Banjos by J. A. Sloan & Son
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Jo2Go! The Ultimate Travel Banjo
Quietly making some of the world's finest musical instruments since 1959.
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Jo2Go... The Folding Travel Banjo, Perfected.
This is so good, I don't even know where to begin. Well,
I guess I'll start by saying that I have just re-invented the folding travel banjo... again. Jo2Go is a full-sized, full-voiced
banjo that is virtually indestinguishable from any fine traditional banjo and has a voice that places it among the finest
sounding banjos on Earth. But the 5 String version weighs only 4-1/2 pounds and folds to a previously unheard of 18 inches!
Taking a plane? Throw it in your carry-on bag, pad it with a few socks and undies, and you're on your way! I have managed
to shave a full 1.5 inches from the folded length of the Travel Jo while making the whole instrument lighter, stronger
and even easier to fold and unfold. I have also simplified the design to where the instrument is faster and easier to
make and requires less complex machining. In fact, the hinge is now a simple two-piece casting. Also, I hereby introduce a
base model (pictured) which, while nicely appointed and beautifully finished, sports simpler and less costly materials
for additional savings to you. I chose the name Jo2Go because that's what this Jo is all about, going
with you to all the places you want to go, without breaking your back, or your bank account!
So what led to this invention? It began this July with a visit to Titusville, Florida, where I met with the nice folks at Gold Tone. I took a Travel Jo along to show them, and they loved it. In fact, Tom, their business manager, called it "The ultimate travel banjo." Wayne made a suggestion, if I could adapt my Travel Jo's neck to a Gold Tone rim, he would provide these at the kind of cost that only a large operation like theirs makes possible. Upon returning to my own shop, I went to work adapting the Travel Jo neck to a Gold Tone rim provided as a sample by Wayne. Well, nothing short of a total re-design would make them compatible, so I decided, as long as it had to be a whole new invention, that I would make it better in every way than the Travel Jo. And I succeeded, the initial prototype performs beyond my wildest expectations. The prototype pictured is half a pound lighter than Travel Jo, folds to an amazingly compact 18 inches (1.5 inches smaller than Travel Jo), and is stronger. So with help from Gold Tone, we now ofer the finest snd most inexpensive travel banjo ever produced. Five string Jo2Go, as pictured with Gold Tone rim and hardware, starting at only $795.00.
These are the first pictures of the initial prototype, and
I apologize that they are not the finest quality photos.
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