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Post subject: Leo Fender Banjo
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:49 pm
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Hi, I have had a Leo Fender banjo for about 26 years. I would like to try to find out any info about it, as in the true age of it and maybe if it is a collectors item now and maybe its value. It is in tip top shape and sounds great. The serial # is 819203 and at the very top near tuners is a tag with the # 5293. Any help would be Great.. Thanks


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Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 8:54 am
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I play banjo, too. The USA made ones from the sixties were when CBS took over Dave Markel's factory in Chicago in '66 and shipped the plant to Fullerton. This was part of CBS' expansion plans to capitalise on the then-growing instrument market. In their day, Fender banjos were very highly rated but the corporate buying by the then owners of Fender got cheaper parts (saves money) which didn't do the job properly (loses customers).

I would love to have a Fender/Markel-made banjo.


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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:09 am
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Any pics?, I would love to see one.


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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:55 am
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I have a mid-1970's Fender catalog; it shows the Leo, the Allegro and one other (forget which) banjo. This must have been towards the endo of Fenders US banjo production.
What is amusing, though, are the descriptions of the guitars. "Thick-Skin" finish (yeuk!!!) quality hardwoods" (yeah, but WHICH?), and so on. Absolutely nothing on timber types, scale lengths, fingerboard radius and all the specifications we like to read compare nowadays.
Also a picture of a Bronco bass with one string completely missing its nut slot and several guitars without strings, the strings having been "added" to the photos at the artwork stage.
At this time you could pick up a secondhand 60's Strat for around £100 (about 170 dollars) - this is before the vintage market came into being.


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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:56 am
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I have a mid-1970's Fender catalog; it shows the Leo, the Allegro and one other (forget which) banjo. This must have been towards the end of Fenders US banjo production.
What is amusing, though, are the descriptions of the guitars. "Thick-Skin" finish (yeuk!!!) quality hardwoods" (yeah, but WHICH?), and so on. Absolutely nothing on timber types, scale lengths, fingerboard radius and all the specifications we like to read and compare nowadays.
Also a picture of a Bronco bass with one string completely missing its nut slot and several guitars without strings, the strings having been "added" to the photos at the artwork stage.
At this time you could pick up a secondhand 60's Strat for around £100 (about 170 dollars) - this is before the vintage market came into being.


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