5-String Banjo-Used

We don’t know much about King Banjos, except what was scribed on the dowel stick of this one when it was made 40+ years ago. But it’s clear the maker knew what they were doing and it’s an excellent take on the Fairbanks Electric. These “spun-over” banjo shells aren’t easy to make, and this one is very well done, with an unplated Whyte Laydie style tone ring. The only repair has been to the dowel stick, which was beefed up with an added lamination because the highly figured maple dowel stick wasn’t strong enough and warped, allowing the neck angle to suffer. Nice clear tone, an excellent banjo from the early days of the open-back banjo’s revival.