early banjo makers

Greensboro, PA USA It was played exclusively by Africans in America and African Americans during colonial times and the early United States. The album included their interpretation of Tom Dooley, a song that was already old when G.B. Hickler Banjo LLC was established in 2007, but founder Mark Hickler began building musical instruments as a teenager. Other parts of the "pot" 1.5 5. Throughout the remainder of the century, banjo makers and music book publishers sought to increase sales among the burgeoning White middle class. Tommy George and Christian Stanfield 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. Ekona Diatta plays "Gambia" on the akonting (2007). 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. +1 (270) 866-4515 James established his mechanized instrument factory in Connecticut in the late 1840's Ashborn was the first to apply mass production principles to banjo and guitar making, transforming the homemade artifacts to commercial products. SC.nb("stonebanjocompany", "gmail.com", "", "", ""); From the Sullivans of First Quality Music fame. 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 Today, the banjo can be heard in virtually every genre of music. Although there are a small number of individual craft makers of banjos in Britain, there hasn't been a 'banjo factory' producing instruments in large numbers since the 1950s. Other banjo manufacturers emerged in the 1840s and the following decades. +1 (541) 593-0253 Clarinbridge, Co. Galway IRL H91 Yp28 SC.nb("info", "deeringbanjos.com", "", "", ""); Scott also heads the Recording King custom shop in Japan. E- 1134, circa 1950, George Formby plaque inlaid in mother-of-pearl to the headstock, 58 cm long, English ukulele banjo, by John Grey & Sons, model Dulcetta, serial no. Box 8190 pisgahbanjos.com Solid banjos from the company that gave us the legendary Gold Stars of the '70s & '80s. Philip Allison Banjo music is as popular as it has ever been. The banjo featured prominently in records manufactured and sold in the first decades of the industry. Scott Zimmerman +1 (262) 492-9883 +1 (615) 264-4959 Intrigued by what he witnessed and the banjo, in particular, the younger Seeger began learning to play. Banjo Roots and Branches. Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs: "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" (1949). These banjos can have 10.5, 11 or 12 inch pots; with any rim/ tone ring combination available including Electric Prototype, Bacon reproduction, Whyte Laydie, Tubaphone, Dobson; and a standard 25.5 inch scale length, or a shorter 23.5 inch. 1739 South Sheridan Rd. The Dobson brothers, William A. Cole, H.C. Fairbanks, James Ashborn, and Vega built banjos or affixed their names to the banjos of others. When Earl Scruggs replaced original Blue Grass Boys banjo player David Stringbean Akeman in 1945, the bluegrass sound fully emerged. Later, Sweeny partnered with a drum maker by the name of William Boucher. 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. 2 - First Staghorn and first Stelling designed, built for Brian Welchel, also a student. When ragtime and blues music melded into jazz in the 1910s, the tenor banjo was one of the principal instruments in the rhythm section. 3 banjo with hardwood neck and nickel plated body, leatherette case. (828) 768-3488 You will have to see if Tran Du Ly has it, Chip passed away some years ago, great guy! Bluegrass, both progressive and traditional, The disassociation of the banjo from its African roots is starting to reverse. University of Illinois Press, 2003. Christian has been with Tommy since 2007 and has another shop in Memphis. . Bluegrass, both progressive and traditional, old-time, and Americana music are still going strong in recordings, concerts, and gatherings of musicians and fans at festivals. Two little gems from opposites sides of the pond, Contact us if you would like your link here, Copyright 2012-22 vintagebanjomaker.com. +1 (540) 887-2313 $1,850.00 USD - Used - Excellent Condition. The banjo is a stringed instrument that is, or has been, prominent in American folk, country, bluegrass. +1 (800) 877-6863 Badageoni Georgian Kitchen In Mt. Tommy Jarrell and string band with Ray Chatfield on banjo: "Sally Anne" (1983). www.cbguitars.com Lutes are stringed instruments with necks that are distinct from their bodies. This article comprises two separate lists. The efforts of the Gretsch, Vega, Stewart, Gibson and other banjo companies standardized the commercially manufactured 5-string: 11 inch head, 22 frets, 19 inches from nut to shell, position markers at designated frets. In 1968, the Byrds brought it back home with their album Sweetheart of the Rodeo, hailed by many as among the first country-rock albums. Their 2010 album Genuine Negro Jig