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Have a vintage Harmony guitar? A New Leaf from Steven Moore. The original price in 1942 was $45. I like it. I have never seen one like this in person or even a picture of one. Dr. Michael Kasha was a chemical physicist and the director of the Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University. This should be considered a guide to get you within a year of the correct date. However there were and are many different types, most of which can be found on this page. Between 1974 and 1984 production of Gibson guitars was slowly being shifted from Kalamazoo MI to Nashville TN. Intermediate Grade and Best Grade were generally X braced with laminated braces for added strength. Labels say: A. To complicate matters, the Larson brothers appear to have used different numbering techniques for different brands that they supplied. This makes up for the shallow break angle, and also does away with string trees, which are not needed in this case. Late 1930's Thicker Gibson Logo. 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 So, take a look and . Gibson believed that these choices would allow them to focus on their more profitable lines. This is a "fit-all" banjo case. At least one model, the Epiphone Spirit, was manufactured in the USA during the early 1980s in the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, MI. Similar to A-2 but with snakehead headstock, blonde finish, b/w binding, and A2-Z on the label. No binding, no inlay and no decoration. Headstocks say LoPrinzi. When I look at the rim, tone ring, tube and plate, and tailpiece they look like the same ones on my Ibanez 591. The A.C. Fairbanks Company (incorporated 1875) was succeeded in 1903 by the Vega Company (established 1889). World War II changed many aspects of the guitar world. I'm thinking it was made by the Iida folks for a NAMM show or something. The neck was basically the neck stocks from the L-5 archtop: 3 ply maple with single wide bound scalloped fretboard ends and headstocks and the early models had the L-5 flowerpot inlay on the headstock. The banjo's fingerboard is where the magic happens. The 5th string is not only shorter than the other four banjo strings, but this string is also the highest in sound (or pitch ). Frets refers to the number of frets that are clear of the body. Heads have different effects on different kinds of banjos. 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.). banjos, not surprising since they bought out the Buckbee factory in 1898. Acoustic Guitars. The electronics cover on the back was matching solid figured maple. They had dot markers on the fretboard and a moustache bridge with individual adjusters on each string. 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. Size 3 Gurian, either acoustic or amplified. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright 2023 Banjo Hangout. Inlays and bindings are remarkably consistent through the years. of their later banjos had elite tailpieces, Orpheum-like hardware, and long, I just received this mando-banjo I bought on e-bay and I'm hoping someone can help me identify the builder. 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. First factory order number (FON) on neck block of J45s in 1942 was 907 and 923. Angled (Tilted-Back) Headstock. The tuners cogs are peened on the shafts (the peening sometihas a waffle design). The Mark Series guitars were particularly interesting among the Gibson flat tops made in the 1970s due to their unique bracing. Most old Hfners do not have serial numbers. Gibson style one piece flange, probably zinc, also Gibson style flange brackets, 4 resonator screws. They didnt sell well but did live up to their design intent of a. heavier, booming tone with good overall balance. Slanted mid 1940's Gibson Logo. Gibson Banjo Serial Number Factory Order Number Information; Pre-war banjos, Flathead, Mastertone. Download Old Banjo stock photos. 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. Western movies were tremendously popular and the singing cowboy heroes needed instruments as big and bold as untamed West. Lyon & Healy routinely used talon or patent 1897 To accommodate the pickup, the standard production neck was pushed up to a neck-body joint at the 15th fret. The numbers are preceded by letters: A, B, C, or D which indicate the series. The second type of headstock, as you can tell by its name, is the angled or tilted-back headstock. CLM, Classical guitar with mahogany back and sides. 1972 L-5S launched, but shipping totals list no instruments being shipped until 1973. and What's it sound like? STONE BANJO CO - PEGHEAD SHAPES. If the fretboard was bound, they generally added a stripe of black under the side binding. Like everything else connected to instrument identification issues - there are many exceptions. 