For more detailed information, get the following book: The Larsons Creations Guitars & Mandolins by Robert Carl Hartman. No serial numbers etc. This is a high-quality instrument. It is important to note that there are exceptions to every rule and the following is only a general guide for identifying Gibson "A" Style mandolins. MK-72 models were rosewood back & sides, 3 piece ebony/rosewood fingerboards with dot inlays & nickel hardware. 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. cases they carry no identifying name at all. Martin introduced the large body dreadnaught in 1932 It was bigger, bolder, and louder than anything Gibson had to offer. Brown or black finish, some binding only on the top and in the soundhole with one ring around the soundhole. The neck heal had a white plastic cap. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. 1923 into 1970: 1 piece mahogany necks. FLC, Flamenco guitar with Canadian cypress back and sides, friction pegs (machine heads on some examples). I have to say that it is most interesting. Serial Numbers. There were 1424 made. banjos, not surprising since they bought out the Buckbee factory in 1898. All listed sizes are for 12 fret to body models: These dimensions were similar for all Larson made instruments. Other Banjo-Related Topics Most Identify vintage banjo fleur de lis inlays on headstock & carved heel. The headstock face was veneered in black. Mid to late 1944, the neck block revert back to mahogany, though poplar is occasionally used. The 2nd delivery to Ray Whitley was the more refined 14 fret SJ that is so well photo-dicumented. The 1975 price was $549. At the time, the Nick Lucas model was the largest flat-top Gibson offered. The 5th string is a crucial distinguishing characteristic of the five-string banjo, both in the instrument's appearance and in the sound of the music. The necks were 1-piece mahogany V shape with a Brazilian rosewood fretboard at 12 radius. Every banjo has a story. Gold-plated tuning gears, LOTS of abalone inlay. These shoes are shown in an 1890s Washburn banjo catalog, on low end models with . During the period of 1902 to approximately 1909 the mandolins sported tailpiece covers with a curly top and internal white labels with an image of Orville Gibson holding a lyre mandolin. "F" Style mandolins have a carved nautilus shaped curl on the upper left-hand bout. 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. The Gibson stamped on tailpiece cover and inlaid in headstock. Prairie State instruments have the patented rod and/or tube reinforcing, occasionally found on other Larson built guitars. In 1935, binding was added to the fretboard. Check out our banjo decal selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our bumper stickers shops. You may, . There were many name variations for The Bacon Banjo Company, Inc. but it remained in Fred Bacons name from 1920 until the company closed in 1938. Unfortunately, the information is confusing and inconsistent. In any event, these should be used only as a guide and not assumed to be absolutely correct. department to department had 40 cubbyholes. The flood of returning soldiers with a broader world-view brought new musical tastes and new hopes for the future. Buckbee (1861-1897) banjos can frequently be identified by their Sometimes a higher model number means a bigger and fancier instrument but there does not appear to be a thoughtful of consistent method for ascribing model numbers. Its price tag was $55 as compared to the Martin D-18 at $65 and D-28 at $100. First factory order number (FON) on neck block of J45s in 1942 was 907 and 923. The top and back bindings were black plastic with red line highlights. 3 hrs, 'Pisgah 12 Builders Choice Custom Walnut Dobson 5+1 String Banjo' 3 hrs, 'Custom 12inch Billybilt Banjo w Figured Maple neck and Curly maple RIckard Pot and Balch head' 4 hrs, '11inch Billybilt Banjo with Antique Spunover SS Stewart Pot and Curly Maple neck' 4 hrs, I see no collectors market for banjos like yours.<, We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Like everything else connected to instrument identification issues - there are many exceptions. Acoustic Guitars. Gibson. This is a high-quality instrument. The fingerboard typically has inlays made of silver or steel. 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. Between 1974 and 1984 production of Gibson guitars was slowly being shifted from Kalamazoo MI to Nashville TN. CONTACT US; Headstock Shape. The name variations included Bacon and Day and B&D for all the instruments co-developed by Fred Bacon and David Day. 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. Introduced August 1942 and J-45s are still available today. 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 following are a rough guide. I wouldn't be surprised if a few exist with other brand names. Banjo not included or available. Take a closer look at the serial number found on the back of the headstock and reference the guide below. Why not post a little tune with it. (Numerical ID) Example: Serial number 0191456 = Harmony Standard Series guitar built in 2019. The decade following saw a change in finish from varnish to shinier lacquer. Towards the end, the line actually continued to increase in sales. It was intended to be more affordable and more readily available than its main competition: the Martin D-18. By 1941, either natural or sunburst were available. This should be considered a guide to get you within a year of the correct date. Body designations and style designations of Martin guitars are letter-number combinations separated by a hyphen. Vega continued to mark their banjos "A.C. Fairbanks" until the middle teens. 