banjo headstock identification banjo headstock identification

Internally, changes from the J-35 included strengthening the top bracing by moving the X brace 1 additional inch behind the soundhole. . 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. target no need to return item. RRRR = Ranking number (may be more or less digits) Example: 3021234 = Samick Korea / 1993 / February / unit 1234. The further down the headstock the peg is, the shorter it will be. For a period of time, this was the top of the line. The centerline of the neck had the black inlay. set of identifying characteristics can be found at 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. Higher numbers also meant more money. The Southerner Jumbo (later shortened to: Southern Jumbo and then SJ) was a fancier J-45. It is not clear how many were made, but it is likely that there are less than 12. For more detailed information, get the following book: The Larsons Creations Guitars & Mandolins by Robert Carl Hartman. This was quickly reduced to avoid model confusion between the J-45s and the more expensive Southerner Jumbos. Skip to main content. 2: The Histories of Cool Guitars". Headstocks of US models also use the Gibson headstock shape. The Gibson CF-100 was introduced in 1950 (the CF-100E was introduced 1951) and discontinued in 1960. A simpler variation on the SJ-200 with fewer appointments and a lower price tag was the SJ-100. There's a small snag in the outer pocket webbing - otherwise it's like new. The neck heal had a white plastic cap. 2 foot pressed arm rest and flat head tone ring. Martin introduced the large body dreadnaught in 1932 It was bigger, bolder, and louder than anything Gibson had to offer. The 1975 price was $549. The current bridge height and neck angle was reached around 1910. The financial strain became too much and the company sold in 1940 to Gretsch. For example, one head might sound right for one player on a five string banjo, but be disappointing on another players tenor banjo. The flood of returning soldiers with a broader world-view brought new musical tastes and new hopes for the future. Another useful Instruction * ConcertsJams * More Gibson changed the name again in the 1950s to the SJ-200. Body designation Style designation, Serial number. and many were left unmarked. For sale for $50 cash, firm. By 1941, either natural or sunburst were available. They could be strung with steel or nylon strings. Please read the section on J-35s and J-55s as the J-45s and Southerner Jumbos replaced the earlier models it was a natural evolution. Inlays and bindings are remarkably consistent through the years. . 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. Following many prototypes, shapes and bracing patterns, the Mark Series was launched in 1975. 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. On rare occasions, some dates can be found on . 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. Headstocks say LoPrinzi. 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. They were popular with the Cowboy Singing Stars like Bob Baker (National Barn Dance WLS). The Gibson stamped on tailpiece cover. You'll find Epiphone serial numbers in the standard places. In 1947 the name changed to the J-200 and the standard back and sides became highly figured maple. Pearl twin parallelogram inlays, Bridges: Rosewood belly-down. B&D models stopped around 1968 following Baldwins (Gretschs parent company) 1967 purchase of the ODE company. The neck was a broad round profile single piece mahogany with a bound coffewood fretboard and dot markers. Introduced is the year of introduction. Dimensions: 16 wide, 10 1/4 long and 4 1/2 deep. 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. Research our price guide with auction results on 40 items from $35 to $2,928. Each model of the Mark Series was available in natural or sunburst finish. Gold War era logo - This type is called "Banner logo". Other Banjo-Related Topics First factory order number (FON) on neck block of J45s in 1942 was 907 and 923. It was initially called the De Luxe Jumbo for the few versions that were delivered before the model went into production. The L-5S was the first high end jazz solid body guitar. During the period of 1909 through 1920 Gibson produced large numbers of mandolins. Some rectangular examples, Headstock appointments: Decal Only a Gibson is Good Enough banner. made unmarked banjos for others to sell as well. The 1975 price was $1,999. Bodies: Rosewood, oak, mahogany, koa and maple. It was basically a slope shoulder dreadnaught like a J-45 or Southerner Jumbo and designed for the country and western market. The bridge was a small rectangular block type with a through saddle. Art Studios. 