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BANJOS
www.sagamusic.com
The Gold Star Banjo Family
The Rebirth of the Vintage Banjo
The banjo originated in Africa and was brought by slaves to America,
where the fifth string was added, about 1840. It has undergone a
steady evolution and refinement since that time. The early and
mid 1920’s was the most exciting and creative time in the history of
the American banjo, with a flurry of patents and inventions by major
manufacturers.
By 1930, the perfected resonator banjo, which today is known as
the “vintage” banjo, made its appearance and no major improve-
ments have been added since. The Paramount Company pioneered
the resonator and flange, and these ideas were further refined by
the Old Gibson Company, whose rim, tone ring and inlay designs
have since been accepted as standard for Bluegrass and Country
musicians. As the banjo’s popularity waned in the late 1930’s,
production was drastically curtailed, and after World War II most
of the construction and aesthetic features of the vintage banjo
were altered or discontinued.
Bluegrass music had become extremely popular by the mid-nineteen
seventies, and musicians who wanted to duplicate the old sound had
to compete for the few vintage instruments that were left. As a result,
the prices of vintage banjos skyrocketed, and those who couldn’t
afford one had little else to choose from.
Saga was the first manufacturer in the world to re-introduce the
vintage banjo, and faithfully duplicate every detail of its construction
and ornamentation. The same 3-ply rim construction was used, and
the exact alloy formula for the tone ring was utilized. All this was
achieved at a price much lower than any comparable new banjo, and
at a fraction of the price of an old vintage banjo.
Today, the serious banjo player can recapture the old sound of a
vintage banjo in a new Gold Star banjo. Every detail of ornamen-
tation and every nuance of tone that characterizes the world’s
finest banjo is available now at a remarkably low price in Gold
Star banjos — the world’s best value in banjos and the choice of
the professional!
GF-200
GF-100W, shown with case
GF-85 tone ring
GF-100 tuners with engraved Gold Star logo
