George Washburn 5-string banjo, model 442, S/N 328, Circa 1892
This is a rare Washburn "Compensating Rim" banjo with a wood rim designed to adjust a bit as the skin head tightened and relaxed with changes in local climate conditions. The rim, made with several wood rings separated by spaced washers, was also claimed to allow the head to resonate more easily, thus providing improved tone quality. Although this banjo appears in early catalogs, this is the first example that I have seen.
