John Hornby Skewes’ Pilgrim range has added four more Paul Tebbutt-designed banjo models.
All four share the same Morning Star Tone ring and solid maple/flame maple facing shell.
The VPB1005 Five String Open Back Banjo (RRP £899) has solid maple/flamed maple shell with ebony cap, with flamed maple neck and ebony fingerboard. The frosted Remo Weather King head works with the Pilgrim Morning Star Tone Ring, to produce tone and sustain.
Meanwhile, the VPB100LN Five String Long Necked Open Back Banjo (RRP £949) is designed for those who prefers lower tunings, without losing tone when playing more complicated pieces or higher up the neck.
The VPB1004 Tenor Resonator Banjo (RRP £899) combines tone and playability, in a four string banjo with a vintage sound.
Finally the flagship Morning Star VPB100RE Bluegrass Five String Resonator Banjo (RRP £929) has a flamed maple resonator, combined with a solid maple/ flamed maple shell, flamed maple neck with ebony cap and the Pilgrim Morning Star tone ring.
With an extensive reference library of vintage instruments, designer Paul Tebbutt’s latest quest for the Pilgrim brand has been to accurately reproduce the distinctive and elusive benchmark tone of the “Tubaphone” tone ring banjos of the 1920’s.
“I am really proud of the Pilgrim range,” said Tebbutt, “after several years of development from a standing start, we have created a world class range which has completely unique features and attributes, the quality & clarity of tone I’ve strived for, with the Morning Star range being the icing on the cake.
“Many companies have attempted to replicate this iconic tonality,” explains Paul “and whilst the instruments might have looked the part, the tone rings used just didn’t sound anything like the original banjos! Back in the early eighties we developed a ‘Tubaphone style’ tone ring with bell foundry in Leicester which were very highly regarded and came very close to the sound I was trying to achieve”.
