early banjo makersearly banjo makers

Progressive bluegrass, or newgrass, draws from a wider pool of musical influences than traditional bluegrass and might include more rock and, , which prompted tremendous interest in the raw, rural sounds of the banjo. serial number impressed to verso, 60 cm long, Australian zither banjo, by boomerang, early 20th century, impressed factory mark to headstock, mother-of-pearl inlay to finger board, 93 cm long, English zither banjo, by Windsor, model no. When ragtime and blues music melded into jazz in the 1910s, the tenor banjo was one of the principal instruments in the rhythm section. In 1992 he met banjo builder Bart Reiter who became a tremendous supporter of Mike's advising him about his work and helping him set up a production shop. 18124 Bull Rapids Road Spencerville, IN USA 46788 Most banjos today are fretted, though some musicians play fretless. Banjo and Jazz - Banjology Ltd. trading as CARTER'S Publications. SC.nb("phopkins", "united.net", "", "", ""); I have absolutely no information for this brand at all other than having seen several McKinley banjos, which impressed me. A wide array of hardware is available, ask for anything you dont see here. Model no. Know anything? Nashville, TN USA 37217 Tsumura covers a great deal of his early collection (one that would grow much more). www.deeringbanjos.com Poco, New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and others carried country-rock into the 1970s and beyond. A listing of notable musicians who play the banjo as a major part of their output include: A [ edit] Derroll Adams Eddie Adcock David "Stringbean" Akeman Howard Alden Peter R. Arnott Clarence Ashley Scott Avett B [ edit] Etta Baker Danny Barker Danny Barnes Terry Baucom Riley Baugus Andru Bemis Carroll Best [1] Louis 'Lou' Black Ron Block Eminence, MS USA Lon and Camille Decap, sons of Alos Decap who founded the firm in 1902. 1870-Uncle Dave Macon born in Tennessee 1878-Henry Dobson produces 5 string with frets (made by Buckbee) 1880-1890 Fairbanks and Cole of Boston. By the 1850s, the banjo had become an integral part of American culture. The Byrds with John Hartford on banjo: "I Am a Pilgrim" (1968). Blackface characters portrayed African Americans in derogatory, clownish exaggerations. www.hicklerbanjo.com Laemouahuma Daniel Jatta with an akonting (photo by Chuck Levy). Modeled on the designs of William A. Cole's 1890s banjos, this instrument has the highly-ornate inlays of the Boston banjo makers but designed with a lower action and steel strings for contemporary five-string players. By the end of the nineteenth century, the banjo had become the most popular fretted, stringed instrument in America. 5, circa 1920, maker and model number impressed to the head stock, the fingerboard inlaid with mother-of-pearl. African Banjo Echoes In Appalachia: Study Folk Traditions. A Mozart banjo, length 100 cm with hard case, stand and book, An antique five string banjo, John Grey & Sons, London, early 20th century, the brass rim and back cast with Eastern inspired decoration enamelled in red and black, with engraved mark to the armrest and metal label to the head, length 95 cm, Cuckoo vintage English four string banjo, late 19th early 20th century, 27 cm drumhead, 75 cm long, A vintage banjo mandolin, early 20th century, 61 cm long, English ukulele banjo, by John Grey & Sons, model George Formby, serial no. In 1958, Mike Seeger (Petes half-brother), Tom Paley, and John Cohen formed the New Lost City Ramblers, a young group that remained faithful to, The folk music revival took a turn towards folk-rock in the mid-1960s, as Bob Dylan plugged in, and the Byrds played folk songs with electric guitars. SC.nb("info", "omebanjos.com", "", "", ""); Scott Phillips Pete Ross Old Time Banjos www.flesherbanjos.com One of my folk art chairs will be in the exhibit - there are similar examples in the Smithsonian and Colonial Williamsburg collections. (412) 303-8461 Cannon's Jug Stompers: "Walk Right In" (1929). The lead finger, usually the index or middle, strikes a string or strings with a downward motion, and the thumb sometimes plucks a string as the hand returns to starting position. The Old Plantation and Gerrit Schoutens Slavendans dioramas from Suriname both appear to depict this ritual. Every Bad River Banjo is built one-at-a-time at a deliberate pace, with tools and methods from the late 19th and early 20th century. A Few Notes on the Geneology of Vintage Banjo Manufacturers - Bill's Banjos She may have been the first Appalachian banjo player to cut a commercial record. SC.nb("ken", "levandesign.com", "", "", ""); DP Hopkins, Inc. Eggleston, VA USA 24086 Early American Clockmakers - Gary Sullivan Antiques Box 132 Mike C. clocks4u NAWCC Member