Used, vintage (c.1917), open back, 5 string banjo: Orpheum No.1, w/TKL hs case

Description

A dear friend has reached the point in his age & health conditions that he can no longer play his instruments. He has asked me to sell them for him. This banjo was his most often played one of the several nice ones that he owns. I found it in an antique store and helped him acquire it about 25 years ago. At that time he had a skilled professional luthier replace the frets, the old tuners (now Five-Star), put on a modern head & bridge, scoop out the end of the fingerboard, and do an overall set-up. He also had the luthier re-engineer the end of the dowel rod with
adapted
Stew-Mac hardware so that the neck angle is now more adjustable. Otherwise, it is essentially original specs (for circa 1917), as I found it.
Condition issues include cracked and repaired heel and head/neck joints (see pics), both of which were already done when it was found. The repairs have held up over time without issues. The neck also has a very slight twist (see pic), which is not uncommon in my experience for those made of birds-eye maple especially. I have played this banjo a lot myself and the degree of twist does not seem to affect playability and has not changed over the years. The original Orpheum celluloid label had cracked at the corners and was falling off, so it was repositioned in a different area. The Bruno, NY label is still in its original place. There was a strap button in the heel, which my
friend
eventually removed and filled the hole himself. The banjo comes in a modern TKL arched, hardshell case that fits very well. The banjo plays well, stays well-tuned, and the sound is classic for the Orpheum tone-ring and rim; a good-sounding old-time instrument right out of the case.
Sold honestly represented as-is, no returns. This one is very much a player's instrument, not one for the purist collector looking for an unmodified, pristine original. Please study the pics closely and feel free to ask any & all questions prior to bidding. I highly value my 100% satisfaction rating and want you to be very happy with your purchase, straight up.
Shipping will be via FedEx Ground to CONUS only, no extra handling charges. Charges will be for the ebay-calculated shipping costs w/insurance for price of sale only. I will get measurements and weight numbers soon. Current ones
indicated
are estimates. FREE (REFUNDED) SHIPPING IN CONUS ONLY FOR A BUYER THAT TAKES THE BIN PRICE.