They generally had birch or walnut back and sides sometimes flat and later (1904+/-) carved. banjo headstock identification The bracing was revised to accommodate the moustache bridge and generally heavier than earlier models. It had a double ring of purfling around the soundhole, pearl dots on the fretboard, dark stained birch back and sides and The Gibson stamped on tailpiece cover. 1970 onward: 1 piece maple. Design your own Huber Banjo. You can buy the book here on Amazon and I would highly recommend it. If you want to use any of this information: Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. Dr. Michael Kasha was a chemical physicist and the director of the Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University. The Maurer Company records have been lost. CLR, Classic guitar with Indian rosewood back and sides, decorated binding, gold tuners. The model started production in 1938 as Gibsons top-of-the-line flat top guitar. peghead shape. First published as a folk music magazine in 1971 by Michael I. Holmes before going online in 1997, Mugwumps is a no-frills, highly informative site that's packed with well-written articles, detailed photographs, and historical ads of old instruments and parts. The numbers are preceded by letters: A, B, C, or D which indicate the series. Hand Engraving. "F" Style mandolins have a carved nautilus shaped curl on the upper left-hand bout. It was Gibsons most prestigious solid body (and therefore expensive, with a couple of exceptions). Also, the first batch of J-45s had more binding both on the body and soundhole. Alternates can range from standard designs out there in the banjo world, old or new, or a custom. Depending on the selected source, there is disagreement about these numbers. Q: What is the first step in determining the age of my banjo? . They could be strung with steel or nylon strings. All Rights Reserved. Yes, please do post your tune here on this page. A simpler variation on the SJ-200 with fewer appointments and a lower price tag was the SJ-100. LG-0 | Introduced 1958 | Discontinued 1973, LG-1 | Introduced 1947 | Discontinued 1968, LG-2 | Introduced 1942 | Discontinued 1962, LG-2- | Introduced 1949 | Discontinued 1962, LG-3 | Introduced 1946 | Discontinued 1963, B-25 | Introduced 1962 | Discontinued 1976, FJ-N | Introduced 1963 | Discontinued 1970, F-25 | Introduced 1963 | Discontinued 1970, B-15 | Introduced 1967 | Discontinued 1970, Brazilian rosewood rectangular through bridges, 2 screws in the bridge with MOP dot covers, Basically the same as LG-1 with a mahogany top, Single plastic tortoise shell binding top and back, Narrow neck design with 14 degree headstock angle, Same basic guitar as LG-2 with average wood, Wood imperfections covered by a dark sunburst, Tall scalloped braces change to low-profile rough cut, Enlarged rectangular bridge with closed slot, Fire striped plastic pickguard teardrop shape, Last use of the Banner decal on headstocks, Basically the same as an LG-2 with better materials, Bottom belly rosewood bridges with adjustable saddles, Back, sides and neck finished in walnut stain, Body shape: 16 wide, round shoulder dreadnought shape, Top: Select spruce, 2-piece bookmatched with scalloped X-bracing, Neck: mahogany, single piece, unbound, 19 fret, dot markers, Bridges: Rosewood belly-down. S2R, size 2 guitar with East Indian rosewood back & sides, chrome tuners. It appears to be all original except for the bridge, which appears to be a banjo bridge crudely slotted for 8 strings, and the head, which is probably plastic. The standard early Gibson A models had a soft V shaped neck. The top and back bindings were black plastic with red line highlights. They were popular with the Cowboy Singing Stars like Bob Baker (National Barn Dance WLS). World War II changed many aspects of the guitar world. The banjo's fingerboard is where the magic happens. 1952: The headstock gold decal logo was replaced by an inlayed pearl script and crown. On 12 fret to the body guitars, in a break with tradition, the Larson brothers frequently inlayed the 10th fret instead of the ninth. The name variations included Bacon and Day and B&D for all the instruments co-developed by Fred Bacon and David Day. Post-war Gibson Banjo Serial Number Listing for "Bowtie Era Banjos" Early 1970's block shaped no dot over the "i" closed "b" and . Example of custom shape is well represented below with the "Tennessee Banjo". Gibson RB-250 MASTERTONE 5-string RB250 - All Original with - Reverb.com Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. Find the worth of your vintage banjo from 1920s to 1970s. They are maintained by Donna LoPrinzi in Clearwater Florida. 