The first number of the sequence indicates the decade of production, followed by the three digit day of the year, and finally the year. Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee I wouldn't be surprised if a few exist with other brand names. 1975 $899 The first catalog appearance of the L-5S was in the 1975 Gibson Solid Body catalog. First factory order number (FON) on neck block of J45s in 1942 was 907 and 923. To complicate matters, the Larson brothers appear to have used different numbering techniques for different brands that they supplied. These instruments live a bit outside that critique. 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. Headstocks of US models also use the Gibson headstock shape. Gretsch started a new serial number system. 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. If you want to use any of this information: (Folk Jumbo Natural and Folk-25). To most people all banjos look (and sound) the same. 1974 $895 This was the best sales year for the L-5S shipping 555 instruments. 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. feature both a serial number and a FON. My understanding is that only 12 of these particular banjos were ever manufactured by Kay. Each type of banjo head has a unique contribution to your banjo's tone. The tuners were individual. It's always made of hardwood such as ebony and makes up the front-facing top half of the banjo's neck. Martin Flat Top Guitar Body Sizes and Designations: The body size designation is stamped on the neck block starting in October 1930. 1946 onward: No feet the bottom of the bridge flush on the instrument top. Many banjo manufacturers, in addition to making banjos under their own names, Check out our banjo decal selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our bumper stickers shops. Most old Hfners do not have serial numbers. This was expanded in 1935 to about 1/3 of the top area. Vega continued to mark their banjos "A.C. Fairbanks" until the middle teens. Bodies: Rosewood, oak, mahogany, koa and maple. MK-72 models were rosewood back & sides, 3 piece ebony/rosewood fingerboards with dot inlays & nickel hardware. Depending on the selected source, there is disagreement about these numbers. S3R3H, Like S3R, with 3-piece back, full herringbone binding, gold tuners. Wiley Morris of the Morris Brothers Hillbilly Band and Charlie Monroe (Bill Monroes brother) took to the instrument for its potential in the roots of Bluegrass music. Introduced August 1942 and J-45s are still available today. Some examples had the black (skunk) strip down the middle of the top similar to the Southerner Jumbos. Pearl twin parallelogram inlays, Bridges: Rosewood belly-down. Even the group of inexperienced entreprenuers could see and understand the value of the Gibson name. Scott Zimmerman may be able to shed some light on this. The early models had shallow neck sets that increased in angle around 1908. Your banjo is Asian made, likely Korea, but maybe Japan. Google Play. Semi-hollow guitar serial numbers are found inside the 'top' F-hole on a label. Back & Sides: Mahogany but some released as Brazilian rosewood. 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. Identify vintage banjo fleur de lis inlays on headstock & carved heel . In mid 1944 bookmatched two piece Sispruce tops reappear. The 1975 price was $549. The back braces were tall and thin and Gibson scalloped the top braces. Acoustic Guitars. These shoes are shown in an 1890s Washburn banjo catalog, on low end models with . The fingerboard of the L-5S is in with select abalone. For example, the serial number 90237XXX corresponds to a production date of 1/23/97. The further down the headstock the peg is, the shorter it will be. tailpieces (see fourth row of pictures below) on many of their unmarked banjos, and their The 5th string on a banjo lies within easy reach of the right-hand . If the serial number is legible the instrument can be relatively easy to date. 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 . Banjo serial numbers: During the 1920s, Gibson instruments were made in lots of 40s (for the most part, this procedure continues today). There were 5226 made. The name evolved from De Luxe Jumbo to Super Jumbo in 1939, and then to the Super Jumbo 200 (reflecting the price at the time, the case would be $28 extra). The following numbers are the earliest known serial number for the year listed. Gibson style one piece flange, probably zinc, also Gibson style flange brackets, 4 resonator screws. 1970 onward: 1 piece maple. 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 . 