Many have no identification at all. 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 . Vintage banjo from 1920s to 1970s - price guide and values - Carter's Vintage mandolin, guitar-mandolin or banjo-mandolin This was adapted to the mandolin over the next few years. The pot fairly screams Iida to me. 67 Banjo Headstock Designs ideas | banjo, guitar inlay, mandolin The tuners were individual Kluson with amber buttons. How to ID vintage Gibson banjos? - The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum 1979 $1149 Antique Sunburst added to Fireburst, Cherry Sunburst and Natural. 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. Bottom belly ebony bridge with pyramids on the wings, Silk-screened script @ 15 degrees +/-: The Gibson, 3 on a plate open gear tuners white or black buttons, Top and body becomes all mahogany amber finish, Extra bridge pin centered below 6 in a line, L-0 Flattened lower bout increased to 14, Reintroduced as the least expensive Gibson flat-top @ $25, Body depth 3 ? at the neck and 4 3/8 at the heel, Pearl dot makers and double dots on the 12th fret, Old script silk-screened diagonal logo: The Gibson or just Gibson, Some striped tortoise plastic pickguards after 1933, Some bright white plastic pickguards after 1933, L-00 introduced as Gibsons lowest price flat-top @ $37.50, Small round amber area of sunburst just below the soundhole, Striped tortoise plastic pickguards added, Dot position markers on the fretboard edge, A few with banner logos decals on the headstocks, Light amber top Sheraton brown back & sides, Old script silk-screened diagonal logo: The Gibson, Flattened lower bout increased to 14 (possibly, Soundhole, bridge and bracing moved to compensate, Similar to the L-00 but with heavier braces, Pearl dot fretboard markers double on 12, Gold sparkle inlayed around top & soundhole, Tailpiece adjustable bridge option discontinued, Speckled celluloid pickguard added as an option, Some had 2 top braces under the fingerboard extension vs. one, Rosewood fretboard rectangle inlays at 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 & 15, Pearl diamond inlays in the rosewood rectangles, Gibson pearl diagonal headstock inlay in rosewood, in Pearloid, Pearloid headstock veneer replace with rosewood, Bound headstock, pearl Gibson, pearl truss rod cover and notched diamond inlay, No headstock binding, black truss rod cover and elongated diamond inlay, Body depth 4 at the neck and 4 5/8 at the heel, Brazilian rosewood pyramid bottom belly bridge, The Gibson pearl angled logo inlayed on headstock, Nick Lucas Special white label with picture of Nick Lucas, 14 fret neck to body joints (phased in by this time), Trapeze tailpiece with adjustable bridge option. Vintage Guitar - Parts and Identification - Hfner Gold-plated tuning gears, LOTS of abalone inlay. When I look at the rim, tone ring, tube and plate, and tailpiece they look like the same ones on my Ibanez 591. The early instruments built in Nashville suffered from inexperienced workers and climate-control problems in the humid South. Epiphone serial-number-information - identification The soundhole size coincided with the overall size of the instrument. The Kalamazoo plant kept going for a few years as a custom-instrument shop, including the Mark Series instruments, and was ultimately closed in 1984. An entire bin was a "lot" and would contain CONTACT US; Headstock Shape. The 5th string on a banjo lies within easy reach of the right-hand . Serial Numbers - Acoustic Music The Mark Series guitars were particularly interesting among the Gibson flat tops made in the 1970s due to their unique bracing. The hardshell case had a green or red silk lining. Deering Gabriella 5-string banjo headstock. Kay company banjos were normally not that high-quality but this one is different. set of identifying characteristics can be found at I removed the resonator today and there is a hand written number 8 and that's it. Similar to A, but with double purfling on the soundhole. Scott Zimmerman may be able to shed some light on this. S2M, size 2 guitar with mahogany back & sides. PDF Gibson Banjo Construction Evolution Its price tag was $55 as compared to the Martin D-18 at $65 and D-28 at $100. This should be considered a guide to get you within a year of the correct date. Have a vintage Harmony guitar? banjo headstock identification 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. Slanted mid 1940's Gibson Logo. Take a closer look at the serial number found on the back of the headstock and reference the guide below. The Mark Series guitars had 16 3/16 lower bouts with very narrow waists, and a headstock like no other in Gibson tradition. See LG-0 for materials and dimensions. The Gibson stamped on tailpiece cover. It would have helped if the Larson brothers had sequential serial numbers but there is just enough contradictory evidence to prevent one from trusting numbers that appear to be sequential. Only about a dozen were made. CLM, Classical guitar with mahogany back and sides. 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. Maybell was a Slingerland brand name. 3 hrs, 'Pisgah 12 Builders Choice Custom Walnut Dobson 5+1 String Banjo' 3 hrs, 'Custom 12inch Billybilt Banjo w Figured Maple neck and Curly maple RIckard Pot and Balch head' 4 hrs, '11inch Billybilt Banjo with Antique Spunover SS Stewart Pot and Curly Maple neck' 4 hrs, I see no collectors market for banjos like yours.<, We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Headstocks say LoPrinzi. It will be interesting of one of the BHO members has a vintage Kay catalog with that particular banjo. I have never seen one like this in person or even a picture of one. Gretsch was contracted to make banjos for them. It was during the years of 1977 through 1986 that most of the high-end lines at Gibson were discontinued: The ES-350T, L-5S and the Mark Series among them. Introduced August 1942 and J-45s are still available today. They didnt sell well but did live up to their design intent of a heavier, booming tone with good overall balance. At the time, the Nick Lucas model was the largest flat-top Gibson offered. Martin introduced the large body dreadnaught in 1932 It was bigger, bolder, and louder than anything Gibson had to offer. You may, . Gibson believed that these choices would allow them to focus on their more profitable lines. Script Gibson logo, Fretboard: Twin parallelograms inlays unbound 19 fret. Electric guitars having the serial number on the back of the headstock. Bound rosewood fingerboard with small fret wire, clamshell tail piece with Morris inscribed. To confuse matters, they also manufactured Bacon banjos that had been developed by Fred Bacon: the Professional, the Orchestra and the Blue Ribbon. It appears that they experimented right up to the point of discontinuing the line. 615-264-4959. 