The Regent is Bart's loudest and brightest banjo. Modeled on the classic Vega "Whyte Laydie"". It has the cutting power needed for a string band. If you're playing a dance and want to be heard, this is the banjo to do it. Built of Maple with the heavy Whyte Laydie tone ring and 11" pot,it has 11/16" shell. This makes it the heaviest of Bart Reiter models and the loudest. If you like playing both claw-hammer and finger-style, this is a good compromise for both styles. A great all around banjo