Sep 2, 2000 684 28 28 Provenance: The Alex & Annette Hood Collection, NSW, An Italian mandolin with label 'Giov. Sylvester Louis Vess Ossman was one of the most popular recording artists of his time. +420-603-868120 Burlington, WI USA 53105 Early, relatively primitive designs of the instrument are African in origin and modern (designs) vaguely resemble these early versions. Horsefly, BC CAN V0L 1L0 9777 Missaukee Lane Q&A: Jim Bollman - Antiques And The Arts Weekly Pollock Pines, CA USA 95726 dphopkinsbanjos.com The sound of the banjo became commonplace with their theme song for the television show, (1962-1971) and the prominent placement of their instrumental Foggy Mountain Breakdown in the 1967 film, Other prominent bluegrass banjo players, including Don Reno, Sonny Osborne, and Bill Keith, followed in Scruggs footsteps and broke ground of their own. Type of wood 1.4 4. 1026 W. 6th Place The banjos must be available for sale in the United States. The akonting, ngoni, molo, and gurmi are among the African relatives of the banjo. Early Banjo - Etsy Huber Jim Mills 5 string Banjo Rare Gold Plated Mahogany Powerhouse w Deluxe Archtop Case $6,500.00 USD - Used - Excellent Condition NEW Davis RB4 5 string Banjo Walnut with Hardshell Case NEW $3,999.00 USD - New Gibson RB-250 Banjo $3,000.00 USD - Used - Excellent Condition Downright Divisive: Examining the Early Banjo in Colonial Jamaica Mandolin Cafe Classifieds This banjo represents an aesthetic blend of early industrial banjos (1875-1885) along with Romance Era guitars and banjos. One of these Old Time banjos can be a simple straightforward purchase, or a deeply collaborative process. Uncle Dave Macon: "Take Me Back to My Old Carolina Home". Making Music: The Banjo, Baltimore, and Beyond which was documented in its early days by an English settler within the same rural region . These two earliest known white banjo players could both claim Appalachia as "home." While musical tradition runs strong in bluegrass, a generation of younger players started taking the music in new directions in the 1970s. More than half of the banjos and players reported were in the Chesapeake Bay states of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. SC.nb("lindsaylewellen", "gmail.com", "", "", ""); www.recordingking.com Ltd. 2023 John Furphy Pty. Banjo maker Jim Hartel on the African heritage and American history of the banjo. Musicians play these instruments with a down-stroke technique similar to the earliest known banjo playing in North America. Sharing design elements with many similar West African instruments, the banjo developed in the Caribbean during the first century of the transatlantic slave trade. In the late 1930s, mandolinist, singer, songwriter Bill Monroe formed The Blue Grass Boys, the band primarily responsible for developing bluegrass music. McMurray, PA USA 15317 Click herefor details. Excellent student model, The Windsor 'Pyxe' banjo, c. 1920's, with original case. No. In some historical records, "playing banya" or "playing banjo" may have referred to the dance ritual, not the musical instrument. www.sagamusic.com. Baltimore City . Deering Boston 6-String Banjo Made in USA $ 2,799.00 $ 2,519.00 The Boston 6 String banjo is tuned like a guitar so guitar players can instantly start playing this type of banjo. 3733 Kenora Drive Two little gems from opposites sides of the pond, Contact us if you would like your link here, Copyright 2012-22 vintagebanjomaker.com. 1:30-2:30 Eli Kaufman - Early banjo periodicals 2:45-3:45 Jim Bollman - The banjos of W.A.Cole (Jim White banjo display) 4:00-4:30 Bob Winans - book update 7:30-9:30 Bela Fleck movie " Throw Down Your Heart " followed by Q&A 9:30-? Banjos for Sale - Used and New Resonator, Openback, Tenor 5-String and Shelbyville, TN USA 37160 , banjo manufacturers began installing frets on the instrument. The Arthur E. Smith Banjo Company produces a line of meticulously crafted banjos that certainly reflects the respect and admiration Kate and Mark have for those early instruments. Banjo: An Illustrated History - amazon.com Philadelphia was a centre of activity for banjo making in the early 1880's and it may be that he was one of the wood workers that cashed in on the banjo craze. A basic banjo that just captures the tone and playability youre looking for is an option, as is a deep well of design options from historical sources. SC.nb("info", "recordingking.com", "", "", ""); The one-armed banjo maker. The pairing of fiddle and banjo, which integrated Celtic American fiddle and African American banjo styles, became central to song and dance traditions. String bands primarily provided music for square dances and step dances in southern Appalachia. The Weavers with Pete Seeger on banjo: "On Top of Old Smoky" (1951). In 1958, Mike Seeger (Petes half-brother), Tom Paley, and John Cohen formed the New Lost City Ramblers, a young group that remained faithful to old-time music traditions. Saga Musical Instruments defunct listings were for old-time, open-back banjos and most of these were Pete Ross, a Baltimore banjo maker, player and historian, plays a historic gourd-type banjo replica. 