1916 into 1921: the pin to the bridge was dropped. The more economical Student Grade instruments were often ladder braced. Acoustic guitars are punched inside the soundhole on a sticker behind the strings. $ 5,719.00 $ 5,149.00. The saddles were wider than usual. 1940: #1 or #001 to 1965: approximately #84xxx. MK-99 models were handcrafted and signed by Richard Schneider. Augustino LoPrinzi has developed a fine reputation for classical guitars, ukuleles, steel string and 12-string guitars. target no need to return item. S2R3H, identical to S2R, but with 3-piece back, full herringbone purflings, gold tuners. The 1975 price was $549. 1921 onward: Metal 90-degree pickguard support screwed into the body and additional screw to the neck. Serial numbers are addressed elsewhere on the web site but can be found also on Gibsons website and George Gruhn & Walter Carters book: Gruhns Guide to Vintage Guitars. There is a steel tone ring on the maple rim, and the rim has a maple cap. Due to the plain marks on the bracing, it is believed that every top was tuned by the same Gibson employee. Factory Order Numbers (FON) in the 2800s to 2900s and 300s to 500s and some in the 600-800s and 1000s range. It took Gibson 2 years to develop their response: The Jumbo of 1934. Art Studios. It was available with a Snakehead and had a shaped fingerboard extension. All Rights Reserved. Then Gibson developed the adjustable bridge. The later pickguard clamps have a stamped patent date of July 4, 1911. It marked the beginning of a new era for Gibson. Mismanagement was so severe during the final Norlin years that the Gibson Guitar Corp. was within 3 months of going out of business when it was bought by young Harvard Business grads: Henry E. Juszkiewicz, David H. Berryman and Gary A. Zebrowski in January of 1986. I have to say that it is most interesting. George Youngblood of Youngbloods Music Workshop. See more ideas about banjo, guitar inlay, mandolin. The further down the headstock the peg is, the shorter it will be. Timing is everything In 1969 the Gibson parent company: Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) was acquired by the South American brewing conglomerate: E.C.L. Most information about Larson Brothers instruments comes from their catalog published around 1930. Following many prototypes, shapes and bracing patterns, the Mark Series was launched in 1975. and many were left unmarked. 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. They did not imprint the instruments with any particular brand. their better banjos is also distinctive, with a small additional bump on either Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. Bodies: Rosewood, oak, mahogany, koa and maple. They were the J-45 and the Southerner Jumbo. A Style mandolins were symmetrical and shaped like a teardrop. Ironically, the script logo on the headstock was old-style. What's the history on the this jo, are you the original owner? The headstock shape is very similar and it has the hexnut . The fingerboard typically has inlays made of silver or steel. beautiful banjo. (Folk Jumbo Natural and Folk-25). The braces were generally thin and numerous compared with other manufacturers. 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. Starting in 1977, Gibson adopted the current date-based serial system which codes for the year and day of production. 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. For example, one head might sound right for one player on a five string banjo, but be disappointing on another players tenor banjo. made unmarked banjos for others to sell as well. RB -- regular banjo (5-string) TB -- tenor banjo. The original partners were Fred and Cassie Bacon and Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Winship. These were Gibsons first flat-top cutaways. Some J-45 models with non-bookmatched two piece Adirondack spruce tops and some examples with four piece tops. The Jumbos had a slight V shaped neck with the Gibson truss rod and a pointed French heal somewhat unusual for Gibson. There can easily be more numbers within each year listed. 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. The rosettes were simple white-black-white. 615-264-4959. 1975 $899 The first catalog appearance of the L-5S was in the 1975 Gibson Solid Body catalog. The hardshell case had a green or red silk lining. Silkscreen logos - Low end models. By the records, between 200 and 300 were built. This is the smallest model, chrome tuners. The 1975 price was $879. 1979 $1149 Antique Sunburst added to Fireburst, Cherry Sunburst and Natural. banjos. The public seems to have favored this shape over time as it fetches better prices now. The 5th string on a banjo lies within easy reach of the right-hand . Late 1930s through 1942: ? adjustment wheels 2 feet and extensions on top of the base for the wheels. 