2 foot pressed arm rest and flat head tone ring. If you would like to use content from this page, see our Terms of Usage policy. There are also examples of A-2Zs without the Z on the lable but still sporting the black perfling line. It became apparent early that the new design concept was good: they were, in fact, louder and more cutting in tone. Headstocks say LoPrinzi. These bridges had movable saddles up to about 1917 when they changed to a one-piece compensating bridge design through early 1921. The back and sides were still mahogany but the Southerner Jumbo had a dark wooden stripe separating the 2 back pieces. Timing is everything In 1969 the Gibson parent company: Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) was acquired by the South American brewing conglomerate: E.C.L. At the time, the Nick Lucas model was the largest flat-top Gibson offered. According to the Gibson catalog, natural finish was the only option in 1939 but we are told that at least 2 examples exist of a cherry sunburst from the same period. The standard early Gibson A models had a soft V shaped neck. Like all other companies, there are exceptions. 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. Introduced is the year of introduction. $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. This is the smallest model, chrome tuners. Jul 15, 2021 - A study of banjo head peg heads. The headstock had a black wood face veneer. In 1926 Gibson introduced the L-series guitars with the L-0 at $35 and the L-1 at $50 (1928 prices). Laminated maple back and sides is discontinued (FON batch 2828 used maple back and sides). The bracing was revised to accommodate the moustache bridge and generally heavier than earlier models. They are available for binding that is .060 and .090 binding. 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. This is a high-quality instrument. Another useful There were 431 made. Gibson needed to revitalize its lineup of flat-top guitars the LG-Series was born. ss stewart presentation banjo - Google Search. It also had a black veneered headstock (front and back) and a black inlay in the back of the neck. 615-264-4959. No binding, no inlay and no decoration. The Lyon & Healy peghead shape used on most of Help identifying an old banjo - Mandolin Cafe Also, the first batch of J-45s had more binding both on the body and soundhole. The top and back bindings were black plastic. CMI acquired Gibson around May 1944. Brown or black finish, some binding only on the top and in the soundhole with one ring around the soundhole. I wouldn't be surprised if a few exist with other brand names. The sunburst finish was generally $30 less than natural finish. There can easily be more numbers within each year listed. Factory Order Numbers (FON) in the 2600s to 2700s. Never seen one with an inlay on the back of the neck. Saga. Have a vintage Harmony guitar? It was intended to be more affordable and more readily available than its main competition: the Martin D-18. Information gleamed from the Mandolin Cafs website over the years. mikehalloran - Posted-12/27/2013: 17:21:06. 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 The LG-Series is 2 narrower than the J-Series. It appears that many mandolin owners of earlier models chose to upgrade their bridges to the fancy new adjustable models after 1921. Notable endorsers of this model include Leon Redbone. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright 2023 Banjo Hangout. MK-72 models were rosewood back & sides, 3 piece ebony/rosewood fingerboards with dot inlays & nickel hardware. The Gibson Southerner Jumbo was introduced in 1942 and discontinued in 1978. MIDWEST BANJO CAMPJune 1-4, 2023New Manchester, IN George Youngblood of Youngbloods Music Workshop. It was available with a brown finish and came as a snakehead or paddle headstock. Its price tag was $55 as compared to the Martin D-18 at $65 and D-28 at $100. Factory Order Numbers (FON) in the 2800s to 2900s and 300s to 500s and some in the 600-800s and 1000s range. An entire bin was a "lot" and would contain The sides and back were tinted mahogany with a sunburst red spruce top. Gibson Banjos 1925 and Later: . Take a closer look at the serial number found on the back of the headstock and reference the guide below. They were popular with the Cowboy Singing Stars like Bob Baker (National Barn Dance WLS). When he passed, my grandmother bought it for me from his brother who was attempting to liquify his collection. 