1934 was in the depth of the depression, and at $60 without a case, most families put food ahead of guitars. Gibson Banjo Serial Number Factory Order Number Information; Pre-war banjos, Flathead, Mastertone. Information gleamed from the Mandolin Cafs website over the years. Notable endorsers of this model include Leon Redbone. They didnt sell well but did live up to their design intent of a. heavier, booming tone with good overall balance. Similar to an A2 except for the top color: an orange top in the teens, and a white top (refrigerator-top) in the late teens and early twenties. Body designation Style designation, Serial number. The headstock carried an inlayed script Gibson. 118 Midtown Ct # M The designations were. For example: Gretsch stopped production of Bacon and B&D banjos. Kay company banjos were normally not that high-quality but this one is different. Pickguards between 1909 and 1921 +/- show a stamped patent date of Mar. I'm thinking it was made by the Iida folks for a NAMM show or something. It marked the beginning of a new era for Gibson. FLC, Flamenco guitar with Canadian cypress back and sides, friction pegs (machine heads on some examples). Gibson. The Mark Series guitars had 16 3/16 lower bouts with very narrow waists, and a headstock like no other in Gibson tradition. Identify vintage banjo fleur de lis inlays on headstock & carved heel . This is a headstock that tapers from narrow at the top to slightly wider at the base (the reverse of the traditional Gibson headstock shape). For example, the serial number 90237XXX corresponds to a production date of 1/23/97. 1908 into 1916: Elevated pickguards of plastic tortoise shell clamped to the body with a removable clamp and pinned to the bridge. Pearl twin parallelogram inlays, Bridges: Rosewood belly-down. Weekly newsletter includes free lessons, favorite member content, banjo news and more. These shoes are shown in an 1890s Washburn banjo catalog, on low end models with . A flourish inlay under The Gibson in the headstock. The hardshell case had a green or red silk lining. The original Factory Order Numbers (FON) appear to show the first De Luxe Jumbos were delivered bewteen March and June of 1938 to Joe Wolverton, Ray Whitley and Gene Autry. In 1926 Gibson introduced the L-series guitars with the L-0 at $35 and the L-1 at $50 (1928 prices). JM, jumbo size guitar with mahogany back & sides, chrome tuners. Knob changes usually following other Gibson electrics. This was available in brown, black or blonde finish. I wouldn't be surprised if a few exist with other brand names. In general, higher model numbers meant more binding and ornament. An entire bin was a "lot" and would contain The following versions evolved quickly to 14 frets clear of the body. A-3s had refrigerator white tops with a black perfling line, adjustable truss rods and adjustable bridges. 67 Banjo Headstock Designs ideas | banjo, guitar inlay, mandolin These digits should match the 4 digits found on the back of the peghead of your banjo. Information gathered from many sources but there are a few that need to be acknowledged: Dan Beimborns original Mandolin Pages web site and later contributions to the Mandolin Archive. Edited by - rfvelk on 12/26/2013 17:31:36, Blake507 - Posted-12/26/2013: 22:24:21. Epiphone Serial Number Lookup - Authority Guitar The current bridge height and neck angle was reached around 1910. A New Leaf from Steven Moore. ARIA BANJOS (1970s) banjos - guitar-list Gibson developed the truss rod in 1921. Please see the, Epiphone: Current Serial Number Information, Gibson J-35 & Advanced Jumbo Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson Jumbo Deluxe and J-55 Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson J-45 and J-50 Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson Southern Jumbos and Country Westerns, Gibson J-160E Flat-top Acoustic-Electrics, Gibson CF-100 Flat-top Acoustic-Electrics, Gibson MK Series Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson L-5S Solid Body Electric Guitars, Guitars & Stringed Instruments General Information, Care & Feeding of a Wooden Musical Instrument, Identifying Vintage Guitars, Banjos & Mandolins, 41530 Transition from 12 to 14 fret necks, 1 Banjos from various contracted builders, 2028 Earliest reference to Forrest Dale VT, 30620 Symphonie, Sultana, and Senorita introduced, 35341 Gretsch purchases Fred Bacon Banjo Company. They were now able to get better materials. Generally harp guitars, L.H. Other singing cowboys who later owned Super Jumbos include Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. There's