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1890s into 1907: Inlaid into the top of the instrument. MK-35 models were mahogany back & sides, rosewood fingerboards with dot inlays & nickel hardware. which do not feature a paper label. 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. The Gibson Super Jumbo first appeared in 1937. Late 1960's Gibson Logo around 1969 with no dot over the "i". The last 4 digits are a neck number. My understanding is that only 12 of these particular banjos were ever manufactured by Kay. Serial Numbers. 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. These can exist on any model numbers including the A-jr. Maybell was a Slingerland brand name. 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. Early 1970's block shaped no dot over the "i" closed "b" and . Gibson Banjo Serial Number Factory Order Number Information; Pre-war banjos, Flathead, Mastertone. The 1934 was single bound, front and back with dot markers on the rosewood fretboard and a horizontal script logo inlay on the headstock. 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. Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. They could be strung with steel or nylon strings. 1921 onward: Metal 90-degree pickguard support screwed into the body and additional screw to the neck. ARCHIVED TOPIC: VINTAGE BANJO IDENTIFICATION. The Gibson stamped on tailpiece cover. A Style mandolins were symmetrical and shaped like a teardrop. They had dot markers on the fretboard and a moustache bridge with individual adjusters on each string. Starting in 1923, models included: the Silver Bell, the Super Banjo and the Blue Bell. 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. ECL changed its name shortly afterwards to: Norlin Inc. for ECL president Norton Stevens and CMI president Maurice Berlin. S2M, size 2 guitar with mahogany back & sides. 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. Identify vintage banjo fleur de lis inlays on headstock & carved heel. CUSTOMER SERVICE. Some rectangular examples, black bridge pins (2 pearl dots on rectangle bridge), Headstock appointments: gold decal: Only a Gibson is Good Enough banner. Body designations and style designations of Martin guitars are letter-number combinations separated by a hyphen. The Southerner Jumbos were the most expensive flat-top guitars Gibson offered at the time. It is, therefore, not unusual to find older mandolins with replacement bridges. The necks and heels were rounder. There are no manufacture's labels or stamps on it. It was available with a Snakehead and had a shaped fingerboard extension. serial number impressed to verso, 60 cm long Australian zither . Dr. Michael Kasha was a chemical physicist and the director of the Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University. Some FONs for 1942 include 7116-7119, 7434, 7705, 7721, 907, 910, 923, 928, 2004-2006, 2059, 2098, 2110, 2119. How to customize a Huber Banjo; . A-series Factory location: New York City from start to 1971. Gibson hoped to score the same type of success that had occurred with Lloyd Loar in the 1920s: redefining the acoustic guitar for generations to come. The guitar designs, however, were not the problem. Body designation Style designation, Serial number. The FON is the only identification number on Gibson's lower grade models (like the ES-125, ES-140, J-160E, etc.) Vega continued to mark their banjos "A.C. Fairbanks" until the middle teens. Tstyle of tuner lasts into early 1943 (FON 2221 last documented series with this tuner style), Late 1942 poplar neck blocks (Late 1942 FON 2119 with FON 2143 being the last documented series with mahogany neck block.). If the fretboard was bound, they generally added a stripe of black under the side binding. If the serial number is legible the instrument can be relatively easy to date. Ironically, the script logo on the headstock was old-style. 1908 into 1916: Elevated pickguards of plastic tortoise shell clamped to the body with a removable clamp and pinned to the bridge. Semi-hollow guitar serial numbers are found inside the 'top' F-hole on a label. One of the advantages of choosing a banjo made in a small shop environment is the easy availability of customization. 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 early models had shallow neck sets that increased in angle around 1908. Some examples had the black (skunk) strip down the middle of the top similar to the Southerner Jumbos. Other Banjo-Related Topics Since that day in 1989, Deering has breathed new life into the Vega name, blending over a century of tradition with Deering's banjo building expertise, to create a range of heritage rich open back and longneck banjos that are as integral to the modern folk . Numerous articles in Vintage Guitar Magazine over the years. Example of custom shape is well represented below with the "Tennessee Banjo". The tuners cogs are peened on the shafts (the peening sometihas a waffle design). The individual artist's touch on the . The financial strain became too much and the company sold in 1940 to Gretsch. Similar to A, but with double purfling on the soundhole. identify the manufacturer of these banjos in many cases, but some identify S3R3H, Like S3R, with 3-piece back, full herringbone binding, gold tuners. During 1880-1890 Fairbanks joined with William A. Cole, a successful performer and teacher, and produced approximately 9000 banjos as Fairbanks & Cole. FLC, Flamenco guitar with Canadian cypress back and sides, friction pegs (machine heads on some examples). Following many prototypes, shapes and bracing patterns, the Mark Series was launched in 1975. It might be a Fairbanks or Stewart, but there is no name anywhere on the instrument. That being said, and allowing for the large numbers of prototypes and other Gibson anomalies, the following can be used s a guide to help get close to a proper model identification and its year of production. 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 It had chrome plated standard friction pegs, rosewood finished neck and headstock with matchin resonator. 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. Headstocks say LoPrinzi. It was bound on the top, back, sides and around the fretboard. New Location: This moved the X away from the soundhole a bit. This was available in brown, black or blonde finish. CONTACT US; Headstock Shape. 