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. The somewhat radical headstock shape was discontinued at Gibson with the Mark Series but appears to have been an influence on the young Paul Reed Smith who later used a similar shape for his electric instruments. 1979 $1149 Antique Sunburst added to Fireburst, Cherry Sunburst and Natural. Gibson developed the truss rod in 1921. The examples weve seen vary from the Gibson catalogs quite a bit. Gretsch was contracted to make banjos for them. The sunburst finish was generally $30 less than natural finish. S3M, Size 3 guitar with mahogany back & sides. The decade following saw a change in finish from varnish to shinier lacquer. 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. The electric version included a P-90 pickup at the end of the soundboard like the later versions of the J-160E. Banjo not included or available. I'm leaning more in that direction. banjo headstock identification new harrisonburg high school good friday agreement, brexit June 29, 2022 fabletics madelaine petsch 2021 0 when is property considered abandoned after a divorce Carl and August Larson built instruments between 1900 and 1944. 1921 onward: Metal 90-degree pickguard support screwed into the body and additional screw to the neck. I'm thinking it was made by the Iida folks for a NAMM show or something. David L. Day was in his 70s. A total of 2,477 J-35s were made according to Gibson records. Prairie State instruments have the patented rod and/or tube reinforcing, occasionally found on other Larson built guitars. $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. These shoes are shown in an 1890s Washburn banjo catalog, on low end models with . The selected tuners varied randomly by model and year. 14" resonator on the banjo examined is probably non original (Korean). However there were and are many different types, most of which can be found on this page. The swing distance is important because it dictates how large a turned piece can be on that particular lathe. It was reintroduced in limited editions in 1991. B. Schall (1878-1907) manufactured many unmarked banjos for It might be a Fairbanks or Stewart, but there is no name anywhere on the instrument. 1908 into 1916: Elevated pickguards of plastic tortoise shell clamped to the body with a removable clamp and pinned to the bridge. 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. I have owned a beautiful Kay company banjo for over 30 years. Numerous articles in Vintage Guitar Magazine over the years. At least then you will know the model name. The second type of headstock, as you can tell by its name, is the angled or tilted-back headstock. the teacher or distributor. Late 1930s through 1942: ? adjustment wheels 2 feet and extensions on top of the base for the wheels. Have a vintage Harmony guitar? Gibson. 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. 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. It was Gibsons most prestigious solid body (and therefore expensive, with a couple of exceptions). The 5th string is not only shorter than the other four banjo strings, but this string is also the highest in sound (or pitch ). string peg perch is typically carved out from the side of the neck as shown FLC, Flamenco guitar with Canadian cypress back and sides, friction pegs (machine heads on some examples). Gibson had helped in the war effort and seen many employees enlist. Welcome to the Vintage Banjo Maker, please do sign up for email updates to keep in the loop about new additions to our research coming soon! 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. Materials and methods of production were reviewed and revised. Mid to late 1944, the neck block revert back to mahogany, though poplar is occasionally used. This was available in brown, black or blonde finish. They didnt sell well but did live up to their design intent of a heavier, booming tone with good overall balance. A maple, prewar style bluegrass banjo made like the classic banjos of the 1930's with the same materials and the same weight, design and features, the Golden Era is one of our most popular banjos for traditional bluegrass bands. Worthy of mention is the Jumbo Deluxe, though it is believed that only 3 were ever made in 1938. 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 are lightly arched, producing the deepest measurement in the center of the guitars body. Larger top braces used, and bigger solid wood bridge plate and larger bottom-belly bridge. Laminated maple back and sides is discontinued (FON batch 2828 used maple back and sides). Timing is everything In 1969 the Gibson parent company: Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) was acquired by the South American brewing conglomerate: E.C.L. JR, jumbo size guitar with East Indian rosewood back & sides, chrome tuners. 