The Signature Scruggs Banjo Returns on its Centennial Eve
Once upon a time, during the 1920s and 1930s, Mastertone banjos by Epiphone were a beacon for professionals, including the legendary Earl Scruggs. Now, Epiphone has re-created the legend’s signature banjo with careful echoes of Scruggs’ favorite dimensions, materials, and visual details. The result is the Mastertone Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe resonator, an instrument that’s period-accurate yet flashy with the tone to back it up! This signature banjo taps into a golden-age look and sound with a figured maple resonator, a 3-ply maple rim, and a flathead tone ring that keeps projection loud, vibrant, and enhanced by maple’s snappy attack. Your fretting hand will find a deluxe figured maple neck that provides high-quality, durable, and comfortable playability as you venture across the 26.4-inch scale ebony fingerboard. This traditional tonewood recipe is backed with high-quality gold hardware, including a signature Earl Scruggs armrest. Moreover, Earl Scruggs signature banjo strings were preinstalled for legendary tone straight from the box. With ornate old-school charm and vintage specs, the Mastertone Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe Resonator Banjo Mastertone banjo is an excellent tribute to one of the all-time greats. Take it from Sweetwater’s banjo-pickin’ contingent: you can’t go wrong with a Mastertone banjo from Epiphone!
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Bright maple twang at your fingertips
This Mastertone banjo’s extensive maple tonewoods keep resonance bright and clear with a swift response, not to mention a strong emphasis on bright treble frequencies that add nuance to your typical twang. Figured maple forms the Mastertone Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe banjo’s neck, where hands find nimble support for chords and melodies, along with a volute located just below the headstock that demonstrates attention to detail. Epiphone took steps to make sure you can maintain your Mastertone banjo with ease as the years go by. Vintage-spec hardware delivers reliable performance and stellar durability. Gold brackets hold the Remo Frosted head taut to facilitate projection with a satisfying response to players’ dynamics. Dual coordinator rods located below the head facilitate a full range of neck adjustments and hassle-free maintenance should the need arise. What’s more, the Mastertone Earl Scruggs Gold Deluxe oozes showy visuals that match the rising profile of banjo artists of the early 1930s. You’ll find the bound ebony fingerboard’s surface adorned with bold “Hearts and Flowers” inlays for strikingly professional and dynamic looks that all can enjoy. Meanwhile, an engraved gold armrest and signature truss rod cover elevate your instrument above the pack with commemorative nods to Earl Scruggs’ lasting influence on 5-string players past, present, and future.
Epiphone: an institution built on the banjo
Today, Epiphone is known for its line of player-grade guitars. It was, however, Epiphone banjos that came first. The Epiphone marque first surfaced in the 1920s when Epaminondas “Epi” Stathopoulos, son of the company’s founder, changed the brand name to Epiphone Banjo Company to reflect a budding emphasis on banjos. Today, Mastertone banjos pay tribute to influential vintage designs with authentic features so that players can experience sounds of the past, all without paying exorbitant prices for vintage used gear. The Epiphone Mastertone Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe resonator banjo makes a personalized nod to Epiphone’s past with a Mastertone block inlay, “Hearts and Flowers” inlays carved from mother-of-pearl, a double-cut scroll peghead in the Gibson style, and signature gold hardware — Earl Scruggs wouldn’t have it any other way.
Epiphone Mastertone Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe Resonator Banjo Features:
- Inspired by the Gibson 1930s banjo legendarily played by Earl Scruggs
- Maple rim delivers bright, assertive twang with a powerful presence
- Double-bound figured maple resonator fitted with a flathead tone ring for clarity and heightened sustain
- Mastertone 1-piece flange and a classic Remo head facilitate prewar authenticity with stellar sustain and responsive tone
- Figured maple neck with volute enhances sound with a quick, bright attack and smooth playability over 22 frets
- Bound 26.4-inch ebony fingerboard with dynamic vintage “Hearts and Flowers” inlays
- Dual coordinator rods facilitate accurate maintenance and easy neck adjustments
- Deluxe signature appointments, including an Earl Scruggs armrest, preinstalled Earl Scruggs signature strings, gold hardware, and a Gibson-style fiddle headstock