1978 $1079 Tobacco sunburst is dropped for Fireburst; Maple is now described as Natural. 2005-2023 acousticmusic.org. 1976 $929 In June of 1976 the price rose to $999, and two new finishes were added: tobacco sunburst and natural maple. It was Gibsons most prestigious solid body (and therefore expensive, with a couple of exceptions). $ 5,719.00 $ 5,149.00. The first number of the sequence indicates the decade of production, followed by the three digit day of the year, and finally the year. The appointments matched the MK-35 but the bracing was modified to accommodate the additional string tension of 12 strings. What's the history on the this jo, are you the original owner? They didnt sell well but did live up to their design intent of a. heavier, booming tone with good overall balance. bands even in the early 1890s. The original partners were Fred and Cassie Bacon and Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Winship. As for how I came to own the instrument, my grandmother's cousin was an instrument collector. Semi-hollow guitar serial numbers are found inside the 'top' F-hole on a label. They were now able to get better materials. Many banjo manufacturers, in addition to making banjos under their own names, As a vintage instrument dealer, I see no collectors market for banjos like yours. George Gruhns Guide to Vintage Guitars by George Gruhn and Walter Carter. Plectrum. At least one model, the Epiphone Spirit, was manufactured in the USA during the early 1980s in the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, MI. 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. The early models had shallow neck sets that increased in angle around 1908. 587 Similar to 585 but with pearl (vs ivoroid) tuner buttons. It might be a Fairbanks or Stewart, but there is no name anywhere on the instrument. Martin Flat Top Guitar Body Sizes and Designations: The body size designation is stamped on the neck block starting in October 1930. As a consequence, the details were grand in scale and the bindings high in contrast to look good in black and white on the silver screen. which do not feature a paper label. The original price in 1942 was $45. In some cases, teachers would purchase these instruments and put their own names on them, but in many other cases they carry no identifying name at all. The 1975 price was $879. There were 431 made. The first group in late 1936 had larger soundholes and long scales: 25 1/2. Your banjo is Asian made, likely Korea, but maybe Japan. The current bridge height and neck angle was reached around 1910. I just received this mando-banjo I bought on e-bay and I'm hoping someone can help me identify the builder. So far as I can find Gibson appears to have only made "Stewart" instruments for a couple of years in the early 1930s. They could be strung with steel or nylon strings. Skip to main content. Gibson had changed its neck profiles and headstock shape on the successful J-Series. It appears that many mandolin owners of earlier models chose to upgrade their bridges to the fancy new adjustable models after 1921. Research our price guide with auction results on 40 items from $35 to $2,928. During the period of 1909 through 1920 Gibson produced large numbers of mandolins. 2 foot pressed arm rest and flat head tone ring. The Advanced Jumbo has been described by some as the finest no compromises most powerful flat-top guitar Gibson ever designed and built. MIDWEST BANJO CAMPJune 1-4, 2023New Manchester, IN, 'Pisgah Banjo Co. raffle for Arnold Shultz Fund extended to March 10, 2023' 2 hrs, 'Pisgah Banjo Company banjo raffle extended to March 10' 2 hrs, 'Lost Indian: Samuel Bayard collection ' 3 hrs, 'Lost Indian: Samuel Bayard collection' 3 hrs, 'Flinthill FHB-300 - Killer bluegrass banjo for the money!' Dimensions: 16 wide, 10 1/4 long and 4 1/2 deep. The new design was thinner and much easier to handle and play. It worked. In 1947 a natural finish J-45 was finally offered and given the designation: J-50. The neck is the long piece of wood that attaches to the banjo body that guides the strings along the instrument's fretting surface (called the fingerboard ). All Rights Reserved. They were the J-45 and the Southerner Jumbo. One of the advantages of choosing a banjo made in a small shop environment is the easy availability of customization. their better banjos is also distinctive, with a small additional bump on either 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. In some cases, teachers would Our 19th Year * Sign Up Now Thanks for the history, I always love the story. Blake507 - Posted-12/26/2013: 15:42:17. This was quickly reduced to avoid model confusion between the J-45s and the more expensive Southerner Jumbos. Carl and August Larson built instruments between 1900 and 1944. These appear to be the easiest to find and quite reasonable to buy. Gibson Banjo Serial Number Factory Order Number Information; Pre-war banjos, Flathead, Mastertone. 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. MK-99 models were handcrafted and signed by Richard Schneider. 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 5th string is not only shorter than the other four banjo strings, but this string is also the highest in sound (or pitch ). PB -- plectrum banjo. The Gibson CF-100 was introduced in 1950 (the CF-100E was introduced 1951) and discontinued in 1960.