20
W
a
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burn.c
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Ca
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og 2009
Sonny Smith
Signature
B160K
ResonatoR
Flamed Maple
RiM
Maple
tone Ring
Bell Brass
HeaD
Remo
®
neck
Flamed Maple
FRetBoaRD
Rosewood
tuneRs
Planetary
BRackets
24
aRM Rest
chrome
Sonny Smith
Banjo virtuoso Sonny Smith was the winner of the 1998 National Banjo Championship. He now brings his banjo
and fiddle playing and performing prowess to Tennessee, where he performs full time in the Smoky Mountain
Stringband at Dollywood by day and in the Smoky Mountain Jubilee at night.
For the B160, Washburn collaborated with Smith who was eager to discuss the ideas he had implemented in this
instrument. “Back in the day, banjos were mainly played by women. As a result, the instrument developed with
a very narrow fretboard. We’ve given this instrument a wider fretboard to accommodate bigger fingers. We’ve
also moved the 5th string nut between the 5th and 6th fret for improved tone, sustain and intonation. We
redesigned the headstock so that it’s a bit smaller than the ones found on modern banjos, fully bound it and
gave it old style inlays. Banjo players just like that vintage look,” Sonny explained.
B160K