won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album. Search Enter Search Value: Mastercraft banjos are handcrafted in the . The Weavers with Pete Seeger on banjo: "On Top of Old Smoky" (1951). Sylvester Louis Vess Ossman was one of the most popular recording artists of his time. rickardbanjos.com From 1836 on, Sweeney toured the United States and Europe in blackface, becoming the first superstar of the banjo. On June 19, 2022, I finally removed Gibson from the list. +1 (503) 568-3044 The disassociation of the banjo from its African roots is starting to reverse. www.seedersinstruments.com 2, Birmingham, circa 1907, model number and date impressed to the top of the headstock, verso is an engraved plaque bearing 'Robert E Dorman'. +1 (250) 620-0592 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. As a material, it is harder and more stable than ebony, and is increasingly used by world-class guitar makers. Excellent student model, The Windsor 'Pyxe' banjo, c. 1920's, with original case. S.S. Stewart began making banjos in 1878, and along with others, led the way in developing hybrid banjos banjeaurines (patented by Provenance: Previously owned by George Graham, a professional musician who played in the Auckland area 1930's. Musicians play these instruments with a down-stroke technique similar to the earliest known banjo playing in North America. Hendersonville, TN USA 37075 Sylvester Louis Vess Ossman was one of the most popular recording artists of his time. I think the banjo photographic image collection alone numbers in the thousands, including 20 daguerreotypes and numerous other Nineteenth Century images. New Lost City Ramblers: "I Truly Understand" (1958). The banjo is a stringed instrument that is, or has been, prominent in American folk, country, bluegrass, ragtime, and jazz music. The sound of the banjo became commonplace with their theme song for the television show The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971) and the prominent placement of their instrumental Foggy Mountain Breakdown in the 1967 film Bonnie & Clyde. Clarence Tom Ashley, Dock Boggs, Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Buell Kazee, and other rural banjoists recorded in the 1920s using various techniques. 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. 409 Benton Lane SC.nb("scott", "scottvestal.com", "", "", ""); 7258 Banjo Lane +1 (615) 456-5486 Enslaved West Africans in the Caribbean created a new instrument by incorporating elements of European instruments into the familiar design of their plucked spike lutes. +1 (650) 588-5558 Cannon's Jug Stompers: "Walk Right In" (1929). 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. Chris Bozung One of two makers of the Encore Automatic Banjo, incorporated in 1896. The instrument shares design elements and playing techniques with a family of approximately eighty known West African plucked spike lutes. +81-090-9358-2965. As of June 2022, there are 56. Plus, great banjo makers craft long-lasting instruments! The collection became popular with urban college students and inspired many young musicians, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Jerry Garcia. The, was a set of six long-playing records that compiled eighty-four songs initially released on, Realizing the recordings were made only a few decades earlier, disciples of the. Open-back models, plus an interesting resophonic model. 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. The instrument may also have been part of a religious ceremony known as the banya prei. Ovilla, TX USA 75154 www.cloverlickbanjoshop.com He has published detailed research into the banjo rim construction. 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. 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. www.grundybanjos.com , hailed by many as among the first country-rock albums. Franklin, TN USA By the 1850s, the banjo had become an integral part of American culture. As products from mail-order companies like Sears & Roebuck became available in the late nineteenth century, rural Americans increasingly purchased inexpensive manufactured instruments. severe and the loss of companies represents a thinning of the herd. 84 Womack Street In the early twentieth century, manufacturers introduced the four-string, or tenor, banjo. Cannons output included bluesy and jazzy music, and he played banjo with both downstroke and up-picking styles. The genre is part of the Americana or American roots music category, which includes elements of traditional folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel music. A Reliance banjo hardwood neck with nickelplated and wood body in a wood case. Not all brands have been created . "The Banjo Timepiece" by Chipman Ela is a very good book showing all the great banjos and their makers. Now owned by Geoff