Description

Stanley Hicks, a Beech Mountain native, learned the art of building banjos from his father, who learned it from his father. From what we’ve heard, David Love worked as an apprentice under Stanley and made Hicks type banjos, but fretted and this is one of those. Watauga County, North Carolina, where this banjo was made, was home to many of the torchbearers of American traditional music and instrument making. Like other resourceful mountain instrument builders, Hicks made use of the easily attainable tone woods on his property and likely used the skin of whatever critter was available that week. Hicks was a vital part of the region’s folk music community writ large and an avid storyteller, a tradition that holds a lot of weight in Appalachia and earned him several regional and national accolades. He went on to be recorded by the likes of Alan Lomax and was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow in 1983, the highest national honor for folk arts. Today his instruments are considered among the higher quality examples of the mountain banjo tradition, and among the most sought after of this banjo family. David Love, we can’t really find information on.

This instrument plays easily and sounds very “folksy.” The violin style tuning pegs fit well and hold tune without issue. The banjo has mostly just light wear, but there is a small tear to the head, where it goes over the can rim (see attached photo). “Position markers” were drawn on with pencil. Overall it is in good condition. A very cool, historic piece for sure! It comes with a cloth bag.

• Made in Watuga County, North Carolina, 1980
• Walnut
• 27 1/4″ scale
• 1 1/8″ nut width
• 6″ head
• Cloth carry bag