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 . It was the innovations of the Loar period: 1921 through 1925 that saw the introduction of the truss rod, adjustable bridges, bracing adjustments, thinning and grading of the tops and numerous other refinements to create the standards that are still used today. The 1975 price was $1,999. The braces were generally thin and numerous compared with other manufacturers. The FON is the only identification number on Gibson's lower grade models (like the ES-125, ES-140, J-160E, etc.) Skip to main content. If the serial number is legible the instrument can be relatively easy to date. They had owner applied pick guards and multi-bound backs and tops (including red line highlights). There was some amber color. This is a high-quality instrument. 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. Jun 24, 2020 - The Art of Banjo Headstocks. 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. Identification: "A" Style mandolins were symmetrical and shaped like a teardrop. The early models had shallow neck sets that increased in angle around 1908. Gibson discontinued the A-3 around 1922. thin heel footprints as shown below in the second row of pictures: J. Headstocks of US models also use the Gibson headstock shape. For more detailed information, get the following book: The Larsons Creations Guitars & Mandolins by Robert Carl Hartman. Headstocks say LoPrinzi. S3R3H, Like S3R, with 3-piece back, full herringbone binding, gold tuners. The fingerboard was rosewood with 9 inlaid position markers. The story of how Greg Deering came to own the over 130 year old Vega trademark is one of childhood dreams and an unmissable opportunity. side of the top of the peghead (see last set of pictures below). The USA distributors in the 60s and 70s used their own serial number systems and we do . Ironically, the script logo on the headstock was old-style. Some SJNs with plastic Special Bridges. Find the worth of your vintage banjo from 1920s to 1970s. There were 2 tone bars and a treble side X brace with a 102 degree angle about 1 below the 4 soundhole. Timing is everything In 1969 the Gibson parent company: Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) was acquired by the South American brewing conglomerate: E.C.L. Buy in monthly payments with Affirm on orders over $50. 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?) Numerous articles in Vintage Guitar Magazine over the years. The later pickguard clamps have a stamped patent date of July 4, 1911. The second type of headstock, as you can tell by its name, is the angled or tilted-back headstock. The current bridge height and neck angle was reached around 1910. There are some examples of two piece bodies used with the transparent or natural finishes. AMF ceased production of LoPrinzi guitars. For example: The custom series of Epiphone Texans built with cooperation from Paul McCartney: some were built in Bozeman Montana and some in Japan. The swing of a lathe is measured as the total diameter of a finished turned piece, such as a wood bowl. Format: 2 (Identifier) YY (Year) XXXX (Numerical ID) Example: Serial number . Steel Guitar. It also had a black veneered headstock (front and back) and a black inlay in the back of the neck. 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. themselves through common hardware and design characteristics. Semi-hollow guitar serial numbers are found inside the 'top' F-hole on a label. Gibson introduced their first adjustable belly bridge 2 screws to raise and lower the bridge. The following are believed to be accurate known numbers: The following serial numbers are approximate at best. Bodies: Rosewood, oak, mahogany, koa and maple. 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 decade following saw a change in finish from varnish to shinier lacquer. What Does My Banjo's Serial Number Tell Me? - Deering Banjo Company The more economical Student Grade instruments were often ladder braced. The first number of the sequence indicates the decade of production, followed by the three digit day of the year, and finally the year. At the turn of the century, Orville Gibson was refining his notion of the superior mandolin: carved in the tradition of violins for greater volume and tone as well as comfort. The rosettes were simple white-black-white. Body shape changed to square shoulder dreadnought. 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. Serial number records exist for instruments built before 1975 and after 1980. A-series Factory location: New York City from start to 1971. It was basically a slope shoulder dreadnaught like a J-45 or Southerner Jumbo and designed for the country and western market. My understanding is that only 12 of these particular banjos were ever manufactured by Kay. To accommodate the pickup, the standard production neck was pushed up to a neck-body joint at the 15th fret. Factory Order Numbers (FON) in the 2600s to 2700s. The flood of returning soldiers with a broader world-view brought new musical tastes and new hopes for the future. Higher grade models (such as the Super 400, L-5, J-200, etc.) Thanks for any assistance you can provide. (Folk Jumbo Natural and Folk-25). It was available in red, black or two-tone sunburst finish, fleur-de-lis under The Gibson; Handel inlaid tuner buttons prior to 1916 (WWI) with a dotted + in each button. Prairie State instruments have the patented rod and/or tube reinforcing, occasionally found on other Larson built guitars.