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. Some SJNs with plastic Special Bridges. For example: In general: Bacon serial numbers begin in 1906 (1 and 2 digit) and run consecutively until the sale of the company to Gretsch in 1940 (5 digit). It was available with a brown finish and came as a snakehead or paddle headstock. The early models had shallow neck sets and low bridges that increased in angle around 1908 with taller bridges. Like all other companies, there are exceptions. At least one model, the Epiphone Spirit, was manufactured in the USA during the early 1980s in the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, MI. Then Gibson developed the adjustable bridge. Acoustic guitars are punched inside the soundhole on a sticker behind the strings. New Location: banjos. Saga Bella Voce 70/80. Number on headstock, Open Back, Pink OHC liner, Klusons with white plastic buttons, bound f/b: I/N Auction 8/2007 : 1962 : 88909: RB-180 . I removed the resonator today and there is a hand written number 8 and that's it. The A.C. Fairbanks Company (incorporated 1875) was succeeded in 1903 by the Vega Company (established 1889). Depending on the selected source, there is disagreement about these numbers. The Mark Series guitars had 16 3/16 lower bouts with very narrow waists, and a headstock like no other in Gibson tradition. LoPrinzi Guitars Plainsboro, New Jersey AMF years (serial numbers: high 3,000 4,000s) Tom LoPrinzi was still with the company. CONTACT US; Headstock Shape. Martin introduced their versions of acoustic-electrics: the D-18E in 1958 and D-28E in 1959. They are very pricy at over $20.00 each, but worth it if you want . During the war years women played a greater role in manufacturing while young men were fighting overseas. Hard-stamped serial numbers. Mark Johnson; Regular Hours Mon-Fri: 10:00am-4:00pm Extended Hours January-April 8:30am-5:00pm; 239 West 400 North, Lindon UT; 801-785-3161 At the time, the Nick Lucas model was the largest flat-top Gibson offered. Features: Carved curly maple body, with ornate multilayer binding, laminated maple neck, ebony fingerboard with abalone block inlays, gold-plated hardware throughout, two gold plated pickups with separate volume and tone, three-way selector switch. I visited his place once when I was kid (probably mid - late 1970's) and his finished basement was filled with guitars, banjos, lots of different instruments. It's always made of hardwood such as ebony and makes up the front-facing top half of the banjo's neck. The early models had shallow neck sets that increased in angle around 1908. Tuners, hardware and tailpieces were probably purchased from Lyon and Healy who had a factory just down the street from the Larson shop. Pickguards between 1909 and 1921 +/- show a stamped patent date of Mar. The following are believed to be accurate known numbers: The following serial numbers are approximate at best. A head on a long neck open back banjo might sound completely different on a 12-string banjo. Music Love. Some banjo . The promotional material in the Gibson catalog of 1934 said: This greater body size produces a heavy, booming tone so popular with many players who do vocal and small combination accompaniment for both personal and radio appearances. Design your own Huber Banjo. gibson one-of-a-kind Christmas banjos! Its price tag was $55 as compared to the Martin D-18 at $65 and D-28 at $100. George Gruhns Guide to Vintage Guitars by George Gruhn and Walter Carter. They were mahogany back & sides with single layer binding front and back. The tuners were individual. The banjo's fingerboard is where the magic happens. When it came out in 1942 it was the most expensive Gibson flat-top in the line. Ironically, the script logo on the headstock was old-style. See also: Gibson J-160E for more historical context. Martin Guitars seemed to take note of the successful sales of the Gibson acoustic-electrics J-160E and CF-100Es. Information compiled by Leonard Wyeth 2008, L Wyeth, Century General Introduced 1933 for the Century of Progress Exhibition @ $55. The exceptions are those guitars sold by Selmer in the UK which will (probably) have a number stamped into the back of the headstock and guitars sold by Van Wouw in the Netherlands. Some rectangular examples, black bridge pins (2 pearl dots on rectangle bridge), Headstock appointments: