Aria Banjo Identification - mainefasr I'm kind of with Bob on the Korea origin - almost screams Sam Ickfrom the 1980s to me - except that it's a little understated and the finish isn't as thick as you normally see on a Samickpresentation banjo. Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee The more economical Student Grade instruments were often ladder braced. FLC, Flamenco guitar with Canadian cypress back and sides, friction pegs (machine heads on some examples). 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. Semi-hollow guitar serial numbers are found inside the 'top' F-hole on a label. The Gibson CF-100 was introduced in 1950 (the CF-100E was introduced 1951) and discontinued in 1960. This is a high-quality instrument. B-series Factory location: Grand Street, New York City from 1972 to 1973. It appears that they experimented right up to the point of discontinuing the line. . Bound rosewood fingerboard with small fret wire, clamshell tail piece with Morris inscribed. 1921 onward: Metal 90-degree pickguard support screwed into the body and additional screw to the neck. Identifying Vintage Guitars, Banjos & Mandolins - Acoustic Music the bins that were used to move instruments from . Download Old Banjo stock photos. Some early necks were cherry before 1912. 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. English mandolin banjo, by cuckoo, circa 1900s, of typical form, 'Cuckoo' imprinted on the headstock, 55 cm long American Orpheum mandolin banjo , by Rettberg & Lange, no. The tuners were individual Kluson with amber buttons. It would surprise me if there were 12 of those made as K banjos, however. Bridges: Ebony Sometimes with a flattened pyramid rectangular bridge shape. 340 Rosewood back & sides, MOP, colored wood appointments & a Tree-of-Life fretboard inlay. Like everything else, we have seen exceptions to the listed dimensions; especially the nut widths. As a vintage instrument dealer, I see no collectors market for banjos like yours. Bodies: Rosewood, oak, mahogany, koa and maple. Fairbanks & Vega banjos, Dating & Identifying - Mugwumps 30, 1909. I have never seen one like this in person or even a picture of one. S. S. Stewart Guitars Born of a Banjeau Maker You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/276603. Like everything else connected to instrument identification issues there are many exceptions. They had owner applied pick guards and multi-bound backs and tops (including red line highlights). Sunburst was the only finish available for the J-45 until much later as the sunburst finish can hide flaws in the wood; this was a significant advantage during WW2 when clear wood was being used for the war effort. Many banjo manufacturers, in addition to making banjos under their own names, made unmarked banjos for others to sell as well. How to Identify the Five-String Banjo - dummies So, take a look and . The neck heal had a white plastic cap. The bridge were early simple rectangular with through-saddles. During the Folk Boom of the 1960s, Gretsch produced a line of 5 string open back banjos with regular and long necks. Saga. You may, . Script Gibson logo, Fretboard: Twin parallelograms inlays unbound 19 fret. Yuletide. Gibson Headstock Logos thru the years in Pictures Deering Gabriella 5-string banjo headstock. The Gibson stamped on tailpiece cover and inlaid in headstock. Banjos with pegheads like that shown in the first picture below are usually made by Buckbee. Wyatt Fawley's banjo, model for the "Retrotone" banjo design : 1949 : 3399-86 -100 : 1-piece: Dots : I/N Auction 2/2007 with flathead ring from 1963 RB180 and 1959 RB100 neck : 1949 : 3399-90: RB-150: . Schall hardware is pretty unique and the fifth George Gruhns Guide to Vintage Guitars by George Gruhn and Walter Carter. Maybell was a Slingerland brand name. Gibson had helped in the war effort and seen many employees enlist. Generally harp guitars, L.H. Vintage Kay Company Banjo - Need Help Identifying Model - Discussion Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. Take your playing to the next level with the help of a local or online banjo teacher. CLB, Classic guitar of Brazilian rosewood, gold tuners. If1970s, would be Japanese, more likely. STONE BANJO CO - PEGHEAD SHAPES. The binding on the top is b/w. banjo headstock identification New guitars were supplied with user applied pick guards, and extra saddles of different heights that could be easily inserted to adjust the string action to accommodate the swelling of the instrument with seasonal humidity changes. If you count the plies in the rim it is about 12 or 13 which is what I have seen in a lot of Asian banjos. Mid 1921 through late 1930s: larger base with 2 feet, 3/8 adjustment