791 Burton Ridge Road From 1836 on, Sweeney toured the United States and Europe in blackface, becoming the first superstar of the banjo. www.ballardbanjers.com Your donation to Ballad of America, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, will teach America's music to children and adults, develop resources for teachers, and build a free online library that promotes appreciation of the ways in which different cultures have contributed to America's musical landscape. These groups were common, especially on college campuses. The strings are attached to the neck with leather or cloth rings. Emmylou Harris, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Neil Young, the Eagles, Pure Prairie League, Linda Ronstadt, and Gillian Welch have created music within these spaces, often featuring banjo in their recordings. Other musicians polished up the old sounds and made slick new commercial recordings. +1 (615) 456-5486 Though there is little documentation, some may have picked up the instrument before the rise of, Musicians adapted various genres to the banjo, including, In the 1920s, record companies discovered and nurtured a market for Southern rural music. Any thoughts? www.americanmadebanjo.com. The first banjos were used by African American immigrants in the deep south. Banjo | American - The Metropolitan Museum of Art 112 Silverwood Drive Between 1893 and 1917, he made more than 500 recordings of, In the early twentieth century, manufacturers introduced the four-string, or tenor, banjo. Ken LeVan A Reliance banjo hardwood neck with nickelplated and wood body in a wood case. Huber Lancaster with HR-30 Tone Ring. 1881-Dobson patents a tone ring 1890s-Steel strings widely available: cheaper than gut It was played exclusively by Africans in America and African Americans during colonial times and the early United States. dioramas from Suriname both appear to depict this ritual. University of Tennessee Press, 1995. Mark Hickler Their 2010 album Genuine Negro Jig won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album. These items have been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only. SC.nb("info", "tranjo.com", "", "", ""); Colin J. Vance SC.nb("theboss", "sloanbanjos.com", "", "", ""); Scott Vestal Reclaiming the banjo's roots | Local | somdnews.com . www.sagamusic.com. The Banjo Reserve recently contacted Simon Middleton, Founder and Managing Director of The Great British Banjo Company, . While musical tradition runs strong in bluegrass, a generation of younger players started taking the music in new directions in the 1970s. As products from mail-order companies like Sears & Roebuck became available in the late nineteenth century, rural Americans increasingly purchased inexpensive manufactured instruments. Don't buy the DIY banjo kits; you'll never get satisfaction if something is wrong. Vintage banjo from 1920s to 1970s - price guide and values - Carter's $1,850.00 USD - Used - Excellent Condition. During the last decade of the 19th century there were 5 well respected manufacturers of Banjos, doing business between # 161 and #187 1842 .. John Tyler was US President, slavery was not going to be abolished in the USA for another 23 years . +1 (951) 486-1456 +1 (303) 324-6732 Although these elements are from the 19th century instruments, I wanted a banjo that would play 20th century pitches with steel strings. Most colleges had banjo orchestras (sometimes calling them "banjo clubs") by the 1890s [29]. Over the period 1880-1930, many banjo manufacturers came and went, but a few companies have identifiable familial connections. www.chuckleebanjos.com SC.nb("FleshrBnjo", "aol.com", "", "", ""); Custom open back 5-string banjos for traditional old-time music. W.W. Norton & Company, 2022. One of two makers of the Encore Automatic Banjo, incorporated in 1896. Please contact us with any questions or inquiries. Black musicians played the banjo to accompany singing and dancing, sometimes with percussion or hand clapping. +1 (800) 826-5482 Bluegrass is rooted in the rural music of Appalachia as captured on the, Scruggs and guitarist Lester Flatt left the Blue Grass Boys to form Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1948. Earl Scruggs banjo acquired by ABM - American Banjo Museum Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Buffalo Grove, IL USA 60089 Not all brands have