banjo headstock identification

Body designation Style designation, Serial number. The following versions evolved quickly to 14 frets clear of the body. Martins 1st steel string: 1922, 18 Mahogany body after 1917, no volute on headstock, 40 Rosewood body, MOP top & soundhole but not neck base, 41 Rosewood body, MOP top & soundhole but not neck base, 1969+ D-only, 42 Rosewood body, MOP top, soundhole & neck base but not sides, 45 Rosewood body, MOP top, soundhole, neck base & sides, S (1967 on) 12 fret neck, slotted headstock, Dyer (1906 1923?) "F" Style mandolins have a carved nautilus shaped curl on the upper left-hand bout. So, take a look and . The last of the Mark Series was built in 1979. 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. They did not imprint the instruments with any particular brand. 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. 519,409 In 1894, he patented this wild banjo with a neck that folds in on itself at the 10th fret in order to facilitate transportation. I like it. serial number impressed to verso, 60 cm long Australian zither . Manchester University, Instruction * ConcertsJams * More 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 . The fingerboard typically has inlays made of silver or steel. A head on a long neck open back banjo might sound completely different on a 12-string banjo. By 1936, with the depression still gripping the nation, Gibson moved to stay competitive and offer a more affordable option: The Advanced Jumbo (Advanced meaning that the size advanced: got bigger) with rosewood and fancier appointments that would compete with the Martin D-28 at $80 and the Jumbo 35 at $35 to compete with the Martin D-18. I'm thinking it was made by the Iida folks for a NAMM show or something. Numerous articles in Vintage Guitar Magazine over the years. AMF ceased production of LoPrinzi guitars. All Rights Reserved. There can easily be more numbers within each year listed. 1940: #1 or #001 to 1965: approximately #84xxx. 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. It was initially called the De Luxe Jumbo for the few versions that were delivered before the model went into production. The electronics cover on the back was matching solid figured maple. 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. If you would like to use content from this page, see our Terms of Usage policy. 1923 into 1970: 1 piece mahogany necks. MK-72 models were rosewood back & sides, 3 piece ebony/rosewood fingerboards with dot inlays & nickel hardware. He was also a guitar enthusiast with a passion for physical and psycho-acoustics. $ 5,719.00 $ 5,149.00. This makes up for the shallow break angle, and also does away with string trees, which are not needed in this case. The appointments of the Southerner Jumbo included more top binding and an additional set of rosette rings. I have never seen one like this in person or even a picture of one. The Maurer Company records have been lost. The top and back bindings were black plastic. Ebony Fretboards were generally thicker than other builders. The following numbers are the earliest known serial number for the year listed. 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. 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. RB -- regular banjo (5-string) TB -- tenor banjo. banjos, not surprising since they bought out the Buckbee factory in 1898. Prairie State instruments have the patented rod and/or tube reinforcing, occasionally found on other Larson built guitars. It was basically a slope shoulder dreadnaught like a J-45 or Southerner Jumbo and designed for the country and western market. Saga. Take your playing to the next level with the help of a local or online banjo teacher. The last 4 digits are a neck number. Several cost-cutting measures existed between the Advanced Jumbo and the J-35 including scalloped braces on the advanced Jumbo and not on the J-35. Some SJNs with plastic Special Bridges. 1976 $929 In June of 1976 the price rose to $999, and two new finishes were added: tobacco sunburst and natural maple. The numbers are preceded by letters: A, B, C, or D which indicate the series. This is a high-quality instrument. Maybell was a Slingerland brand name. Some examples had the black (skunk) strip down the middle of the top similar to the Southerner Jumbos. Where no serial numbers are shown they simply are not known. That way I'll be sure to hear it, since I will get a heads up when you post. Headstocks of US models also use the Gibson headstock shape. If you want to use any of this information: Western movies were tremendously popular and the singing cowboy heroes needed instruments as big and bold as untamed West. Presentation banjos often turned up at NAMMand other shows. These had black plastic laminate headstock overlays with Bacon engraved in blockletters and a small, metal plate engraved Bacon Folk Model. Sounds great and the instrument is very easy to play. 2 foot pressed arm rest and flat head tone ring. The original price in 1942 was $45. The Advanced Jumbo has been described by some as the finest no compromises most powerful flat-top guitar Gibson ever designed and built. New Location: David L. Day was in his 70s. The space between the headstock center and the top of the lathe bed is the radius of the lathe swing. Here's the photo gallery that I put together:velkdesign.com/assets/banjo/. Though there appear to be exceptions, necks between 1912 and 1923 are 3-piece mahogany. Thinner cog gears with no bevel on the edge of the cogs. banjo headstock identificationleap year program in python using for loop. 