1973 $895 L-5S a few instruments shipped and cherry sunburst is the only available finish. All Rights Reserved. 2005-2023 acousticmusic.org. These appear to have a unique serial number scheme. The fretboard was bound but without extension and The Gibson was stamped into the tailpiece cover. Our 19th Year * Sign Up Now The standard "Huber' shape, the popular "Double Cut" shape or the "Fiddle Cut" shape. 118 Midtown Ct # M 1972 L-5S launched, but shipping totals list no instruments being shipped until 1973. There were 1424 made. They did not imprint the instruments with any particular brand. When I look at the rim, tone ring, tube and plate, and tailpiece they look like the same ones on my Ibanez 591. Huber Banjos offers our new owners the option of either customizing one of our stock models, or "designing your own dream banjo" from among the various wood and metal configurations, and the many . David L. Day was in his 70s. (Numerical ID) Example: Serial number 0191456 = Harmony Standard Series guitar built in 2019. Martin introduced the large body dreadnaught in 1932 It was bigger, bolder, and louder than anything Gibson had to offer. Intermediate Grade and Best Grade were generally X braced with laminated braces for added strength. 15 Mahogany top, back & sides no binding, 17 Mahogany top, back & sides bound top. The following are a rough guide. The standard early Gibson A models had a soft V shaped neck. A-3s had refrigerator white tops with a black perfling line, adjustable truss rods and adjustable bridges. Yet somehow, there's a certain cool factor to this one. department to department had 40 cubbyholes. The tuners were individual Kluson with amber buttons. 585 Grand Concert: rosewood back & sides, MOP, colored wood appointments and a Tree-of-Life fretboard inlay. 30, 1909. (The 1st year of the J-45 actually had similar appointments but they were reduced and simplified for model clarity in 1943). On 12 fret to the body guitars, in a break with tradition, the Larson brothers frequently inlayed the 10th fret instead of the ninth. The examples weve seen vary from the Gibson catalogs quite a bit. Most were 3-piece solid maple bodies. The sides and back were tinted mahogany with a sunburst red spruce top. DVD-quality lessons (including tabs/sheet music) available for immediate viewing on any device. Neck: mahogany single piece. White from 1928 to 1943/44. 1980 $1249 By late 1980, the Gibson deluxe tuners with Crank button, and Posi-Lok strap button were added. These were Gibsons first flat-top cutaways. The tuners cogs are peened on the shafts (the peening sometihas a waffle design). MK-99 models were handcrafted and signed by Richard Schneider. and What's it sound like? Steel Guitar. It had a 24 3/4 scale and was constructed of all solid woods. ECL changed its name shortly afterwards to: Norlin Inc. for ECL president Norton Stevens and CMI president Maurice Berlin. MK-81 models were rosewood back & sides, ebony fingerboard with figured abalone block inlays & gold plated hardware. See the notes below. The Gibson Southerner Jumbo was introduced in 1942 and discontinued in 1978. In some cases, teachers would Like everything else connected to instrument identification issues - there are many exceptions. It also had a black veneered headstock (front and back) and a black inlay in the back of the neck. Occasionally the labels have fallen out or been removed during repairs making it a bit trickier to date the instruments. The guitar designs, however, were not the problem. There's a small snag in the outer pocket webbing - otherwise it's like new. LoPrinzi Rosemont, New Jersey built by Augustino LoPrinzi (and apprentices) with Augustino on the headstocks. Labels say: A. I own the book and have found it to be an invaluable resource in identifying these old guitars. Kay company banjos were normally not that high-quality but this one is different. The strings are tightly wound at the headstock so the banjo player can form cords along the fingerboard. On rare occasions, some dates can be found on . Modern Gibson Logo open "b" and "o". 14" resonator on the banjo examined is probably non original (Korean). 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. 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. It might be a Fairbanks or Stewart, but there is no name anywhere on the instrument. JR, jumbo size guitar with East Indian rosewood back & sides, chrome tuners. GB -- guitar banjo. If the fretboard was bound, they generally added a stripe of black under the side binding. Most information about Larson Brothers instruments comes from their catalog published around 1930. Pickguards between 1909 and 1921 +/- show a stamped patent date of Mar. The 1975 price was $1,999. 