Travel Jo New Folding Travel Banjo

Travel Jo Warranty: I warrant each Travel Jo to be free of defects in material or workmanship for one year from original date of purchase, and will repair or replace, without charge, any part that fails within that time period. This does not include normal wear, such as the inevitable rubbing off of some plating or lacquer by repeated bodily contact with instrument components, but is intended to protect you, the purchaser, from any failure that might render this banjo impaired or unplayable. The time limit is designed to protect me, the instrument’s creator, from any eventual damage due to mishandling. In the event of a covered failure, send the instrument back to me, postage paid by you, and I will repair it at no charge and return it to you, return postage paid by me. After the first year and depending on the type of damage, I may, at my discretion, ask a reasonable repair fee for any work done. There are no other warranties on this instrument, either expressed or implied.

The Basic Travel Jo Folding Banjo
(Shown with Stainless Steel tone ring)

Travel Jo is the new Fold a Jo. Rather than a whole different animal from our traditional banjos, it is for the most part a traditional banjo that folds. And it folds, and unfolds, virtually in tune, rather quickly. I can perform either operation in under ten seconds. Travel Jo comes with your choice of our secret alloy metal rim or extra-light laminated maple rim. The model pictured at left with a solid Bird's Eye maple extra light rim, spun tone ring and Honduras Mahogany neck weighs in at a feather-light 5.6 pounds. If that sounds unbelievable, wait 'til you hear the tone. It has a voice that far exceeds its unassuming appearance.

Five and a Half Pounds of Solid Dynamite.

Travel Jo starts at just $995 for the basic five-string model, a little less ($895) for a tenor, a little more ($1200) for a Pete Seeger style long neck. While the primary purpose of any of our instruments is to have an excellent tone, the primary purpose of Travel Jo is to do that while being extremely portable and remaining very light in weight. The base model therefore sports a minimum of hardware and the installation of a still-plentiful 14 shoes and tension ring hooks.

Travel Jo's Extra Compact Peghead

You can order your Travel Jo with any peghead shape we make, but the base model will have the extra compact peghead, pictured, for its light weight and space saving character. My dad invented the drilled nut featured on this banjo back in the 1960s for the original Fold a Jo, and the 5th nut is likewise drilled. This keeps the strings in place while the neck is folded.

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Travel Jo Five-String Model, Folded Length = 20"

Options abound to make this instrument reflect your personal style, including the installation of any tone ring we make (see Tone Rings page on bottom menu.) Model pictured at left has our lathe-spun Stainless Steel tone ring, a $280.00 option.
Finally you can have a travel banjo that is affordable while actually looking and playing like a real banjo, and best of all sounding like a J. A. Sloan banjo.

Travel Jo One-Piece Armrest/Tailpiece Unit

I invented the one-piece armrest/tailpiece unit specifically for Tavel Jo. It's a clean, simple solution to the age-old problem of slackening the strings for the folding operation. All hardware is made by us in our shop in New Waverly, Texas.

Left handed neck? No problem. Frailing scoop? Sure. Resonator? Absolutely. Any option available on one of our traditional banjos can be ordered on a Travel Jo. Pictured at left is the original prototype instrument featuring center neck laminations, Banshee tone ring, standard 4 ply maple rim with mahogany rear trim and 28 shoes and tension hooks. Weight as pictured: 7 pounds. Shown with standard-size peghead.