Vintage mandolin, guitar-mandolin or banjo-mandolin The back and sides were Brazilian rosewood and the tops Adirondack red spruce. Depending on the selected source, there is disagreement about these numbers. Augustino LoPrinzi Guitar Maker Clearwater Florida (LoPrinzi name bought back from AMF) Instruments designed and built by Augustino and Donna LoPrinzi (daughter). In 1923 it appears that Gibson began to assemble A-2s with left-over blonde tops from A-3s. 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.). The first group in late 1936 had larger soundholes and long scales: 25 1/2. The hardshell case had a green or red silk lining. mikehalloran - Posted-12/27/2013: 17:21:06. Pearl twin parallelogram inlays, Bridges: Rosewood belly-down. banjos, not surprising since they bought out the Buckbee factory in 1898. You may, . The 1975 price was $439. This information is approximate and has not been verified by the LoPrinzi family. Ebony Fretboards were generally thicker than other builders. The electric version included a P-90 pickup at the end of the soundboard like the later versions of the J-160E. The original partners were Fred and Cassie Bacon and Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Winship. If you want to use any of this information: The Mark Series guitars had 16 3/16 lower bouts with very narrow waists, and a headstock like no other in Gibson tradition. You have your choice of 3 different peghead shapes. It was bound on the top, back, sides and around the fretboard. 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. Identifying Unmarked Banjos - Bill's Banjos It appears that they experimented right up to the point of discontinuing the line. The binding on the top is b/w. Weve seen some serial number lists that are as much as 8 years out-of-sync with this list. 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. Leland Brilliantone (1910 1918?). A: One of the easiest ways to determine the age of your banjo is to inspect the serial number, if it has one. The concept behind the J-45 was a high quality, affordable, big-sounding acoustic flat-top guitar. The headstock carried an inlayed script Gibson. Buy Prewar Gibson Banjo Online - Banjos for Sale For sale for $50 cash, firm. The Gibson CF-100 was introduced in 1950 (the CF-100E was introduced 1951) and discontinued in 1960. banjo headstock identification The necks and heels were rounder. If the serial number is legible the instrument can be relatively easy to date. Gold-plated tuning gears, LOTS of abalone inlay. Gibson Headstock Logos thru the years in Pictures 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. Manchester University, All Forums My understanding is that only 12 of these particular banjos were ever manufactured by Kay. Example: U8034853 U = Unsung, 8 = 1998, 03 = March, 4853 = manufacturing number. 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. 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 soundboard was so large and the body so deep that the sound was immense. 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. ', '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'. (The 1st year of the J-45 actually had similar appointments but they were reduced and simplified for model clarity in 1943). The 1975 price was $879. Even the group of inexperienced entreprenuers could see and understand the value of the Gibson name. 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. Late 1940's "i" touches the "G" on "Modern" non cursive/script Gibson Logo. The best way to date Larrive instruments is by the instrument labels. On rare occasions, some dates can be found on . How to Date a Gibson Using Serial Numbers, FONs and - Reverb Q: What is the first step in determining the age of my banjo? Each model of the Mark Series was available in natural or sunburst finish. 1976 $929 In June of 1976 the price rose to $999, and two new finishes were added: tobacco sunburst and natural maple. 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. Like everything else, we have seen exceptions to the listed dimensions; especially the nut widths. LoPrinzi Rosemont, New Jersey built by Augustino LoPrinzi (and apprentices) with Augustino on the headstocks. Buckbee (1861-1897) banjos can frequently be identified by their Most were 3-piece solid maple bodies. Post-war Gibson Banjo Serial Number Listing for "Bowtie Era Banjos" 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. The later pickguard clamps have a stamped patent date of July 4, 1911. The tuners were individual Kluson with amber buttons. 15 Mahogany top, back & sides no binding, 17 Mahogany top, back & sides bound top. So far as I can find Gibson appears to have only made "Stewart" instruments for a couple of years in the early 1930s. Starting in 1923, models included: the Silver Bell, the Super Banjo and the Blue Bell. The top and back bindings were black plastic with red line highlights. ECL changed its name shortly afterwards to: Norlin Inc. for ECL president Norton Stevens and CMI president Maurice Berlin. 