1955: Gibson stopped scalloping the bracing it was faster to produce but not as strong. The Jumbos had a slight V shaped neck with the Gibson truss rod and a pointed French heal somewhat unusual for Gibson. These can exist on any model numbers including the A-jr. Dr. Michael Kasha was a chemical physicist and the director of the Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University. Then Gibson developed the adjustable bridge. The A.C. Fairbanks Company (incorporated 1875) was succeeded in 1903 by the Vega Company (established 1889). So, take a look and . It was a refinement of the slope-shoulder design of the original Jumbo but slightly deeper: 4 13/16. The body dimensions basically match the LG-series: 14 1/8 wide by 19 1/2 long by 4 1/2 deep. The later pickguard clamps have a stamped patent date of July 4, 1911. Lion Banjo Mfg Co - Rock Rapids, Iowa - S. Nathaniel Adams To accommodate the pickup, the standard production neck was pushed up to a neck-body joint at the 15th fret. David L. Day was in his 70s. It was the heart of the depression and the instruments cost $60 without a case. The 1975 price was $879. How to customize a Huber Banjo; . Martin Guitars seemed to take note of the successful sales of the Gibson acoustic-electrics J-160E and CF-100Es. Manchester University, All Forums 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. If the fretboard was bound, they generally added a stripe of black under the side binding. In some cases there are no pickguards. For more detailed information, get the following book: The Larsons Creations Guitars & Mandolins by Robert Carl Hartman. I like it. feature both a serial number and a FON. Headstocks of US models also use the Gibson headstock shape. 585 Grand Concert: rosewood back & sides, MOP, colored wood appointments and a Tree-of-Life fretboard inlay. Modern Gibson Logo open "b" and "o". I have owned a beautiful Kay company banjo for over 30 years. There is a steel tone ring on the maple rim, and the rim has a maple cap. Gold War era logo - This type is called "Banner logo". ARIA BANJOS (1970s) banjos - guitar-list The second type of headstock, as you can tell by its name, is the angled or tilted-back headstock. 340 Rosewood back & sides, MOP, colored wood appointments & a Tree-of-Life fretboard inlay. In late 1 the use of factory order numbers was discontinued. USA produced Epiphones of this era bear standard Gibson serialization and include the Made in USA stamp on the back of the headstock. 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?) These instruments live a bit outside that critique. Identifying and Dating Kay Guitars - S. Nathaniel Adams Gibson Banjo Serial Number Factory Order Number Information; Pre-war banjos, Flathead, Mastertone. Your banjo is Asian made, likely Korea, but maybe Japan. . identify the manufacturer of these banjos in many cases, but some identify They were well suited for orchestral arrangements as well as individual play and accompaniment. Leland Brilliantone (1910 1918?). I'm leaning more in that direction. Sunburst finish changes slightly: a cremona brown fading from the center amber to a reddish brown perimeter. banjo headstock identification - voxu.group During 1880-1890 Fairbanks joined with William A. Cole, a successful performer and teacher, and produced approximately 9000 banjos as Fairbanks & Cole. White from 1928 to 1943/44. B-series Factory location: Grand Street, New York City from 1972 to 1973. The appointments matched the MK-35 but the bracing was modified to accommodate the additional string tension of 12 strings. PB -- plectrum banjo. 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. The following are believed to be accurate known numbers: The following serial numbers are approximate at best. Cherry Sunburst is still available. The 1975 price was $549. 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 . 1-6 digits stamped into the top edge of the headstock-often difficult to read. Frets refers to the number of frets that are clear of the body. The Gibson Super Jumbo first appeared in 1937. Most old Hfners do not have serial numbers. I own the book and have found it to be an invaluable resource in identifying these old guitars. The hurricane of September 1938 destroyed the companys ability to manufacture anything. Gibson. Nice playability, great tone, strong low end and good sustain all the way up the neck. They were too late Gibson owned the market and the Martins were dropped 6 years later having only sold about 540 combined. 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. The original price in 1942 was $45. During 1942 two new models were introduced to the Gibson line-up to replace the J-35 and J-55. 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.