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 . The narrower guitar sizes allowed for available materials. It worked. About Larrive Guitar Labels 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. These shoes are shown in an 1890s Washburn banjo catalog, on low end models with . (The 1st year of the J-45 actually had similar appointments but they were reduced and simplified for model clarity in 1943). Gibson Banjos 1925 and Later: . Like everything else connected to instrument identification issues there are many exceptions. These instruments live a bit outside that critique. Identify vintage banjo fleur de lis inlays on headstock & carved heel. It appears that many mandolin owners of earlier models chose to upgrade their bridges to the fancy new adjustable models after 1921. 2 foot pressed arm rest and flat head tone ring. mikehalloran - Posted-12/27/2013: 17:21:06. Your banjo is Asian made, likely Korea, but maybe Japan. Where no serial numbers are shown they simply are not known. The grade of top wood was tighter grained. 1890s into 1907: Inlaid into the top of the instrument. Late 1960's Gibson Logo around 1969 with no dot over the "i". The binding on the top is b/w. Ohio banjo player Steven Moore has his first solo project, Just a Little Talk with Myself, just recently released. . It appears that they experimented right up to the point of discontinuing the line. Between 1934 and 1938, Gibson only offered the sunburst finish. The name variations included Bacon and Day and B&D for all the instruments co-developed by Fred Bacon and David Day. serial number impressed to verso, 60 cm long Australian zither . 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 . 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. The top and back bindings were black plastic with red line highlights. Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee 30, 1909. 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). They were well suited for orchestral arrangements as well as individual play and accompaniment. 562 Standard size with rosewood back & sides, MOP and colored wood appointments. The neck was a broad round profile single piece mahogany with a bound coffewood fretboard and dot markers. They did provide paper labels for the instrument that they represented but did not provide labels for custom instruments or other shops or manufacturers. Back & Sides: Mahogany but some released as Brazilian rosewood. Never seen one with an inlay on the back of the neck. After October 1930 the body and style designations and the serial number appears stamped on the neck blocks: Since the Larson brothers built guitars for many brand names, identification can be difficult, but there are a number of stylistic and structural building techniques that help narrow the exercise. My understanding is that only 12 of these particular banjos were ever manufactured by Kay. 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. Prairie State instruments have the patented rod and/or tube reinforcing, occasionally found on other Larson built guitars. 1974 $895 This was the best sales year for the L-5S shipping 555 instruments. Yes, please do post your tune here on this page. 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. Saga. Body designation Style designation, Serial number. The Lyon & Healy peghead shape used on most of The swing distance is important because it dictates how large a turned piece can be on that particular lathe. Its price tag was $55 as compared to the Martin D-18 at $65 and D-28 at $100. USA produced Epiphones of this era bear standard Gibson serialization and include the "Made in USA" stamp on the back of the headstock. 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 body dimensions basically match the LG-series: 14 1/8 wide by 19 1/2 long by 4 1/2 deep. 3 special model, serial number 8382, New York, circa 1920s, intricate abalone shell inlay to fingerboard and headstock which also bears the Company logo. Yes, paging Scott to the Collector's Corner, please. The standard early Gibson A models had a soft V shaped neck. The 1975 price was $439. It was built for Hollywood singing star Ray Whitley as the worlds biggest and fanciest acoustic guitar. Plectrum. If you want to use any of this information: It was reintroduced in limited editions in 1991. Gibson had changed its neck profiles and headstock shape on the successful J-Series. These bridges had movable saddles up to about 1917 when they changed to a one-piece compensating bridge design through early 1921. Gretsch was contracted to make banjos for them. The model started production in 1938 as Gibsons top-of-the-line flat top guitar. The 2nd delivery to Ray Whitley was the more refined 14 fret SJ that is so well photo-dicumented. Instrumental. 