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. CLR, Classic guitar with Indian rosewood back and sides, decorated binding, gold tuners. Design your own Huber Banjo. A-series Factory location: New York City from start to 1971. 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 Towards the end, the line actually continued to increase in sales. He was also a guitar enthusiast with a passion for physical and psycho-acoustics. 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. The 1934 was single bound, front and back with dot markers on the rosewood fretboard and a horizontal script logo inlay on the headstock. B-series Factory location: Grand Street, New York City from 1972 to 1973. To complicate matters, the Larson brothers appear to have used different numbering techniques for different brands that they supplied. 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. I doubt you'll find this in a catalog. Different Parts Of A Banjo: The Structure And Anatomy Schall hardware is pretty unique and the fifth 2: The Histories of Cool Guitars". 428 Geared pegs, reinforced neck & high nut, MYNNN or MYNNNN Month = 1-9 with 3 or 4-digit production number, MMYNNN or MMYNNNN Month =10,11,12 with 3 or 4-digit production number, # 41122 would have been made April 1971, #122, #121131 could be made in either December 1971, #131 or January 1972, #1131, #221 could have been made around 1907 or in the early 1940s, #2121 could have been made around 1913 or 1914, the late 1940s or February 1971, #21, #31121 could have been made in the early 1931 or 1932, 1960 or March 1971, #121. Identify vintage banjo fleur de lis inlays on headstock & carved heel . This moved the X away from the soundhole a bit. Edited by - rfvelk on 12/26/2013 17:31:36, Blake507 - Posted-12/26/2013: 22:24:21. 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. USA produced Epiphones of this era bear standard Gibson serialization and include the Made in USA stamp on the back of the headstock. 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. Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. which do not feature a paper label. If the fretboard was bound, they generally added a stripe of black under the side binding. The current bridge height and neck angle was reached around 1910. The examples weve seen vary from the Gibson catalogs quite a bit. It shared many features with the L-5 archtop electric acoustic: The neck was basically an L-5 neck in scale, section and detail. JR3H, like JR, but with 3-piece back, herringbone binding & gold tuners. There are a few examples of A-2Zs with black tops, though this was probably used to cover some imperfection in the selected tops. 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. gibson one-of-a-kind Christmas banjos! The centerline of the neck had the black inlay. The 1934 version had a classic Gibson sunburst: the small amber center around the bridge about 1/4 of the top area. 3 special model, serial number 8382, New York, circa 1920s, intricate abalone shell inlay to fingerboard and headstock which also bears the Company logo. Larger top braces used, and bigger solid wood bridge plate and larger bottom-belly bridge. 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. There are some examples of two piece bodies used with the transparent or natural finishes. The swing of a lathe is measured as the total diameter of a finished turned piece, such as a wood bowl. middle-sized, chrome tuners. It's always made of hardwood such as ebony and makes up the front-facing top half of the banjo's neck. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. "F" Style mandolins have a carved nautilus shaped curl on the upper left-hand bout. Headstocks of US models also use the Gibson headstock shape. Several other forces were at work for change: Introduced 1963, these were designed as dual-purpose instruments. The headstock shape is very similar and it has the hexnut . Due to the plain marks on the bracing, it is believed that every top was tuned by the same Gibson employee. Though there appear to be exceptions, necks between 1912 and 1923 are 3-piece mahogany. What Does My Banjo's Serial Number Tell Me? - Deering Banjo Company Tuners, hardware and tailpieces were probably purchased from Lyon and Healy who had a factory just down the street from the Larson shop. I am the third owner, the previous owner researched it and, based on the serial number, headstock design and inlays declares it to be a 1976 Gibson RB 250 MASTERTONE model with the 20 hole metal tone ring. It is the only typical American (USA) instrument, starting off as an instrument of the African slaves, then via the Minstrel Shows becoming part of typical American music styles like Jazz, Dixieland, Bluegrass, etc. It was a refinement of the slope-shoulder design of the original Jumbo but slightly deeper: 4 13/16. Take a closer look at the serial number found on the back of the headstock and reference the guide below. their better banjos is also distinctive, with a small additional bump on either Gibson changed the name again in the 1950s to the SJ-200. Find the worth of your vintage banjo from 1920s to 1970s. Saga. See more ideas about banjo, guitar inlay, mandolin. A New Leaf from Steven Moore. www.stonebanjo.com - Peghead Shapes The LG-Series is 2 narrower than the J-Series. 