Tanglewood TB30/4

This was in an auction in the place where I was born and looks like a fairly new 19 fret Tenor Banjo from Tanglewood, (Well I was never that impressed with the tone of the Musima - looks lovely but...).. I ended up a bid or so over what was originally my maximum but the auction software seemed to be going slow to register my bids, but when it did register no one else bid more. Now despite having been around the World 3 times Ukulele Island is only 20 minutes from where I was born so I will pop over and collect them, (I bid on line because I was busy on the day of the auction).

The Tanglewood Tenor Banjo is in fine condition but it's not that new and I did have to work a bit to find out about it. 

What it is is a Tanglewood TB 30/4. Not the most novel of names, TB for "Tanglewood Banjo", (They call their Banjo range TWB now; maybe to disassociate then from the nasty lung infection?) 30 as it has 30 brackets, (The current range has 18 brackets, and their older, I think also discontinued but newer than mine, "Union Series" had 24), and 4 for the 4 strings, (there was a 5 for the 5 sting bluegrass Banjo and a 6 for the Banjitar in the range too). It appears to have been restrung for "Chicago (D~G~B~E) tuning" because when I started to try and tune it C~G~D~A the tension, particularly on the high string was way out but it all seen right with the D~G~B~E. Makes it a lot easier for me to play but I was going to, (and may still do one day), have a go with the proper tuning. Anyway play it I have, and its pretty marvelous (But loud!)