541 Concert: rosewood back & sides with colored wood appointments. Some rectangular examples, Headstock appointments: Decal Only a Gibson is Good Enough banner. identify the manufacturer of these banjos in many cases, but some identify S2R, size 2 guitar with East Indian rosewood back & sides, chrome tuners. Maybell was a Slingerland brand name. Kay company banjos were normally not that high-quality but this one is different. B&D models stopped around 1968 following Baldwins (Gretschs parent company) 1967 purchase of the ODE company. J-L. M. N-P. Q-Sch. There are no manufacture's labels or stamps on it. Steel Guitar. There were 5226 made. Grupo Musical. 1976 $929 In June of 1976 the price rose to $999, and two new finishes were added: tobacco sunburst and natural maple. My understanding is that only 12 of these particular banjos were ever manufactured by Kay. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/276603. In mid 1944 bookmatched two piece Sispruce tops reappear. 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. LoPrinzi Rosemont, New Jersey built by Augustino LoPrinzi (and apprentices) with Augustino on the headstocks. The exceptions were in 1979/1980 when the very fine Flying VII and active Les Paul Artist models were available; both were between $50 and $100 more, and were deleted almost as quickly as they dbuted. Michael Wright has compiled one of the largest picture galleries of headstock photos in his book "Guitar Stories Vol. I removed the resonator today and there is a hand written number 8 and that's it. The tradition had been Bug style mandolins: bowl-backs with flat or bent tops. the teacher or distributor. Though you were told there was only12 of this model made, it will not be any more valuable than if there 10,000 made. It had chrome plated standard friction pegs, rosewood finished neck and headstock with matchin resonator. It is very showy though. In 1935, binding was added to the fretboard. There's a small snag in the outer pocket webbing - otherwise it's like new. As for how I came to own the instrument, my grandmother's cousin was an instrument collector. 585 Grand Concert: rosewood back & sides, MOP, colored wood appointments and a Tree-of-Life fretboard inlay. The top and back bindings were black plastic. Gold-plated tuning gears, LOTS of abalone inlay. 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. 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. expressed on the sides and back of the 1934 versions. At the time, the Nick Lucas model was the largest flat-top Gibson offered. The pot fairly screams Iida to me. The 1975 price was $659. 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. 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. I would sure like to hear what it sounds like. AMF ceased production of LoPrinzi guitars. Late 1940's "i" touches the "G" on "Modern" non cursive/script Gibson Logo. In 1923 it appears that Gibson began to assemble A-2s with left-over blonde tops from A-3s. 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. They are very pricy at over $20.00 each, but worth it if you want . Banjo not included or available. RRRR = Ranking number (may be more or less digits) Example: 3021234 = Samick Korea / 1993 / February / unit 1234. Towards the end, the line actually continued to increase in sales. Banjo serial numbers: During the 1920s, Gibson instruments were made in lots of 40s (for the most part, this procedure continues today). Description: Internally constructed from dense EPS foam, the exterior of this Gator banjo case is covered in rugged 600-denier ballistic . $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. Manchester University, Instruction * ConcertsJams * More CMI acquired Gibson around May 1944. S3R3H, Like S3R, with 3-piece back, full herringbone binding, gold tuners. I have owned a beautiful Kay company banjo for over 30 years. 587 Similar to 585 but with pearl (vs ivoroid) tuner buttons. They are available for binding that is .060 and .090 binding. There are some examples of two piece bodies used with the transparent or natural finishes. Numerous articles in Vintage Guitar Magazine over the years. Identification: "A" Style mandolins were symmetrical and shaped like a teardrop. Richard Schneider and assistant Abe Wechter acted as the on-site, full-time luthiers to collaborate and develop Kashas theories and bring them to a manufacturing reality. The first two digits tell you the month the banjo was built, the last two digits before the dash or space will tell you the year, and the numbers . The tuners were individual. Semi-hollow guitar serial numbers are found inside the 'top' F-hole on a label. The sides and back were tinted mahogany with a sunburst red spruce top. They were too late Gibson owned the market and the Martins were dropped 6 years later having only sold about 540 combined. Hard-stamped serial numbers. All Rights Reserved. For example, the serial number 90237XXX corresponds to a production date of 1/23/97. Sounds great and the instrument is very easy to play. The original V shape