In 1890, the world was rapidly changing, and so were banjos. The American industrial revolution was accelerating, and residential and industrial electric services were still new. Albert Conant Fairbanks of Boston, Massachusetts, was working on a tone ring design to revolutionize the banjo as the world knew it and bring it into the new “electric age.” Thus, he settled on “Electric” for his new ring.
One of our premier models, the Mastertone WL-250, is a tribute to some of the most popular and coveted Old-Time banjos, the Whyte Laydie and Electric banjos of the A.C. Fairbanks Banjo Company. The first Fairbanks Whyte Laydie and Electric Banjos were produced in the late 1800s and are held in very high regard among collectors and musicians. These banjos are also known for their bright, clear tone and ample volume. These characteristics can be attributed to the unique design of the Whyte Laydie tone ring. This scalloped-style ring was first conceived and patented between 1890 and 1895 by A.C. Fairbanks and Company as the “Electric” tone ring. In 1901, the first “Whyte Laydie” banjos were produced. The blonde maple finish and the fancy inlays inspired the Whyte Laydie name. The Whyte Laydie banjo had the Electric tone ring, but over the years, this ring became known as the “Whyte Laydie” ring due to its association with the Victorian-styled “Whyte Laydie” model banjo.
In honor of Mr. Fairbanks’s legacy and legendary banjos, the WL-250 features a Fairbanks-inspired headstock and a replica of the legendary Whyte Laydie tone ring. When paired with the solid maple rim construction, this tone ring makes for a banjo with clarity and volume that is ideal for banjoists looking to add another voice to their banjo arsenal. As always, we aim to offer the highest quality for the lowest price; you won’t have to go broke to add a WL-250 to your stable. Some of the original high-end Fairbanks banjos can go for $5000 and up, and even modern replicas made domestically can be $2500. At $699.99, the WL-250 is another way that Gold Tone strives to put high-quality professional-grade instruments into the hands of musicians like you.
All Gold Tone instruments are set up in Titusville, FL. USA 
Email:Â [email protected]
Follow us on Facebook
Find us on Reverb
Find us on eBay
Watch us on Youtube
To learn about our latest deals, subscribe to our periodic email newsletter.
ABOUT:
Geoff Hohwald has been playing banjo since the 1960’s. He became active in the thriving bluegrass community in Ohio as a teenager while studying at Ohio State University. He has played professionally as a guitarist and banjo player with several bluegrass bands ever since. Geoff moved to Atlanta after college and co-founded the Watch and Learn publishing company. They now publish a full line of musical instrument instruction books and digital modules. He also owned several music stores in Atlanta from the 1980s through the mid-2000s and is still an active participant in the musical instrument re-sale community in the southeast.
Banjo Warehouse is a family business resulting from 50 years of experience in music and 40 years of experience in musical instrument retail sales and education. Our focus is on the 5-string flathead banjo, but we also occasionally have a good selection of guitars and mandolins (and other folk instruments).
Related products
FLOOR MODEL Gold Tone CC Tenor 4 string Tenor Banjo
Deering's most popular professional grade banjo for almost 30 years. Deering is proud to manufacture the Sierra as affordably as possible and still retain all high-end features that affect the tone and playability.
The Orange Blossom (OB) banjos harken back to Gold Tone's early days and their popularity hasn't diminished over the decades. These professional-grade banjos evoke the great pre-WW ll banjos played by the Masters: Earl Scruggs, Don Reno, J.D. Crow all depended on those great banjos from the Midwest USA to power their sound. The OB-250 has everything needed to produce THAT tone: a sand-cast bell brass flathead tone ring, a cast one-piece resonator flange circling a multi-ply maple rim with twin coordinator rods and an extra-deep curly maple multi-ply resonator for better low-end response. The curly maple neck has a bound ebony fretboard with hearts & flowers inlay. The bracket hooks even have metric threading to enable finer tension adjustment. The price includes a hard shell case. Available as left-handed model.
Mahogany neck and maple resonator, a beautiful golden sunburst finish and even a nineteen-hole flathead tone ring, now available in Archtop. Updated features include superb quality Gotoh machine heads, the renowned Snuffy Smith bridge, a Presto-style tailpiece and dual coordinator rods for precise adjustment.
FEATURING MIDNIGHT MAPLE FINGERBOARD AND VINTAGE ARTISAN INSPIRED INLAYS! $1,429.00 The Goodtime Blackgrass Special has a pure black stain and black head, the same as the Goodtime Blackgrass, but this model features a tone ring to give it a brighter, richer tone. Built exclusively by Deering Banjo Co, the Blackgrass is built in the same [...]
Gold Tone brings back the high-quality, low-priced beginner Bluegrass banjo!
NEW LEFT-HANDED GOODTIME 5-STRING BANJO $539.99 The most recommended banjo by banjo teachers is right here! Made in America. Easy to play! Durable and easy to maintain! The Goodtime banjo produces a vibrant ringing tone from its natural finished violin-grade maple rim. At only 4 pounds, the weight makes it ideal for both children and [...]