a small snag in the outer pocket webbing - otherwise it's like new. The Kalamazoo plant kept going for a few years as a custom-instrument shop, including the Mark Series instruments, and was ultimately closed in 1984. Mid to late 1944, the neck block revert back to mahogany, though poplar is occasionally used. 2: The Histories of Cool Guitars". Mando-banjo identification [Archive] - Mandolin Cafe Forum You have your choice of 3 different peghead shapes. So far as I can find Gibson appears to have only made "Stewart" instruments for a couple of years in the early 1930s. Larger top braces used, and bigger solid wood bridge plate and larger bottom-belly bridge. Brown or black finish, some binding only on the top and in the soundhole with one ring around the soundhole. It became apparent early that the new design concept was good: they were, in fact, louder and more cutting in tone. B-series Factory location: Grand Street, New York City from 1972 to 1973. MK-35-12 models were only made in 1977. I own the book and have found it to be an invaluable resource in identifying these old guitars. The top and back are lightly arched, producing the deepest measurement in the center of the guitars body. Go back. Plectrum. It became the working mans choice and one of the most enduring instrument designs in history. purchase these instruments and put their own names on them, but in many other 587 Similar to 585 but with pearl (vs ivoroid) tuner buttons. expressed on the sides and back of the 1934 versions. The instruments had modified fan bracing and asymmetrical bridges. This is a high-quality instrument. Sha-Sw. T-V. W-Y. The banner only a Gibson is good enough logo is replaced with the old style Gibson script gold logo, The blond J-50 is introduced (limited until 1954), Bracing system changed: non-scalloped, low cut braces, Larger pickguard with point at upper bout, Headstock appointments: pearl logo inlay and crown added, Adjustable bridge saddle offered as an option called J-45ADJ. Scott Zimmerman may be able to shed some light on this. RB -- regular banjo (5-string) TB -- tenor banjo. It will be interesting of one of the BHO members has a vintage Kay catalog with that particular banjo. In fact, he was part of a team of scientists paid as consultants by Gibson for their input on a project to create the finest sounding guitar based upon sound scientific logic, theory and research. PB -- plectrum banjo. It was the heart of the depression and the instruments cost $60 without a case. Never seen one with an inlay on the back of the neck. Jun 24, 2020 - The Art of Banjo Headstocks. There are also examples of A-2Zs without the Z on the lable but still sporting the black perfling line. The 31 year old part time musician has mostly been found on the contest stages in recent years, taking first in the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship twice, and in the RockyGrass, RenoFest . At the time, the Nick Lucas model was the largest flat-top Gibson offered. Some examples had the black (skunk) strip down the middle of the top similar to the Southerner Jumbos. The necks were 1-piece mahogany V shape with a Brazilian rosewood fretboard at 12 radius. Starting in 1977, Gibson adopted the current date-based serial system which codes for the year and day of production. banjo headstock identification - assicurazione-casa.org It is the only typical American (USA) instrument, starting off as an instrument of the African slaves, then via the Minstrel Shows becoming part of typical American music styles like Jazz, Dixieland, Bluegrass, etc. A: One of the easiest ways to determine the age of your banjo is to inspect the serial number, if it has one. If you would like to use content from this page, see our Terms of Usage policy. The swing of a lathe is measured as the total diameter of a finished turned piece, such as a wood bowl. The headstock face was veneered in black. Nice playability, great tone, strong low end and good sustain all the way up the neck. When it came out in 1942 it was the most expensive Gibson flat-top in the line. Our 19th Year * Sign Up Now He was also a guitar enthusiast with a passion for physical and psycho-acoustics. This is a strong playing. Good size logs of spruce were government controlled during the war and were not easily available shortly after. Western movies were tremendously popular and the singing cowboy heroes needed instruments as big and bold as untamed West. Check out our banjo decal selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our bumper stickers shops. Larger 2.25 wide by .140 laminated maple bridge plates replace 1 7/16 