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. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to, http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/276603, 'Pisgah Banjo Co. raffle for Arnold Shultz Fund extended to March 10, 2023', 'Pisgah Banjo Company banjo raffle extended to March 10', 'Flinthill FHB-300 - Killer bluegrass banjo for the money! Why not post a little tune with it. These bridges had movable saddles up to about 1917 when they changed to a one-piece compensating bridge design through early 1921. Naming the parts of a banjo. Semi-hollow guitar serial numbers are found inside the 'top' F-hole on a label. This is a high-quality instrument. 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. 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. The selected tuners varied randomly by model and year. Most have the patented L&H tailpiece shown in the inset. Identify Wood Lathe Parts Illustrated - Turn A Wood Bowl The Lyon & Healy peghead shape used on most of Thanks for the feedback! They were popular with the Cowboy Singing Stars like Bob Baker (National Barn Dance WLS). themselves through common hardware and design characteristics. Modern Gibson Logo open "b" and "o". CONTACT US; Headstock Shape. They did provide paper labels for the instrument that they represented but did not provide labels for custom instruments or other shops or manufacturers. Where no serial numbers are shown they simply are not known. A-3s had refrigerator white tops with a black perfling line, adjustable truss rods and adjustable bridges. 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. banjo headstock identification - voxu.group Gibson Banjo Serial Number Factory Order Number Information - Banjo Philes 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. Ss. For a period of time, this was the top of the line. Mid to late 1944, the neck block revert back to mahogany, though poplar is occasionally used. Instrumental. 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. Dimensions: 16 wide, 10 1/4 long and 4 1/2 deep. serial number impressed to verso, 60 cm long Australian zither . Vintage Kay Company Banjo - Need Help Identifying Model - Discussion The sunburst finish was generally $30 less than natural finish. 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). The second type of headstock, as you can tell by its name, is the angled or tilted-back headstock. Rated 5.00 out of 5. LoPrinzi Guitars Plainsboro, New Jersey AMF years (serial numbers: high 3,000 4,000s) Tom LoPrinzi was still with the company. They were available in steel string or classical. The fingerboard typically has inlays made of silver or steel. peghead shape. 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. Some rectangular examples, black bridge pins (2 pearl dots on rectangle bridge), Headstock appointments: gold decal: Only a Gibson is Good Enough banner. Each type of banjo head has a unique contribution to your banjo's tone. The name variations included Bacon and Day and B&D for all the instruments co-developed by Fred Bacon and David Day. 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 . This is the smallest model, chrome tuners. Its price tag was $55 as compared to the Martin D-18 at $65 and D-28 at $100. In any event, these should be used only as a guide and not assumed to be absolutely correct. The tuners were individual. B&D models stopped around 1968 following Baldwins (Gretschs parent company) 1967 purchase of the ODE company. PDF Gibson Banjo Construction Evolution The flood of returning soldiers with a broader world-view brought new musical tastes and new hopes for the future. Introduced August 1942 and J-45s are still available today. It will be interesting of one of the BHO members has a vintage Kay catalog with that particular banjo. Art Studios. Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. 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. The first number of the sequence indicates the decade of production, followed by the three digit day of the year, and finally the year. Unfortunately, the information is confusing and inconsistent. Have a vintage Harmony guitar? The bracing was revised to accommodate the moustache bridge and generally heavier than earlier models. There is a utility market though. 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. I have owned a beautiful Kay company banjo for over 30 years. $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. Banjo Headstock Designs. Most old Hfners do not have serial numbers. At the time, the Nick Lucas model was the largest flat-top Gibson offered. A Style mandolins were symmetrical and shaped like a teardrop. Between 1934 and 1938, Gibson only offered the sunburst finish. It was the heart of the depression and the instruments cost $60 without a case. World War II changed many aspects of the guitar world. target no need to return item. 