been created . . I have spent decades studying historic banjos and is happy to work with any early designs or collaborate on completely new design concepts beyond what you see here. He has documented the exact dimensions, construction techniques and detailed characteristics of each individual instrument that he replicates. Greensboro, PA USA Fairview, TN USA Pete is one of earliest contemporary makers of gourd banjos, making instruments that range from those of his own design to exact replicas of historic instruments. www.brooksbanjos.com William Boucher, Jr., the earliest known commercial manufacturer, started building banjos around 1845 from his shop in Baltimore, Maryland. Continued in business into the early 1900s. The banjo sported engraved and gold plated metal parts, engraved mother of pearl position markers on the . +1 (570) 924-4080 Glasgow, KY USA 42141 The Kingston Trios version sold more than three million copies as a single. www.nechville.com. Early European banjo-makers added a fifth string and a fretboard, and began to experiment with different tunings and string arrangements. In 1930, a Gibson L-1, the guitar reportedly favored by Robert Johnson, cost $50.00, the equivalent of $687.57 today. +1 (747) 222-6567 Many White musicians learned to play banjo directly from African Americans. Year 1974 Serial Nos. They were instrumental in bringing bluegrass to a wider audience through television, radio, and live performances. +1 (250) 620-0592 www.quailcreekbanjos.com Black string bands still performed at community dances at this time. With case. By the end of the century, banjo repertoire had expanded from plantation and minstrel tunes to include sentimental popular songs, waltzes, mazurkas, polkas, and ragtime. en.pruchabanjos.cz Historians refer to these new instruments as early gourd banjos. S.S. Stewart began making banjos in 1878, and along with others, led the way in developing hybrid banjos banjeaurines (patented by Began building full time in2014. +1 (540) 887-2313 +1 (540) 230-0085 Charlie Poole with the North Carolina Ramblers: "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues" (1927). Tommy Jarrell and string band with Ray Chatfield on banjo: "Sally Anne" (1983). 6539, circa 1930, model and serial number impression marks to the front and back of the headstock, 56 cm long, English six string banjo, circa 1900s, open back, with 38 brackets, the headstock plated in nickel, and mother-of-pearl inlay to the fingerboard, 92 cm long, English mandolin banjo, by Windsor, model 3, circa 1920, the engraved tailpiece bearing '94 Newhall St B'Ham/ Eng/ Windsor', 60 cm long, English banjo, circa 1870, the fingerboard and resonator decorated in Tunbridge ware, 89 cm long, English mandolin banjo, by cuckoo, circa 1900s, of typical form, 'Cuckoo' imprinted on the headstock, 55 cm long, American fretless seven string banjo, 2nd half 19th century, of typical design with snakehead shaped headstock and open back, 86 cm long, American Orpheum tenor banjo, by Rettberg & Lange, no. +1 (270) 646-5219 What type of banjo is best for beginners: Acoustic or electric? Manufacturers - MBSI Early American Clock Makers This partial list highlights some of the more well known early American clock makers. Please use my contact form to get in touch. These books demonstrate a transition in playing technique from the African-rooted downstroke, utilized by Black musicians and. Progressive bluegrass continues today with artists such as Alison Krauss and Union Station, Infamous Stringdusters, and Yonder Mountain String Band. Resonator vs. Open-back 1.2 2. Mills River, NC USA www.bishlinebanjos.com severe and the loss of companies represents a thinning of the herd. Chronicling "America's African Instrument": Laurent Dubois on the Today, the banjo can be heard in virtually every genre of music. www.seedersinstruments.com While some continued to play the instrument, there was a steep decline in the presence of the banjo in Black music. Franklin, TN USA The disassociation of the banjo from its African roots is starting to reverse. New generations of Black musicians have taken up the instrument and are making efforts to preserve its place in African American culture. Banjos: The Tsumura Collection - amazon.com Dorset, VT USA 5251 Bloom's Banjos - The Home of the Hornbeam Special thanks, George Much of what is deemed folk music has its roots in Africa and African American tradition, notes Giddens. 