Story
In the early 1960s, a small Japanese brand called Winston (built by Kawai) quietly released a banjo-guitar that most of you have probably never heard of. Some people noticed the 6-string version, but almost nobody noticed the 5-string. It was rarer, stranger, and destined to become the kind of instrument you only hear about from someone who knows a guy.
The Eastwood Banjotar is our love letter to that overlooked 5-string oddity.
The Banjotar plays with the feel and tuning of a true 5-string banjo, but its voice sits somewhere else entirely. There’s a quick attack and percussive edge, softened by an electric-leaning warmth that gives notes room to bloom. It’s responsive, a little unruly, and proudly niche. Pick it clean, drive it hard, or let it hover in between: it meets you there every time!
Features & Specs
- Body: Mahogany, Tone Chambered
- Pickups: 2x Warren Ellis Blade Single Coil
- Switching: Individual on-off
- Controls: 1 Volume, 1 Tone
- Bridge: Custom 5-String S-Style
- Neck: Maple, Bolt-on
- Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block Markers
- Scale Length: 25 1/2"
- Width at the Nut: 1 5/16"
- Hardware: Kluson Style Nickel/Chrome
- Tuning: gDGBD
Case Fit
- Premium Soft Case: Standard Guitar Optional Add-On