Gene Parsons and his Tokai banjo

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Voidoid56

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Ok, I know, it's not a guitar, it's only got five strings, but it IS acoustic and a Tokai... and the page touches on the TE-150 string bender Breezy.

I just got a mid-80's Tokai T650R banjo, bought on commission for a friend. In the process of researching it I found this page, featuring a video by ex-Byrds and Flying Burrito Bros member Gene Parson, inventor (together with Clarence White) of the Parsons-White String Bender, as featured on the 1981 Tokai TE-150 Breezy Sound Tele copy.

It turns out that he was given a banjo in the course of his collaboration with Tokai Gakki, which has been his go-to since then. He talks about meeting up with Tokai reps with some serious bluegrass banjo chops. The banjo (which I would assume is the T1200 top model) still sounds fine 40 years and a few neck-breaks later.

https://www.pegheadnation.com/instruments-gear/instrument-demos/1980s-tokai-gakki-banjo/
 
That’s awesome. Great history of the Tokai folks visit. Quite a time period.

And I always appreciate people who can finger pick because I never got the hang of it.

Thanks for posting!
 
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1975 Hummingbird.

I think that it is beautiful for the model year, but please judge by the image.

The hard case has bluegrass-related stickers purchased in the United States, and it feels quite old, so please consider it as a bonus.

The head of REMO is autographed by John McEuen, who was the banjo player at the time of the founding of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band [NGDB] and a US country and bluegrass music producer. The bluegrass banjo player is a household name.

It is a valuable item that I received directly before going up to the stage just before Hayama Marina poolside live in 1973 when I first came to Japan.

Isn't there almost no sign of his heyday like this not only in Japan but also in the United States?

1973 NGDB live pamphlet [limited edition] will also be included.

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