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. Some rectangular examples, black bridge pins (2 pearl dots on rectangle bridge), Headstock appointments: gold decal: Only a Gibson is Good Enough banner. Other similar details include: single-cutaway body, ebony fingerboard with block inlays, flowerpot headstock inlay, L-5 tailpiece with contrasting silver on gold with L-5 engraving (changed to TP-6 in 1978) and multilayer body binding throughout. The Mark Series, though not a wild success in terms of overall sales, did sell reasonably well. Its difficult to positively There were 1229 made. Towards the end, the line actually continued to increase in sales. This is a high-quality instrument. Format: 2 (Identifier) YY (Year) XXXX (Numerical ID) Example: Serial number . Steel Guitar. 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. The guitar designs, however, were not the problem. Between 1974 and 1984 production of Gibson guitars was slowly being shifted from Kalamazoo MI to Nashville TN. Though it has gone through a number of refinements over the years, the basic design has not changed since. At least then you will know the model name. For more detailed information, get the following book: The Larsons Creations Guitars & Mandolins by Robert Carl Hartman. Labels say: A. It might be a Fairbanks or Stewart, but there is no name anywhere on the instrument. Serial number records exist for instruments built before 1975 and after 1980. The top and back bindings were black plastic with red line highlights. . At least one model, the Epiphone Spirit, was manufactured in the USA during the early 1980s in the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, MI. There are no manufacture's labels or stamps on it. 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. Alternates can range from standard designs out there in the banjo world, old or new, or a custom. Starting in 1923, models included: the Silver Bell, the Super Banjo and the Blue Bell. Most information about Larson Brothers instruments comes from their catalog published around 1930. The Gibson stamped on tailpiece cover and inlaid in headstock. At the time, the Nick Lucas model was the largest flat-top Gibson offered. The first number of the sequence indicates the decade of production, followed by the three digit day of the year, and finally the year. Also, the first batch of J-45s had more binding both on the body and soundhole. I would sure like to hear what it sounds like. MK-53 models were maple back & sides, rosewood fingerboards with dot inlays & nickel hardware. They are essentially an Advanced Jumbo with minor compromises: they filled a gap between the J-35 and the J-55. In 1935, binding was added to the fretboard. The bracing for the new larger models was X braced: there were 3 transverse tone bars between the braces 1 more than the Martin as Gibson experimented with bracing design heavy enough to support the large tops and light enough to be resonant and responsive. Tuners, hardware and tailpieces were probably purchased from Lyon and Healy who had a factory just down the street from the Larson shop. The original partners were Fred and Cassie Bacon and Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Winship. The first versions of the Super Jumbo guitar had a neck joint with 12 frets clear of the body placing the moustache bridge geometrically in the center of the distinctly round 16 7/8 lower bout. Depending on the selected source, there is disagreement about these numbers. The following are believed to be accurate known numbers: The following serial numbers are approximate at best. The above Peghead Shapes are existing patterns. Similar to A, but with double purfling on the soundhole. Larrivee Serial Numbers (approximate). Michael Wright has compiled one of the largest picture galleries of headstock photos in his book "Guitar Stories Vol. Each type of banjo head has a unique contribution to your banjo's tone. The instruments had modified fan bracing and asymmetrical bridges. 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 These were Gibsons first flat-top cutaways. MIDWEST BANJO CAMPJune 1-4, 2023New Manchester, IN The necks were 1-piece mahogany V shape with a Brazilian rosewood fretboard at 12 radius. ARCHIVED TOPIC: VINTAGE BANJO IDENTIFICATION. These appear to have a unique serial number scheme. 340 Rosewood back & sides, MOP, colored wood appointments & a Tree-of-Life fretboard inlay. RRRR = Ranking number (may be more or less digits) Example: 3021234 = Samick Korea / 1993 / February / unit 1234. The second type of headstock, as you can tell by its name, is the angled or tilted-back headstock. 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! Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. Kay company banjos were normally not that high-quality but this one is different. identify the manufacturer of these banjos in many cases, but some identify The model started production in 1938 as Gibsons top-of-the-line flat top guitar. They did provide paper labels for the instrument that they represented but did not provide labels for custom instruments or other shops or manufacturers. I just received this mando-banjo I bought on e-bay and I'm hoping someone can help me identify the builder. 541 Concert: rosewood back & sides with colored wood appointments. thurgood marshall school of law apparel Projetos; bubble buster 2048 town Blog; cell defense the plasma membrane answer key step 13 Quem somos; how to make a good elder scrolls: legends deck Contato; hillsdale college football. 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. It had binding on front, back, soundhole and the fretboard; The Gibson inlaid into the headstock and a better grade of spruce top. 