Bradford & Company Hawthorn® Hollywood Hills five-string resonator banjo
Our "Hollywood Hills" Style 4 walnut banjo was inspired when we heard sound clips of a very special 1929 Gibson, No Hole, "Fatboy rim" banjo now owned by Reuben Valles of Los Angeles. This banjo absolutely knocked us out and, as there are only a handful of these banjos known to be in existence, we decided to build one. We started with our Ozark Thunder, 3 pound, 10 ounce, No Hole flathead bronze tone ring, poured from a well-tested prewar alloy bronze formulation. Our colleague Randall Wyatt of Wyatt Banjos in Searcy, Arkansas, had us re-machine a standard flange so that he could CNC cut a Brian Sims three-ply Rock maple rim into a "Fatboy" configuration. Period correct marquetry pattern was inlaid into the back of the Jimmy Cox burl walnut resonator. Sticking with tradition, we used chrome plated hardware. Randall Wyatt (inlay) and Ron Coleman of Nashville, Georgia, then built us a neck out of a beautiful piece of Virginia black walnut. Banjo setup guru Charlie Cushman of Cottontown, Tennessee, did the setup work, as he did on the original "Hollywood Hills," so named because owner Reuben Valles located the banjo in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, where it had resided for some years. Charlie installed an AMB head and his own hand made bridge. This gorgeous banjo is loud and resonant and has the sound you would expect from a No Hole, "Fatboy" rim banjo. Charlie Cushman has done the setup work on every Hollywood Hills model that we have built.
Our "Hollywood Hills" Style 4 walnut banjo was inspired when we heard sound clips of a very special 1929 Gibson, No Hole, "Fatboy rim" banjo now owned by Reuben Valles of Los Angeles. This banjo absolutely knocked us out and, as there are only a handful of these banjos known to be in existence, we decided to build one. We started with our Ozark Thunder, 3 pound, 10 ounce, No Hole flathead bronze tone ring, poured from a well-tested prewar alloy bronze formulation. Our colleague Randall Wyatt of Wyatt Banjos in Searcy, Arkansas, had us re-machine a standard flange so that he could CNC cut a Brian Sims three-ply Rock maple rim into a "Fatboy" configuration. Period correct marquetry pattern was inlaid into the back of the Jimmy Cox burl walnut resonator. Sticking with tradition, we used chrome plated hardware. Randall Wyatt (inlay) and Ron Coleman of Nashville, Georgia, then built us a neck out of a beautiful piece of Virginia black walnut. Banjo setup guru Charlie Cushman of Cottontown, Tennessee, did the setup work, as he did on the original "Hollywood Hills," so named because owner Reuben Valles located the banjo in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, where it had resided for some years. Charlie installed an AMB head and his own hand made bridge. This gorgeous banjo is loud and resonant and has the sound you would expect from a No Hole, "Fatboy" rim banjo. Charlie Cushman has done the setup work on every Hollywood Hills model that we have built.
- Black walnut neck with "Double Cut" peghead
- Jimmy Cox burl walnut or Steve Gill pre-war style burl walnut resonator with period correct twin inlayed "style 4" purfling rings
- 3 pound 10 ounce Ozark Thunder® "No hole" flathead tone ring
- Brian Simms "fat boy" maple rim
- Keith d-tuners and regular tuners
- Chrome plated hardware
- Dual action truss rod
- Dual coordinator rods
- Rosewood fretboard with classic "Reno Pattern" Flying Eagle
- Full binding on resonator and neck
- Randall Wyatt bridge and AMB head
- Prucha Presto tailpiece or Gary Price SL-5 Straight Line tailpiece
- Premium Hardshell Case or optional Custom Tweed Embroidered Ameritage Hardshell case
- Full Warranty to original purchaser
- Hollywood Hills price is $4750
Bradford & Company Fine Instruments
4448 Belleview | Kansas City, MO 64111 | 816-283-0400
info@bfstrings.com
11-6, Tues-Fri, 12-4 Sat, Closed Sun and Mon
4448 Belleview | Kansas City, MO 64111 | 816-283-0400
info@bfstrings.com
11-6, Tues-Fri, 12-4 Sat, Closed Sun and Mon