wheels and wooden compensated bridge top. Thanks for the history, I always love the story. Gretsch was contracted to make banjos for them. To most people all banjos look (and sound) the same. Its price tag was $55 as compared to the Martin D-18 at $65 and D-28 at $100. G Edward Porgie - Posted - 06/16/2021: 14:40:30. Late 1930s through 1942: ? adjustment wheels 2 feet and extensions on top of the base for the wheels. The following are a rough guide. A flourish inlay under The Gibson in the headstock. I chose a .090 binding that is layered, for a nice pin-striped look and Stewart MacDonald Guitar Shop Supply makes the perfect set of bits for routing headstock for binding called Piloted Binding Router Bits. I'm thinking it was made by the Iida folks for a NAMM show or something. The ones up until 1924 had either at best a ball bearing tone ring -- spring loaded ball bearings with springs to keep the skin heads tight. Banjo not included or available. At the turn of the century, Orville Gibson was refining his notion of the superior mandolin: carved in the tradition of violins for greater volume and tone as well as comfort. It was available in red, black or two-tone sunburst finish, fleur-de-lis under The Gibson; Handel inlaid tuner buttons prior to 1916 (WWI) with a dotted + in each button. See also: Gibson J-160E for more historical context. Other attempts by Gibson to make-do with the materials available to them include laminated maback and sides finished in a dark mahogany stain and a few were built with a laminate maple back and a mahogany top. feature both a serial number and a FON. These were Gibsons first flat-top cutaways. Between 1975 and 1979, Gibson worked with Dr. Michael Kashas acoustic theories for guitar and Luthier Richard Schneiders design applications to create a unique instrument for the Gibson acoustic lineup. I have an open back banjo with a number 44 stamped in the ring, and May 2, 1899 carved in the support on the backside. The following numbers are the earliest known serial number for the year listed. JR, jumbo size guitar with East Indian rosewood back & sides, chrome tuners. He was also a guitar enthusiast with a passion for physical and psycho-acoustics. banjo headstock identificationleap year program in python using for loop. The Gibson LG series of flat-top guitars were developed as the natural evolution of the earlier L-Series. 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. Antique and Vintage Hall of Fame - Collectors Weekly Sunburst finish changes slightly: a cremona brown fading from the center amber to a reddish brown perimeter. Ironically, after almost 40 years of making some of the worlds finest banjos, the Bacon and Day banjos were the first to carry David L. Days name. The appointments roughly followed the Southerner Jumbo but the design was primarily electric: it had a 3-ply top with ladder bracing to reduce the low-end response for the single coil pickup placed at the base of the fretboard. For example: The custom series of Epiphone Texans built with cooperation from Paul McCartney: some were built in Bozeman Montana and some in Japan. The top and back bindings were black plastic with red line highlights. Higher grade models (such as the Super 400, L-5, J-200, etc.) The final production versions had a double-braced red spruce top and rosewood back and sides with a sunburst finish. Since Spruce was needed for the war-time effort, some J-45s in 1943 have a mahogany top. MK-53 models were maple back & sides, rosewood fingerboards with dot inlays & nickel hardware. Gold War era logo - This type is called "Banner logo". Mando-banjo identification [Archive] - Mandolin Cafe Forum I am the third owner, the previous owner researched it and, based on the serial number, headstock design and inlays declares it to be a 1976 Gibson RB 250 MASTERTONE model with the 20 hole metal tone ring. How to customize a Huber Banjo; . 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 . JM, jumbo size guitar with mahogany back & sides, chrome tuners. MK-35-12 models were only made in 1977. On 12 fret to the body guitars, in a break with tradition, the Larson brothers frequently inlayed the 10th fret instead of the ninth. Vintage mandolin, guitar-mandolin or banjo-mandolin $80 in depression era dollars was beyond the means of most people of the time but 300+/- were built during its 3 year production run. Body shape changed to square shoulder dreadnought. middle-sized, chrome tuners. Rated 5.00 out of 5. 1923 into 1970: 1 piece mahogany necks. The model started production in 1938 as Gibsons top-of-the-line flat top guitar. 