Stelling. dioramas from Suriname both appear to depict this ritual. Akeman played in the older clawhammer style and rarely took an improvised solo. 3 special model, serial number 8382, New York, circa 1920s, intricate abalone shell inlay to fingerboard and headstock which also bears the Company logo. Sweeney, of course, went on to become a famous blackface entertainer; Ferguson, who taught Dan Emmett to play the banjo, might have followed a similar path, but died of yellow fever in New Orleans in 1841. More than period recreations, these are instruments you can comfortably bring any banjo repertoire to. 791 Burton Ridge Road The Banjo's Early Days. Minstrel troupes marketed themselves as an authentic representation of Southern plantation life. +1 (339) 219-3047 Unique, clever, a must-see. 137 Utah Avenue Some localities in the Appalachians developed distinctive designs for homemade banjos. Call me a sap; it hurt. error? won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album. in banjo orchestras, they were tuned an octave higher than a standard banjo. Pete Seeger, son of musicologist Charles Seeger, first heard the 5-string banjo in 1936 at the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in western North Carolina, organized by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Tom & Fintan Cussen www.stealthbanjo.com Year 1974 Serial Nos. 1 - 7. Gura, Philip F., and James F. Bollman. Asheville, NC USA In the book Banjo Roots and Branches, historian Pete Ross concludes, All three banjos differ enough from African instruments while sharing some details specific to later banjos played and made by European Americans to place them at a point in the banjos history where it was no longer simply a relocated African instrument, but on its way to attaining the structure of the well-known antebellum nineteenth-century banjo.. They made smaller instruments and added intricate pearl inlays to the neck and headstock. Jim has had access to a vast array of surviving early banjos through the generosity of banjo history experts, collectors of early musical instruments, and museums. PO Box 1197 www.reiterbanjos.com www.banjo.ie The images used in this list have been provided by their respective builders and are the copyrighted www.capekinstruments.com Find an Glasgow, KY USA 42141 A banjo mandolin, unknown maker, circa 1940s, calfskin head, floating bridge, rosewood fingerboard, nickel hardware, eight buttoned machine heads, hardwood neck and rim, acquired on 12 October 1981, I bought this instrument in 1981 whilst on tour on the, Gibson long necked banjo, purchased in Syndey in 1962 from an American draft dodger, in original hard case. McMurray, PA USA 15317 www.phillipsbanjos.com 18124 Bull Rapids Road No direct sales; through dealers only. SC.nb("scott", "phillipsbanjos.com", "", "", ""); Open-back banjos, hand-made in the Appalachian mountains with native hardwoods. In the book, historian Pete Ross concludes, All three banjos differ enough from African instruments while sharing some details specific to later banjos played and made by European Americans to place them at a point in the banjos history where it was no longer simply a relocated African instrument, but on its way to attaining the structure of the well-known antebellum nineteenth-century banjo.. Often this book, at least at my writing this review in 2014, will go for $150-$400. Many White musicians learned to play banjo directly from African Americans. Progressive bluegrass continues today with artists such as Alison Krauss and Union Station, Infamous Stringdusters, and Yonder Mountain String Band. Bloomington, MN USA 55431 No compensation or gratuity is accepted for inclusion on this list. hoytbanjos.com Folk rock bands, including Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers, have introduced the instrument to younger mainstream audiences. How many strings? Specifically, the banjo was known to be played in the Antebellum South. www.cedarmtnbanjos.com Know anything? Matthew Sabatella plays "Pompey Ran Away" on a banjo built by Pete Ross. The builder must make and sell at least 12 banjos per year or have a history of having done so. A.A. Farland, celebrated banjo virtuoso of the late 19th and early 20th century, didn't care for those new-fangled tone rings banjo makers of his era were putting on their high-grade instruments -- he thought they sounded "too tinny!" He also abhorred spun-over metal rims like those on S.S. Stewart's banjos for the same reason. William Temlett's son, William Ernest, had started work in his father's factory in early boyhood but left at the age of thirty to form his own business. www.epiphone.com It was tuned in fifths, like a mandolin or violin, and played by strumming with a plectrum, also known as a pick. League City, TX USA 77573 African