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. Gretsch used a new serial format showing: Month/Year/Production Number (3-4 digits), stamped as follows: Its not clear whether the 3-4 digit production number is the total production for the month or for the year. 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. First factory order number (FON) on neck block of J45s in 1942 was 907 and 923. Gibson started making banjos in 1917. The soundhole binding does not extend the full depth of the soundhole. Instrumental. Then Gibson developed the adjustable bridge. better-grade offerings frequently had notched, rather than grooved stretcher peghead shape. Intermediate Grade and Best Grade were generally X braced with laminated braces for added strength. The public seems to have favored this shape over time as it fetches better prices now. The intent is to provide a rough dating guide. The fingerboard was rosewood with 9 inlaid position markers. mikehalloran - Posted-12/27/2013: 17:21:06. MK-99 models were handcrafted and signed by Richard Schneider. 1972 L-5S launched, but shipping totals list no instruments being shipped until 1973. A Style mandolins were symmetrical and shaped like a teardrop. The rosettes were simple white-black-white. 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. 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. B-series Factory location: Grand Street, New York City from 1972 to 1973. CLM, Classical guitar with mahogany back and sides. It was available with a Snakehead and had a shaped fingerboard extension. These can exist on any model numbers including the A-jr. Some rectangular examples, Headstock appointments: Decal Only a Gibson is Good Enough banner. 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). Augustino & Thomas LoPrinzi Guitars usually have the date of manufacture on the label. Brown or black finish, some binding only on the top and in the soundhole with one ring around the soundhole. Though you were told there was only12 of this model made, it will not be any more valuable than if there 10,000 made. The sunburst finish was generally $30 less than natural finish. Our 19th Year * Sign Up Now It was bound on the top, back, sides and around the fretboard. Plectrum. Gold-plated tuning gears, LOTS of abalone inlay. Blake507 - Posted-12/26/2013: 15:42:17. A total of 2,477 J-35s were made according to Gibson records. Yet somehow, there's a certain cool factor to this one. Many have no identification at all. Augustino LoPrinzi has developed a fine reputation for classical guitars, ukuleles, steel string and 12-string guitars. A2-Zs were theoretically made during the Loar period of 1921-25, but only between 1923 and 1924. 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. Between 1934 and 1938, Gibson only offered the sunburst finish. ARCHIVED TOPIC: Vintage Kay Company Banjo - Need Help Identifying Model, Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. There is a Kay company logo on the headstock but absolutely no other identifying marks. 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. In any event, these should be used only as a guide and not assumed to be absolutely correct. I have owned a beautiful Kay company banjo for over 30 years. PB -- plectrum banjo. 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 Sha-Sw. T-V. W-Y. For a period of time, this was the top of the line. Jun 24, 2020 - The Art of Banjo Headstocks. There were some 1 3/4 nuts available. Deering. A-series Factory location: New York City from start to 1971. Most old Hfners do not have serial numbers. Like everything else connected to instrument identification issues there are many exceptions. When I look at the rim, tone ring, tube and plate, and tailpiece they look like the same ones on my Ibanez 591. Skip to main content. During 1880-1890 Fairbanks joined with William A. Cole, a successful performer and teacher, and produced approximately 9000 banjos as Fairbanks & Cole. Similar to A-2 but with snakehead headstock, blonde finish, b/w binding, and A2-Z on the label. Buckbee (1861-1897) banjos can frequently be identified by their There were 431 made. There is a utility market though. If you have additional information or corrections, please contact us. The grade of top wood was tighter grained. Gibson developed the truss rod in 1921. Go back. All Rights Reserved. They are available for binding that is .060 and .090 binding. For example, one head might sound right for one player on a five string banjo, but be disappointing on another players tenor banjo. The final production versions had a double-braced red spruce top and rosewood back and sides with a sunburst finish. George Youngblood of Youngbloods Music Workshop. Another useful LoPrinzi Guitars Plainsboro, New Jersey AMF years (serial numbers: high 3,000 4,000s) Tom LoPrinzi was still with the company. In 1923 it appears that Gibson began to assemble A-2s with left-over blonde tops from A-3s. The early models had shallow neck sets that increased in angle around 1908. The saddles were wider than usual. Gretsch appears to have started a new numbering system at about that time. There was a line of black inlay (or ebony layer) along the centerline of the back of the neck. It appears that many mandolin owners of earlier models chose to upgrade their bridges to the fancy new adjustable models after 1921. Augustino LoPrinzi Guitar Maker Clearwater Florida (LoPrinzi name bought back from AMF) Instruments designed and built by Augustino and Donna LoPrinzi (daughter). The J-160E was Gibsons second design for an electric flat-top guitar following the CF-100. The Mark Series guitars had 16 3/16 lower bouts with very narrow waists, and a headstock like no other in Gibson tradition. 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.

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