Barnes & Mullins BJ500BW Empress 5-String Banjo, Secondhand

USED – PRE-OWNED – SECONDHAND

Excellent condition

Barnes & Mullins Empress 5-String Banjo
BJ500BW

The Empress banjo is a real head turner, ideal for the more accomplished player.

This beauty features a wonderfully figured burl walnut resonator with a spellbinding marbled grain pattern, combined with a classic walnut rim and neck. It is complemented by chrome hardware and fittings, an ovangkol tonewood fingerboard with patterned fret inlays, and traditional planetary geared machineheads.

Aurally, you can be sure of superb depth of sound, paired with a bright and articulate response that rewards exploration and encourages performance of a wide range of playing styles.

You can be assured that the Empress will impress visually and aurally at every turn.

This instrument is named in honour of the ‘RMS Empress of Ireland’ steam ship which sank on Canada’s St Lawrence River in May 1914 with the loss of over 1000 lives. Sadly, Mr Albert Mullins was one of the lost souls that day.

This B&M Empress 5-string resonator banjo is the standard for bluegrass playing but is also an excellent choice for other musical styles including country, gospel, jazz, folk, classical and rock. It’s the go-to style of banjo for ‘Scruggs’ players who use three-fingers with fingerpicks on the index and middle fingers and a thumbpick for a fast-tempo and lively style.

Its resonator design means this banjo sounds naturally loud and bright and therefore makes for an excellent accompaniment instrument.

Body & Construction
Style: 5-String Resonator
Resonator: Figured Burl Walnut
Head: Remo Weatherking®
Flange: Chrome
Tone Ring: Rolled Brass
Bracket QTY: x 24
Rim: Walnut
Bridge: Maple with Ovangkol Tip
Hardware: Chrome
Tailpiece: Chrome
Armrest: Chrome

Neck
Neck: Walnut
Fingerboard: Ovangkol
Frets: 22
Inlays: Mother of Pearl Patterned

Headstock
Machineheads: Planetary
Truss Rod Cover: ‘Empress’ Script
Nut Width: 31mm

Dimensions
Scale Length: 670mm
Instrument Weight: 5kg

Common 5-string banjo tunings:

G, D, G, B, D – Open G
G, C, G, B, D – C Tuning / Drop C