Banjo Echoes In Appalachia: Study Folk Traditions. Charlie Poole, who started playing a gourd banjo in his childhood, recorded many sides for Columbia Records in the late 1920s. Early Baltimore Banjo Manufacturers Pete Ross and Greg Adams will revisit the Baltimore Museum of Industry exhibit on William Boucher and what we've learned about Baltimore banjo manufacturers since then. To the heal an impressed metal plaque bearing ' the new Windsor/, English zither banjo, by Windsor, Artiste model, Birmingham, circa 1900, the brass impressed plate on the heel reads 'The new Windsor patent zither banjo A.O. Soon, banjo making consumed much of his spare time and began to eat into his business time. 245 Industrial Pkwy S. Please contact us with any questions or inquiries. A banjo mandolin, unknown maker, circa 1940s, calfskin head, floating bridge, rosewood fingerboard, nickel hardware, eight buttoned machine heads, hardwood neck and rim, acquired on 12 October 1981, I bought this instrument in 1981 whilst on tour on the Sold by in for You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg. S. S. Stewart produced his own line of banjos from 1878 until his death in 1898. An entirely different approach to pot construction. Virginia Minstrels spawned many imitators, and the instrumentation and general format of the skits and music became somewhat standardized. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2007. PRAGUE, 5 Czech Republic Conway, Cecilia. This period in America played a pivotal role in the history of the Dixieland banjo by fostering technological advances to the instrument, which would allow it to be adopted by many musical genres and eventually jazz. , banjo manufacturers began installing frets on the instrument. Temlett Maker/ London', 89 cm long, English zither banjo, by Windsor, no. 1898 was a good year SC.nb("contact", "goldtone.com", "", "", ""); Laurie Grundy Starting in the 1840s, blackface minstrel performers began popularizing the banjo among middle-class Whites who purchased manufactured instruments and learned to play. The banjo thimble, a precursor to the fingerpicks that are standard in bluegrass playing, increased the volume of banjo soloists performing in the downstroke style on stage. Because they did not fit the White stereotype of hillbilly music, record companies were not interested in recording them, though occasionally Black musicians played in the background on records by White artists. (905) 727-8686 They share features that differentiate them from West African lutes, including a flat, fretless fingerboard, wooden friction tuning pegs, and the way the neck enters and attaches to the gourd body. +353 91 796156 +1 (540) 230-0085 Maker of dance organ orchestrions (early years), piano orchestrions (limited production, early years . Fretted instruments, such as guitars and mandolins, are generally easier to play in tune than unfretted instruments, such as violins, violas, and cellos. During the late 1920s, he recorded for various companies race record lines, which captured African American, In the late 1930s, mandolinist, singer, songwriter Bill Monroe formed The Blue Grass Boys, the band primarily responsible for developing bluegrass music. One of the most comprehensive lines of banjos of all types from any company. He became the first star of the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcast. In 1930, a Gibson L-1, the guitar reportedly favored by Robert Johnson, cost $50.00, the equivalent of $687.57 today. Frank Goscha of Philadelphia is mentioned as having been one of the early banjo makers in America but no details of him or his products have ever come to light. www.chuckleebanjos.com While musical tradition runs strong in bluegrass, a generation of younger players started taking the music in new directions in the 1970s. I have worked with world renown banjo maker Kevin Enoch since 2004, collaborating on the design of his esteemed Dobson line, and creating much of the design and inlay on his most ornate banjos. www.bishlinebanjos.com In the 1830s, a man named Joel Walker Sweeny was one of the first minstrels to play the banjo on stage. Lindsay Lewellen Known is that the African slaves in America (in the 17th and 18th century) used to play some kind of simple instrument made from local materials, to accompany their songs and dances. The banjo is patterned after detail from "The Old Plantation" painting. Crowe & The New South: "Old Home Place" (1975). John Tyler was US President, slavery was not going to be abolished in the USA for another 23 years . While Briggs' tutor includes guitar-style playing in addition to downstroke, he was more interested in promoting his invention, the banjo thimble. 