This banjo is lightweight and has the distinctive “Hartford” sound. Woody, bright and unmistakable. People often ask why the banjo has an unusual inlay pattern. This was the traditional pattern. It used to be common to have the inlays placed in the middle of the fingerboard and at the ends. John requested that we do this on some old banjos, such as the Farland and those made before 1900. John, a riverboat captain licensed in the state of New York, wanted us to incorporate a riverboat theme into our banjo.