x .125 solid maple bridge plates, Change the body shape to square shoulder dreadnaughts, Injection molded .075 thick styrene pickguard replaces the older .025 thick celluloid pickguard, Plastic bolt-on bridge replaces the rosewood bridge, White pickguard with Gibson logo screwed down to the top. In 1947 a natural finish J-45 was finally offered and given the designation: J-50. These had black plastic laminate headstock overlays with Bacon engraved in blockletters and a small, metal plate engraved Bacon Folk Model. The 1975 price was $659. Similar to A, but with double purfling on the soundhole. The top and back bindings were black plastic. Vega Banjos - Deering Banjo Company Considering that Gibson was using a double X bracing for most of its other flat top guitars during that period, these instruments, with their modified fan bracing, stand out as some of the better sounding Gibsons of the time. Bottom belly ebony bridge with pyramids on the wings, Silk-screened script @ 15 degrees +/-: The Gibson, 3 on a plate open gear tuners white or black buttons, Top and body becomes all mahogany amber finish, Extra bridge pin centered below 6 in a line, L-0 Flattened lower bout increased to 14, Reintroduced as the least expensive Gibson flat-top @ $25, Body depth 3 ? at the neck and 4 3/8 at the heel, Pearl dot makers and double dots on the 12th fret, Old script silk-screened diagonal logo: The Gibson or just Gibson, Some striped tortoise plastic pickguards after 1933, Some bright white plastic pickguards after 1933, L-00 introduced as Gibsons lowest price flat-top @ $37.50, Small round amber area of sunburst just below the soundhole, Striped tortoise plastic pickguards added, Dot position markers on the fretboard edge, A few with banner logos decals on the headstocks, Light amber top Sheraton brown back & sides, Old script silk-screened diagonal logo: The Gibson, Flattened lower bout increased to 14 (possibly, Soundhole, bridge and bracing moved to compensate, Similar to the L-00 but with heavier braces, Pearl dot fretboard markers double on 12, Gold sparkle inlayed around top & soundhole, Tailpiece adjustable bridge option discontinued, Speckled celluloid pickguard added as an option, Some had 2 top braces under the fingerboard extension vs. one, Rosewood fretboard rectangle inlays at 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 & 15, Pearl diamond inlays in the rosewood rectangles, Gibson pearl diagonal headstock inlay in rosewood, in Pearloid, Pearloid headstock veneer replace with rosewood, Bound headstock, pearl Gibson, pearl truss rod cover and notched diamond inlay, No headstock binding, black truss rod cover and elongated diamond inlay, Body depth 4 at the neck and 4 5/8 at the heel, Brazilian rosewood pyramid bottom belly bridge, The Gibson pearl angled logo inlayed on headstock, Nick Lucas Special white label with picture of Nick Lucas, 14 fret neck to body joints (phased in by this time), Trapeze tailpiece with adjustable bridge option. This is a high-quality instrument. Lion Banjo Mfg Co - Rock Rapids, Iowa - S. Nathaniel Adams In general, the Larsons used fancier hardware on the more expensive instruments so the date of the hardware should coincide with similar instruments of the period. Most information about Larson Brothers instruments comes from their catalog published around 1930. I like it. This technique of supplying interchangeable saddles/bridges was not new, it had been used by Selmer in France for their Maccaferri style instruments since the 1930s. Gibson needed to revitalize its lineup of flat-top guitars the LG-Series was born. The Larson bridge, if not otherwise specified by another company, is a rectangular flattened pyramid ebony style similar to those used by Lyon and Healy. I removed the resonator today and there is a hand written number 8 and that's it. The Gibson CF-100 was introduced in 1950 (the CF-100E was introduced 1951) and discontinued in 1960. During 1942 two new models were introduced to the Gibson line-up to replace the J-35 and J-55. themselves through common hardware and design characteristics. The Gibson Southerner Jumbo was introduced in 1942 and discontinued in 1978. The 1975 price was $439. string peg perch is typically carved out from the side of the neck as shown ARCHIVED TOPIC: VINTAGE BANJO IDENTIFICATION. There can easily be more numbers within each year listed. MK-72 models were rosewood back & sides, 3 piece ebony/rosewood fingerboards with dot inlays & nickel hardware. The Southerner Jumbo (later shortened to: Southern Jumbo and then SJ) was a fancier J-45.
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