gold decal: Only a Gibson is Good Enough banner. Identification. So far as I can find Gibson appears to have only made "Stewart" instruments for a couple of years in the early 1930s. They were now able to get better materials. ARIA 921C. The Lyon & Healy peghead shape used on most of banjos, not surprising since they bought out the Buckbee factory in 1898. The choice to discontinue the Mark Series had to do with the general turmoil of the Gibson company in the last years of ownership by Norlin. The numbers are preceded by letters: A, B, C, or D which indicate the series. (Folk Jumbo Natural and Folk-25). These bridges had movable saddles up to about 1917 when they changed to a one-piece compensating bridge design through early 1921. By 1939 the 3 tone bar system was reduced to 2 tone bars and the angle of the X braces change to approximately 95 degrees. MK-35-12 models were only made in 1977. Factory Order Numbers (FON) in the 2800s to 2900s and 300s to 500s and some in the 600-800s and 1000s range. Introduced August 1942 and J-45s are still available today. 1974 $895 This was the best sales year for the L-5S shipping 555 instruments. I doubt you'll find this in a catalog. their better banjos is also distinctive, with a small additional bump on either S2R, size 2 guitar with East Indian rosewood back & sides, chrome tuners. This moved the X away from the soundhole a bit. peghead shape. MK-53 models were maple back & sides, rosewood fingerboards with dot inlays & nickel hardware. DVD-quality lessons (including tabs/sheet music) available for immediate viewing on any device. The name variations included Bacon and Day and B&D for all the instruments co-developed by Fred Bacon and David Day. Bound rosewood fingerboard with small fret wire, clamshell tail piece with Morris inscribed. ss stewart presentation banjo - Google Search. There were some 1 3/4 nuts available. F Style mandolins have a carved nautilus shaped curl on the upper left-hand bout. 562 Standard size with rosewood back & sides, MOP and colored wood appointments. Ss. MK-72 models were rosewood back & sides, 3 piece ebony/rosewood fingerboards with dot inlays & nickel hardware. The intent is to provide a rough dating guide. Many banjo manufacturers, in addition to making banjos under their own names, They did provide paper labels for the instrument that they represented but did not provide labels for custom instruments or other shops or manufacturers. C-series Factory location: Hinsdale, New Hampshire from 1973 to 1979, D-series Factory location: West Sansei, New Hampshire from 1980 to 1981, The designation S refers to the body size: 2 & 3 (increasing with number value). middle-sized, chrome tuners. serial number impressed to verso, 60 cm long Australian zither . The public seems to have favored this shape over time as it fetches better prices now. Style Designations (There are many exceptions to the following). The hurricane of September 1938 destroyed the companys ability to manufacture anything. By the end in 1985-86, Gibson was basically down to the Les Paul model alone. Gibson had changed its neck profiles and headstock shape on the successful J-Series. Neck s/n DA5063 with L&B headstock inlay: T. Biggs : 1932 : 66-1: PB-3 : Shipped August 7, 1935: Gibson Shipping Ledger : 1932 : 66-2: PB-3: Flathead: 1-piece: On 12 fret to the body guitars, in a break with tradition, the Larson brothers frequently inlayed the 10th fret instead of the ninth. Gold-plated tuning gears, LOTS of abalone inlay. Intermediate Grade and Best Grade were generally X braced with laminated braces for added strength. JR3H, like JR, but with 3-piece back, herringbone binding & gold tuners. Its not clear how it works during this period. 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. Unfortunately, the information is confusing and inconsistent. Buy in monthly payments with Affirm on orders over $50. Though it was discontinued in 1942, the last Advanced Jumbo left the Kalamazoo plant in 1940. Headstocks say LoPrinzi. Take your playing to the next level with the help of a local or online banjo teacher. B-series Factory location: Grand Street, New York City from 1972 to 1973. Naming the parts of a banjo. Steel Guitar. Deering. better-grade offerings frequently had notched, rather than grooved stretcher When I look at the rim, tone ring, tube and plate, and tailpiece they look like the same ones on my Ibanez 591. The concept behind the J-45 was a high quality, affordable, big-sounding acoustic flat-top guitar. Brown or black finish, some binding only on the top and in the soundhole with one ring around the soundhole. Silkscreen logos - Low