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. I'm leaning more in that direction. The J-160E was Gibsons second design for an electric flat-top guitar following the CF-100. in the third row of pictures below: Lyon & Healy (1864-1940) made many grades of banjos in many styles, There is a Kay company logo on the headstock but absolutely no other identifying marks. The current bridge height and neck angle was reached around 1910. It shared many features with the L-5 archtop electric acoustic: The neck was basically an L-5 neck in scale, section and detail. Banjo not included or available. Prairie State instruments have the patented rod and/or tube reinforcing, occasionally found on other Larson built guitars. Some SJNs with plastic Special Bridges. On rare occasions, some dates can be found on . The 5th string on a banjo lies within easy reach of the right-hand . However there were and are many different types, most of which can be found on this page. It is very showy though. I'll have to record it and post a tune. the bins that were used to move instruments from . The selected tuners varied randomly by model and year. The soundhole binding does not extend the full depth of the soundhole. Materials and methods of production were reviewed and revised. They are very pricy at over $20.00 each, but worth it if you want . The standard early Gibson A models had a soft V shaped neck. Why not post a little tune with it. The 1934 version had a classic Gibson sunburst: the small amber center around the bridge about 1/4 of the top area. The fingerboard was rosewood with 9 inlaid position markers. S3R, Size 3 guitar with East Indian rosewood back & sides, chrome tuners. (Numerical ID) Example: Serial number 0191456 = Harmony Standard Series guitar built in 2019. Q: What is the first step in determining the age of my banjo? 615-264-4959. Cherry Sunburst is still available. There are also examples of A-2Zs without the Z on the lable but still sporting the black perfling line. The bridge was a small rectangular block type with a through saddle. So far as I can find Gibson appears to have only made "Stewart" instruments for a couple of years in the early 1930s. set of identifying characteristics can be found at CLM, Classical guitar with mahogany back and sides. In 1987, after the Gretsch family had re-acquired their name, re-introduced the B&D Silver Bell but the market didnt seem to care. The LG-Series is 2 narrower than the J-Series. gibson one-of-a-kind Christmas banjos! They are essentially an Advanced Jumbo with minor compromises: they filled a gap between the J-35 and the J-55. 1923 into 1970: 1 piece mahogany necks. banjo headstock identificationleap year program in python using for loop. Its not clear how it works during this period. 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. Heads have different effects on different kinds of banjos. The Lyon & Healy peghead shape used on most of The headstock face was veneered in black. No binding, no inlay and no decoration. Yes, paging Scott to the Collector's Corner, please. The appointments of the Southerner Jumbo included more top binding and an additional set of rosette rings. JR3H, like JR, but with 3-piece back, herringbone binding & gold tuners. F Style mandolins have a carved nautilus shaped curl on the upper left-hand bout. 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! Each model of the Mark Series was available in natural or sunburst finish. Many have no identification at all. At least one model, the Epiphone Spirit, was manufactured in the USA during the early 1980s in the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, MI. The 1975 price was $879. 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. Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. Gretsch was contracted to make banjos for them. 1975 $899 The first catalog appearance of the L-5S was in the 1975 Gibson Solid Body catalog. The intent is to provide a rough dating guide. Kay company banjos were normally not that high-quality but this one is different. Martin introduced the large body dreadnaught in 1932 It was bigger, bolder, and louder than anything Gibson had to offer. and many were left unmarked. There's a small snag in the outer pocket webbing - otherwise it's like new. I just received this mando-banjo I bought on e-bay and I'm hoping someone can help me identify the builder. The headstock shape is very similar and it has the hexnut . This is the smallest model, chrome tuners. The following site helps identify the labels with the date and location of production: All Gurian Guitars have serial numbers stamped on the neck block in characters visible through the soundhole. (Folk Jumbo Natural and Folk-25). The Mark Series, though not a wild success in terms of overall sales, did sell reasonably well. B-series Factory location: Grand Street, New York City from 1972 to 1973. Some J-45 models with non-bookmatched two piece Adirondack spruce tops and some examples with four piece tops. The fingerboard typically has inlays made of silver or steel. You may, . better-grade offerings frequently had notched, rather than grooved stretcher It is not clear how many were made, but it is likely that there are less than 12. The decade following saw a change in finish from varnish to shinier lacquer. By the end in 1985-86, Gibson was basically down to the Les Paul model alone. During 1942 two new models were introduced to the Gibson line-up to replace the J-35 and J-55. bands even in the early 1890s. To most people all banjos look (and sound) the same. 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. A head on a long neck open back banjo might sound completely different on a 12-string banjo. The hardshell case had a green or red silk lining. Frets refers to the number of frets that are clear of the body. The first Gibson J45 guitars were only slightly different from the discontinued J-35. A-3s had refrigerator white tops with a black perfling line, adjustable truss rods and adjustable bridges. 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. The other digits in the serial number can tell you when your banjo was made. The public seems to have favored this shape over time as it fetches better prices now. Then Gibson developed the adjustable bridge. 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.