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 tuners cogs are peened on the shafts (the peening sometihas a waffle design). 2005-2023 acousticmusic.org. Gold War era logo - This type is called "Banner logo". The birch sides and back were stained red. It would surprise me if there were 12 of those made as K banjos, however. The Gibson stamped on tailpiece cover and inlaid in headstock. 340 Rosewood back & sides, MOP, colored wood appointments & a Tree-of-Life fretboard inlay. Lyon & Healy routinely used talon or patent 1897 banjos. STONE BANJO CO - PEGHEAD SHAPES. Other singing cowboys who later owned Super Jumbos include Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. Kay company banjos were normally not that high-quality but this one is different. This is a "fit-all" banjo case. Though it has gone through a number of refinements over the years, the basic design has not changed since. 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. The neck holds the strings secure using tuners, four of which are located at the peghead, with the fifth string tuning peg located almost halfway up the neck. Higher grade models (such as the Super 400, L-5, J-200, etc.) It took Gibson 2 years to develop their response: The Jumbo of 1934. The back braces were tall and thin and Gibson scalloped the top braces. The appointments matched the MK-35 but the bracing was modified to accommodate the additional string tension of 12 strings. Wyatt Fawley's banjo, model for the "Retrotone" banjo design : 1949 : 3399-86 -100 : 1-piece: Dots : I/N Auction 2/2007 with flathead ring from 1963 RB180 and 1959 RB100 neck : 1949 : 3399-90: RB-150: . Gibson had helped in the war effort and seen many employees enlist. expressed on the sides and back of the 1934 versions. Banjo serial numbers: During the 1920s, Gibson instruments were made in lots of 40s (for the most part, this procedure continues today). No binding, no inlay and no decoration. The body dimensions basically match the LG-series: 14 1/8 wide by 19 1/2 long by 4 1/2 deep. How to Survey the Neck to Identify a Great Bluegrass Banjo At least then you will know the model name. Laminated maple back and sides is discontinued (FON batch 2828 used maple back and sides). It had binding on front, back, soundhole and the fretboard; The Gibson inlaid into the headstock and a better grade of spruce top. Skip to main content. For example: B&D had several un-numbered models between 1913 and 1920. The pickguard was longer than earlier models and it had a moustache bridge (though slightly smaller and less ornate than that used on the SJ-200). The further down the headstock the peg is, the shorter it will be. For example, the serial number 90237XXX corresponds to a production date of 1/23/97. Michael Wright has compiled one of the largest picture galleries of headstock photos in his book "Guitar Stories Vol. Factory Order Numbers (FON) include the 2100s to 2500s, The adjustable truss rod reappeared in 1944, Tuners cogs got slightly thicker and with beveled edges. The bass of this model will amaze you, and of course the clear brilliant treble is in perfect balance. For once, the hyperbole may have been closer to the truth. As a vintage instrument dealer, I see no collectors market for banjos like yours. They were now able to get better materials. The soundhole binding does not extend the full depth of the soundhole. The Gibson Southerner Jumbo was introduced in 1942 and discontinued in 1978. They had owner applied pick guards and multi-bound backs and tops (including red line highlights). 1970 onward: 1 piece maple. Music Love. Martin introduced the large body dreadnaught in 1932 It was bigger, bolder, and louder than anything Gibson had to offer. For example: Gretsch stopped production of Bacon and B&D banjos. J-L. M. N-P. Q-Sch. Larrivee Serial Numbers (approximate). See LG-0 for materials and dimensions. MK-35-12 models were only made in 1977. Aria Banjo Identification - mainefasr To most people all banjos look (and sound) the same. S2M, size 2 guitar with mahogany back & sides. 585 Grand Concert: rosewood back & sides, MOP, colored wood appointments and a Tree-of-Life fretboard inlay. LoPrinzi Guitars most from Plainsboro New Jersey. MK-81 models were rosewood back & sides, ebony fingerboard with figured abalone block inlays & gold plated hardware. The top and back are lightly arched, producing the deepest measurement in the center of the guitars body. They didnt sell well but did live up to their design intent of a heavier, booming tone with good overall balance. It became the working mans choice and one of the most enduring instrument designs in history. For more detailed information, get the following book: The Larsons Creations Guitars & Mandolins by Robert Carl Hartman. Blake507 - Posted-12/26/2013: 15:42:17. The guitar designs, however, were not the problem. It was the heart of the depression and the instruments cost $60 without a case. They didnt sell well but did live up to their design intent of a. heavier, booming tone with good overall balance. No serial numbers etc. Fairbanks & Vega banjos, Dating & Identifying - Mugwumps