Messrs Barnes & Mullins created the “Perfect” series banjos in the early 1900s. They were the core of the B&M’s early instrument offerings. Even into the 21st Century, many original B&M ‘Perfect’ Banjos are still being sold for large sums of money by collectors and musicians.

Modern-day ‘Perfect’ banjos are influenced by the original instruments and pay homage to the designs and vision of Barnes & Mullins founders.

This Gaelic or Irish Tenor Banjo, 17 frets, is a small scale instrument. It is tuned exactly the same as a violin/mandolin by only one octave. This banjo uses a special set Irish tenor banjo string and follows the Irish tenor tuning (G, D, A, A, and E).

The tenor banjo’s primary role in Irish music is to play melodies and not rhythmic chord duties. Many Irish instrumental tunes are fiddle tunes. This is why the Gaelic/Irish Tenor banjo is tuned to the exact same notes as the fiddle, but an octave lower. It is easier to play triplets, which are often a large part of the melodies.