end models. There were 5226 made. ', 'Pisgah 12 Builders Choice Custom Walnut Dobson 5+1 String Banjo', 'Custom 12inch Billybilt Banjo w Figured Maple neck and Curly maple RIckard Pot and Balch head', '11inch Billybilt Banjo with Antique Spunover SS Stewart Pot and Curly Maple neck'. White from 1928 to 1943/44. Known Problems with Gretschs Serial Number System: Due to the various renumbering schemes, there are Gretsch-built Bacons and B&Ds with 3 digit, 4 digit and 5 digit serial numbers, which confuses identification of instruments made between 1910 and 1940. The name evolved from De Luxe Jumbo to Super Jumbo in 1939, and then to the Super Jumbo 200 (reflecting the price at the time, the case would be $28 extra). There can easily be more numbers within each year listed. banjo headstock identificationleap year program in python using for loop. The standard "Huber' shape, the popular "Double Cut" shape or the "Fiddle Cut" shape. It appears that many mandolin owners of earlier models chose to upgrade their bridges to the fancy new adjustable models after 1921. GB -- guitar banjo. George Youngblood of Youngbloods Music Workshop. Go back. Serial Numbers. 541 Concert: rosewood back & sides with colored wood appointments. Width at nut 1 11/16, scale 24 3/4. He was also a guitar enthusiast with a passion for physical and psycho-acoustics. Gibson Banjo Serial Number Factory Order Number Information; Pre-war banjos, Flathead, Mastertone. In late 1 the use of factory order numbers was discontinued. beautiful banjo. Banjo serial numbers: During the 1920s, Gibson instruments were made in lots of 40s (for the most part, this procedure continues today). To most people all banjos look (and sound) the same. 1946 onward: No feet the bottom of the bridge flush on the instrument top. MK-81 models were rosewood back & sides, ebony fingerboard with figured abalone block inlays & gold plated hardware. The Southerner Jumbos were the most expensive flat-top guitars Gibson offered at the time. This is a "fit-all" banjo case. The 1975 price was $439. Modern Gibson Logo open "b" and "o". The last of the Mark Series was built in 1979. The bridge were early simple rectangular with through-saddles. The L-series is very difficult to properly identify and date as they were inconsistent in their appointments and the catalog descriptions do not always agree with the actual instruments produced. Factory Order Numbers (FON) in the 2600s to 2700s. In some cases there are no pickguards. S3R3H, Like S3R, with 3-piece back, full herringbone binding, gold 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. ARCHIVED TOPIC: VINTAGE BANJO IDENTIFICATION. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. Gretsch started a new serial number system. 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. 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. The narrower guitar sizes allowed for available materials. The soundhole binding does not extend the full depth of the soundhole. Download Old Banjo stock photos. In general, higher model numbers meant more binding and ornament. Though there appear to be exceptions, necks between 1912 and 1923 are 3-piece mahogany. The tradition had been Bug style mandolins: bowl-backs with flat or bent tops. Banjo Headstock Designs. Huber Banjos offers our new owners the option of either customizing one of our stock models, or "designing your own dream banjo" from among the various wood and metal configurations, and the many . The individual artist's touch on the . Alternates can range from standard designs out there in the banjo world, old or new, or a custom. The fingerboard typically has inlays made of silver or steel. 156137I know this is a mandolin forum, but the admins suggested I start here. cases they carry no identifying name at all. This is a high-quality instrument. The tuners cogs are peened on the shafts (the peening sometihas a waffle design). GIBSON GARAGE FIND A DEALER GIBSON APP. The Gibson LG series of flat-top guitars were developed as the natural evolution of the earlier L-Series. Thanks for the feedback! The back and sides were still mahogany but the Southerner Jumbo had a dark wooden stripe separating the 2 back pieces. Gibson believed that these choices would allow them to focus on their more profitable lines. Edited by - mikehalloran on 12/27/2013 17:30:00, Charles in SC - Posted-12/27/2013: 20:38:42. There were 2 tone bars and a treble side X brace with a 102 degree angle about 1 below the 4 soundhole. The original price in 1942 was $45. One of the advantages of choosing a banjo made in a small shop environment is the easy availability of customization.