309 Plus Park Boulevard Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1999. Magazine Article, Interview; Kate Spencer, A. E. Smith Banjos www.romerobanjos.com Beginning in 1977 with Dena Epsteins book Sinful Tunes and Spirituals: Black Folk Music to the Civil War, scholars have published extensively on the early history of the banjo. The collection became popular with urban college students and inspired many young musicians, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Jerry Garcia. In some historical records, "playing banya" or "playing banjo" may have referred to the dance ritual, not the musical instrument. 1922 West Banta Road SC.nb("scott", "phillipsbanjos.com", "", "", ""); Open-back banjos, hand-made in the Appalachian mountains with native hardwoods. Vega also made some of the early Bacon Professional banjos. Bonnie returned the banjo to Geoff in 1988 for banjo #3371. This is a list of builders of 5-string banjos, both Bluegrass (5-string resonator) and Traditional (open back) Often referred to as "the red book" (for obvious reasons) by the banjo-collecting world, the books does a great job at identifying and describing some hightly sought banjos. As a material, it is harder and more stable than ebony, and is increasingly used by world-class guitar makers. Banjo Roots and Branches. 137 Utah Avenue gourd banjo. Timothy Twiss plays the basic movements described in Briggs' Banjo Instructor. Check the site for the first Standard model, the B100. www.cedarmtnbanjos.com Poco, New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and others carried country-rock into the 1970s and beyond. Maker: Intermountain Guitar and Banjo Year: 1977 Notes: One of a handful of complete Whyte Laydie Banjos produced by Intermountain Guitar and Banjo. In reality, they were far from that, but they did incorporate elements from both Black and White folk culture. Bill Rickard He soon dispensed . Leon Ballard Lacona, NY USA 13083 301 Church Street By the early twentieth century, the mass-produced banjo had become a symbol of White supremacist cultureso much so that in later decades people sometimes had difficulty accepting the fact of . Bryson City, SC USA The following are my criteria for inclusion in this list. Its loud, bright sound cut through jazz bands and dance orchestras, providing a solid rhythm. Members of BMG clubs played plucked stringed instruments in a variety of sizes and shapes. Box 124 No. Moreover, the accompanying illustration of the Creole-Bania in the top right corner of Narrative's Plate 69, "Musical Instruments of the African Negroes" (1790/1796, 1988/2010: 539 . 1 Best Beginner Banjo 2023 Buying Guide 1.1 1. The author John Peter Zenger (1697-1746) referred to the instrument as a "banger" played by a black man. +1 (931) 580-5742 The Banjo Instrument History: Facts About Banjos - Bestofbanjos.com Epstein, Dena J. Sinful Tunes and Spirituals: Black Folk Music to the Civil War. www.hussanddalton.com. Murph Gribble (banjo), Albert York (guitar), and John Lusk (fiddle): "Altamont" (1946). . Stedman's specification of the Creole-Bania 's four strings as being "three long and one short" is the first and only period textual description of the typical string configuration for a 4-string early gourd banjo. 167 Walley Road, Franklin NY 13775 607-330-4330 Website Gallery Hartel Banjos are individually handmade with the finest materials using dimensions from original banjos of the Minstrel Era. SC.nb("info", "bishlinebanjos.com", "", "", ""); Moreno Valley, CA USA 92552 www.epiphone.com www.washburn.com, 56771 Lunar Drive Pete Ross Banjos: open-back 5-string banjos based on the designs of late 19th century banjos made by Dobson, Buckbee, Fairbanks, and Cole, with modernizations for the contemporary player. Windsor, English zither banjo, by William Temlett, London, circa 1920, the headstock elegantly shaped, stamped to verso 'W. PO Box 882, Elkins, West Virginia 26241 304-636-6710 Phone Hours; 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Eastern Time, Monday through Friday and occasionally on Saturday; Banjos,Contact us. It was tuned in fifths, like a mandolin or violin, and played by strumming with a plectrum, also known as a pick. With the group The Weavers, formed in 1948, Seeger took the banjo to the top of the popular music charts multiple times, though the orchestra arrangements on many of their recordings obscured it. Antique Banjo Clocks - Gary Sullivan Antiques Beginning in 1977 with Dena Epsteins book, Sinful Tunes and Spirituals: Black Folk Music to the Civil War. Smakula Fretted Instruments; Banjos Everywhere! 136 Wart Road Hendersonville, TN USA 37075 Fretted instruments, such as guitars and mandolins, are generally easier to play in tune than unfretted instruments, such as violins, violas, and cellos. New Lost City Ramblers: "I Truly Understand" (1958). Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books, 2016. American Princess banjo by Samuel S. Stewart. The earliest historical record of the banjo in North America was from a 1736 New-York Weekly Journal article.