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. 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. 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. Gretsch appears to have started a new numbering system at about that time. MIDWEST BANJO CAMPJune 1-4, 2023New Manchester, IN, 'Pisgah Banjo Co. raffle for Arnold Shultz Fund extended to March 10, 2023' 2 hrs, 'Pisgah Banjo Company banjo raffle extended to March 10' 2 hrs, 'Lost Indian: Samuel Bayard collection ' 3 hrs, 'Lost Indian: Samuel Bayard collection' 3 hrs, 'Flinthill FHB-300 - Killer bluegrass banjo for the money!' Similar to A, but with double purfling on the soundhole. See LG-0 for materials and dimensions. The financial strain became too much and the company sold in 1940 to Gretsch. To accommodate the pickup, the standard production neck was pushed up to a neck-body joint at the 15th fret. Thanks for the feedback! They didnt sell well but did live up to their design intent of a heavier, booming tone with good overall balance. 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 following are believed to be accurate known numbers: The following serial numbers are approximate at best. This is a strong playing. This is a high-quality instrument. There is a utility market though. New guitars were supplied with user applied pick guards, and extra saddles of different heights that could be easily inserted to adjust the string action to accommodate the swelling of the instrument with seasonal humidity changes. Approximate Chronology (there are always exceptions): There were a few natural finished J-45N models made during 1942. Deering. The other digits in the serial number can tell you when your banjo was made. Brown or black finish, some binding only on the top and in the soundhole with one ring around the soundhole. The birch sides and back were stained red. Angled (Tilted-Back) Headstock. They were too late Gibson owned the market and the Martins were dropped 6 years later having only sold about 540 combined. The 1975 price was $439. Generally harp guitars, L.H. Blake507 - Posted-12/26/2013: 15:42:17. This makes up for the shallow break angle, and also does away with string trees, which are not needed in this case. Yes, paging Scott to the Collector's Corner, please. In 1893, he patented a banjo neck fitted with a channel for the 5th string to pass through so it could be tuned at the headstock instead of its usual location. It took Gibson 2 years to develop their response: The Jumbo of 1934. Starting in 1977, Gibson adopted the current date-based serial system which codes for the year and day of production. 1976 $929 In June of 1976 the price rose to $999, and two new finishes were added: tobacco sunburst and natural maple. Buckbee (1861-1897) banjos can frequently be identified by their Some FONs for 1942 include 7116-7119, 7434, 7705, 7721, 907, 910, 923, 928, 2004-2006, 2059, 2098, 2110, 2119. Thinner cog gears with no bevel on the edge of the cogs. Like all other companies, there are exceptions. Since Spruce was needed for the war-time effort, some J-45s in 1943 have a mahogany top. There are a few examples of A-2Zs with black tops, though this was probably used to cover some imperfection in the selected tops. Gibson had changed its neck profiles and headstock shape on the successful J-Series. 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. 1978 $1079 Tobacco sunburst is dropped for Fireburst; Maple is now described as Natural. Serial Numbers. The best way to date Larrive instruments is by the instrument labels. Please see the, Epiphone: Current Serial Number Information, Gibson J-35 & Advanced Jumbo Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson Jumbo Deluxe and J-55 Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson J-45 and J-50 Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson Southern Jumbos and Country Westerns, Gibson J-160E Flat-top Acoustic-Electrics, Gibson CF-100 Flat-top Acoustic-Electrics, Gibson MK Series Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson L-5S Solid Body Electric Guitars, Guitars & Stringed Instruments General Information, Care & Feeding of a Wooden Musical Instrument, Identifying Vintage Guitars, Banjos & Mandolins, 41530 Transition from 12 to 14 fret necks, 1 Banjos from various contracted builders, 2028 Earliest reference to Forrest Dale VT, 30620 Symphonie, Sultana, and Senorita introduced, 35341 Gretsch purchases Fred Bacon Banjo Company. The public seems to have favored this shape over time as it fetches better prices now.
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