of the necks of the J-35s was replaced by distinctly round necks (baseball bats) and a tear drop pickguard. The headstock face was veneered in black. During the Folk Boom of the 1960s, Gretsch produced a line of 5 string open back banjos with regular and long necks. They were available in steel string or classical. The following versions evolved quickly to 14 frets clear of the body. 1930s-40s R S Williams and Sons built "Stewart" 1940s R S Williams and Sons built bird's eye maple archtop 1940s R S Williams and Sons built bird's eye maple archtop headstock 1940s R S Williams and Sons built bird's eye maple archtop back Gibson. It was the innovations of the Loar period: 1921 through 1925 that saw the introduction of the truss rod, adjustable bridges, bracing adjustments, thinning and grading of the tops and numerous other refinements to create the standards that are still used today. Mid 1950s: the pickguard changed from the teardrop to the larger undulating shape like the pre-war J-35s. 15 Mahogany top, back & sides no binding, 17 Mahogany top, back & sides bound top. Customers can choose from these shapes or provide an alternate. When he passed, my grandmother bought it for me from his brother who was attempting to liquify his collection. Research our price guide with auction results on 40 items from $35 to $2,928. White from 1928 to 1943/44. Introduced 1954, discontinued in 1978, reintroduced in the 1980s and still produced today. Here's the photo gallery that I put together:velkdesign.com/assets/banjo/. A-3s had refrigerator white tops with a black perfling line, adjustable truss rods and adjustable bridges. thin heel footprints as shown below in the second row of pictures: J. These can exist on any model numbers including the A-jr. S3M, Size 3 guitar with mahogany back & sides. Ironically the first blond J-45s were actually built in July of 1942 (Called the J-45N for Natural) and the actual number of these shipped is not known for sure. Dark stained plain birch back and sides. the bins that were used to move instruments from . A simpler variation on the SJ-200 with fewer appointments and a lower price tag was the SJ-100. Saga Bella Voce 70/80. There is a Kay company logo on the headstock but absolutely no other identifying marks. It's difficult to positively identify the manufacturer of these . The 1975 price was $1,999. In 1947 a natural finish J-45 was finally offered and given the designation: J-50. The first Gibson J45 guitars were only slightly different from the discontinued J-35. Serial number records exist for instruments built before 1975 and after 1980. Example of custom shape is well represented below with the "Tennessee Banjo". It will be interesting of one of the BHO members has a vintage Kay catalog with that particular banjo. Depending on the selected source, there is disagreement about these numbers. The soundhole binding does not extend the full depth of the soundhole. ARIA 921C. No serial numbers etc. Vega continued to mark their banjos "A.C. Fairbanks" until the middle teens. LoPrinzi Guitars Plainsboro, New Jersey AMF years (serial numbers: high 3,000 4,000s) Tom LoPrinzi was still with the company. Sha-Sw. T-V. W-Y. The Southerner Jumbo (later shortened to: Southern Jumbo and then SJ) was a fancier J-45. The back and sides were still mahogany but the Southerner Jumbo had a dark wooden stripe separating the 2 back pieces. Factory numbers (when the exist) appear in pencil inside on the block where the neck meets the body. The selected tuners varied randomly by model and year. 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. Pearl twin parallelogram inlays, Bridges: Rosewood belly-down. It was the heart of the depression and the instruments cost $60 without a case. Why not post a little tune with it. banjo headstock identificationleap year program in python using for loop. CLR, Classic guitar with Indian rosewood back and sides, decorated binding, gold tuners. Identification. Yuletide. The above Peghead Shapes are existing patterns. There was a line of black inlay (or ebony layer) along the centerline of the back of the neck. Take a closer look at the serial number found on the back of the headstock and reference the guide below. Martin Guitars seemed to take note of the successful sales of the Gibson acoustic-electrics J-160E and CF-100Es. Gretsch appears to have started a new numbering system at about that time. Deering. A2-Zs were theoretically made during the Loar period of 1921-25, but only between 1923 and 1924. Ss. 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. They had owner applied pick guards and multi-bound backs and tops (including red line highlights). By 1941, either natural or sunburst were available. The early models had shallow neck sets that increased in angle around 1908. CONTACT US; Headstock Shape. 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.