118 Midtown Ct # M It is most common after 1923 when most Gibson model As had this shape. They did provide paper labels for the instrument that they represented but did not provide labels for custom instruments or other shops or manufacturers. Banjo serial numbers: During the 1920s, Gibson instruments were made in lots of 40s (for the most part, this procedure continues today). Starting in 1923, models included: the Silver Bell, the Super Banjo and the Blue Bell. Not many were sold and the production run was therefore limited to 2 years. They could be strung with steel or nylon strings. See more ideas about banjo, guitar inlay, mandolin. The tuners were individual. Michael Wright has compiled one of the largest picture galleries of headstock photos in his book "Guitar Stories Vol. Kluson tuners no longer had circle stamp (exposed gears riveted instead of screwed in place) and shaft size of 7/32 to save wartime metal. The FON is the only identification number on Gibson's lower grade models (like the ES-125, ES-140, J-160E, etc.) Each model of the Mark Series was available in natural or sunburst finish. Brown or black finish, some binding only on the top and in the soundhole with one ring around the soundhole. The later pickguard clamps have a stamped patent date of July 4, 1911. The A.C. Fairbanks Company (incorporated 1875) was succeeded in 1903 by the Vega Company (established 1889). Gibson TP-6 tailpiece became standard. Gibson style one piece flange, probably zinc, also Gibson style flange brackets, 4 resonator screws. Carl and August Larson built instruments between 1900 and 1944. The sides and back were tinted mahogany with a sunburst red spruce top. RRRR = Ranking number (may be more or less digits) Example: 3021234 = Samick Korea / 1993 / February / unit 1234. 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. PB -- plectrum banjo. MK-81 models were rosewood back & sides, ebony fingerboard with figured abalone block inlays & gold plated hardware. Some laminated maple necks with two walnut stripes down the center (5 piece neck), most with no truss rod (war time meallocations), Neck shape large and round (Baseball Bat) due to lack of truss rod, Poplar neck blocks. Dr. Michael Kasha was a chemical physicist and the director of the Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University. An entire bin was a "lot" and would contain It was Gibsons most prestigious solid body (and therefore expensive, with a couple of exceptions). There is a utility market though. Vintage Guitar - Parts and Identification - Hfner Gold-plated tuning gears, LOTS of abalone inlay. How did you come to own it? Format: 2 (Identifier) YY (Year) XXXX (Numerical ID) Example: Serial number . Banjo Head Types and Descriptions - Deering Banjo Company This was adapted to the mandolin over the next few years. 1968: Changed to a bottom belly bridge and 1960 style pickguard, 1969: Changed to a square shoulder dreadnaught, Original version: solid mahogany back but laminated mahogany sides, 1 piece mahogany neck & 17 degree headstock angle, Bound Brazilian fretboard with trapezoid inlayed markers, Individual Kluson tuners with white buttons later: keystone Pearloid buttons, P-90 single coil pickup with adjustable pole pieces. Sometimes (rarely) the labels are easy to read: the model and serial numbers hand-printed in ink and sometimes the information was written in pencil and is now barely legible. Gibson introduced their first adjustable belly bridge 2 screws to raise and lower the bridge. If the serial number is legible the instrument can be relatively easy to date. There is a Kay company logo on the headstock but absolutely no other identifying marks. The selected tuners varied randomly by model and year. The hardshell case had a green or red silk lining. Mid 1950s: the pickguard changed from the teardrop to the larger undulating shape like the pre-war J-35s. These digits should match the 4 digits found on the back of the peghead of your banjo. Our 19th Year * Sign Up Now The electronics cover on the back was matching solid figured maple. The 1975 price was $659. the teacher or distributor. serial number impressed to verso, 60 cm long Australian zither . It shared many features with the L-5 archtop electric acoustic: The neck was basically an L-5 neck in scale, section and detail. In 1893, he patented a banjo neck fitted with a channel for the 5th string to pass through so it could be tuned at the headstock instead of its usual location. The neck was a broad round profile single piece mahogany with a bound coffewood fretboard and dot markers. Some J-45 models with non-bookmatched two piece Adirondack spruce tops and some examples with four piece tops. The one delivered first to Ray Whitley was not the model now seen as the beginning of the Super Jumbos, but a simpler 12 fret version.