A.E. Smith Shelburne 5-String Banjo – Left Handed – Internal Resonator – Maple – Includes Original Hardshell Case – Used Excellent
The Arthur E. Smith Banjo Company is one of the great small stories in American instrument building — founded in October 1973 by Mark Surgies and Kate Spencer in Leverett, Massachusetts, just a few miles from where this banjo now lives, with $600 and a table saw and a conviction that American musicians deserved a well-crafted, fully guaranteed, domestic banjo that didn't cost a fortune or compromise on quality. Working in the tradition of the great turn-of-the-century makers — Fairbanks, Vega, S.S. Stewart, Orpheum — they built instruments that paid homage to that era without copying it, developing their own peghead shapes, inlay patterns, and lamination techniques that stood entirely on their own merits. Before the company closed in 1980 when the recession hit, Mark and Kate made approximately 600 banjos in total. Every single one was played by Mark before it left the shop. The Shelburne was the flagship model — the top of the A.E. Smith line, inspired by the Bacon Professional and featuring an internal resonator system that gives it a warm, focused, fully contained voice quite unlike an open-back or conventional resonator banjo. A Shelburne II with heel carving was featured at the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. from 1978 to 1979, which tells you how seriously the instrument-building world took these banjos. They rarely come up for sale, and when they do they move quickly.
This example is stunning — maple rim and neck with the elegant Victorian-inspired peghead inlay and marquetry work that defined the A.E. Smith aesthetic, presented in excellent condition with some finish wear on the back of the neck and the kind of honest cosmetic character consistent with a well-loved instrument of its age. It plays well with good, comfortable action — a touch more neck relief than ideal but sets up nicely. What makes this example particularly special beyond the model itself is that it is left-handed — a genuinely rare configuration on an already scarce instrument — and it has remained in the local area, a locally made and locally owned piece of Western Massachusetts instrument-making history.
- Make: Arthur E. Smith Banjo Company
- Model: Shelburne
- Configuration: 5-string, left-handed
- Tone system: Internal resonator
- Era: 1973-1980
- Country of origin: USA (Leverett / Shelburne Falls, MA)
- Rim: Maple
- Neck: Maple
- Head: Banjo head, good condition
- Inlay: Victorian-inspired pearl peghead inlay and marquetry
- Total production (all models): Approximately 600 instruments
- Condition: Used Excellent – finish wear on back of neck, plays well with good comfortable action, slight excess neck relief, stunning overall presentation
- Includes: Original hardshell case
Ships carefully packed and insured for full value. International buyers are welcome — please contact us for a shipping quote before purchasing.
About Mill River Music
Mill River Music is an independent, human-powered music shop located in downtown Northampton, MA, run by a team of players, enthusiasts, and certified repair technicians. Every piece of used gear we sell is personally inspected, tested, and set up before it ships — we don't list it until we'd be happy to play it ourselves.
As Martin and Taylor certified techs, we hold our guitar work to a high standard, and we're committed to full transparency about the condition of everything we sell. No surprises.
When you buy from Mill River, you're supporting an independent local business that genuinely cares — about gear, about players, and about doing things right. We're here every step of the way. Reach out anytime.