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-? Don't buy the DIY banjo kits; you'll never get satisfaction if something is wrong. If you know of any builders not on this list, please let me know. placement or size. www.wildwoodbanjos.com, The Banjo Loft Early European banjo-makers added a fifth string and a fretboard, and began to experiment with different tunings and string arrangements. to answer this question you have to relate banjo manufacturing in both the USA and the From the cubby box of a JA Turner "Alvey" 5 string, how about this little collection, probably cost about six and thruppence ha'penny in Two top-of-the-line instruments from two top makers plying their trades across the pond. J.D. Huber Jim Mills 5 string Banjo Rare Gold Plated . Hartel Banjos are individually handmade with the finest materials using dimensions from original banjos of the Minstrel Era. Between 1893 and 1917, he made more than 500 recordings of ragtime songs, marches, and minstrel material. 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 . Inclusion on the list is entirely at Will's Just In; New Enoch Tradesman Fretless Banjo. Geared tuners and frets are not part of their skill set or among their usual tools of the trade. www.huberbanjos.com, 420 Bridge Street The musical repertoire in the tutors expanded to include sentimental popular songs, European waltzes, mazurkas, and polkas. Blackface characters portrayed African Americans in derogatory, clownish exaggerations. Samantha Bumgarner (banjo) and Eva Davis (fddle): "Cindy in the Meadow" (1924). www.morganmonroe.com Gaddy, Kristina R.Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo's Hidden History. In 2005, the Carolina Chocolate Drops brought together four African American musicians playing traditional string band music on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and various other instruments. It also gives detailed descriptions on the various ways they constructed their clocks including movements. 1.6 6. www.sagamusic.com. 9700 Humboldt Avenue South Physical improvements in the instrument had enabled it to produce a sufficiently loud sound. Mike C. clocks4u NAWCC Member Sep 2, 2000 684 28 28 The earliest historical record of the banjo in North America was from a 1736 New-York Weekly Journal article. Prominent players today include Jake Blount, Otis Taylor, Corey Harris, and Taj Mahal. www.levanbanjos.com The guitar dethroned the banjo in the early 20th century for several reasons. www.romerobanjos.com De Meglio & F. Glio' dated 1916, in original leather case. Ltd. trading as CARTER'S Publications. American Banjo Makersby Stuart Cohen Recomposed by Steve Trussel This list first appeared in an article in Volume 7 Number 1 of Mugwumpsmagazine of which Michael I. Holmesis publisher and editor. The 1890s brought the dawn of recorded sound with Thomas Edisons phonograph and Emile Berliners gramophone. Scruggs was a 3-finger up-picking virtuoso who soloed frequently and took the banjo to inventive new places. A c.1920s George Houghton & Sons 'Model 3000' small banjo mandolin, eight steel strings, original bridge, fittings and case. Dubois, Laurent. The Banjo Reserve recently contacted Simon Middleton, Founder and Managing Director of The Great British Banjo Company, . +1 (619) 464-8252 SC.nb("info", "cbguitars.com", "", "", ""); Mike Dawson, Luthier Companies designed banjos particularly for young ladies and targeted marketing campaigns at these principal purveyors of music in Victorian-era parlors. Many White musicians learned to play banjo directly from African Americans. Two brands, DP Hopkins and Louzee, from the same builders. Progressive bluegrass, or newgrass, draws from a wider pool of musical influences than traditional bluegrass and might include more rock and jazz elements. SHS International Today, the banjo can be heard in virtually every genre of music. As the banjo made inroads into middle-class American parlors during the second half of the nineteenth century, it also became integral to the music of the rural South. Through the 1920s and early 1930s, the guitar gradually replaced the banjo in jazz ensembles. The Kingston Trio, with banjo player Dave Guard, released their first album in 1958. While some continued to play the instrument, there was a steep decline in the presence of the banjo in Black music. +1 (707) 845-9524 Windsor, 94 Newhall St. Birmingham, England', 95 cm long, American ukulele banjo, by Gibson, Ub-1 model, Michigan, circa 1920s, 'The Gibson' decal to headstock, 49 cm long, Lida cased banjo with mother of pearl inlay. www.omebanjos.com Blue Lake, CA USA 95525 Somerville, TN USA 38068 +1 (615) 799-9217 1.3 3. Murph Gribble (banjo), Albert York (guitar), and John Lusk (fiddle): "Altamont" (1946). Some 5-strings are made each year. Most experts 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.

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