Epiphone Concert Special
I just received a lovely Epiphone Concert Special from the USA from a one owner family. It was played professionally throughout the 1930’s and has been kept in the family since. I have held on to the banjo for a couple of years and finally decided that I would give it a complete refret to serve its new owner. The sound of these Epiphones are truly wonderful and that goes without saying, they are hard to find these days especially in the condition of this one. Here is the information taken from the 1930’s catalogue.
a symphony in white and gold, made throughout of the most beautiful of woods – white holly – without a mark of grain or colour. The neck is carved in a beautiful floral design and inset with veneers of contrasting colours. The five ply fingerboard is faced with mother of pearl Pyralin. The position markers and head plate are exquisitely hand engraved and tinted in variegated colours.
The resonator sides have mother of pearl Pyralin finished with checkered wood marquetry. The back of the resonator is finished in matching holly wood inlaid with 3 centre rings of matching marquetry with 2 straight line wood marquetry, fanning out to the bottom edge of resonator. There are 4 attachment screws/bolts to hold the resonator to the flange.
Years of experimentation have proved that the ideal banjo tone (both as to quality and carrying power) requires that an uninterrupted metal contact be formed with the head. The metal parts that complete this contact must rest upon a wood foundation. I the Epiphone Recording banjo, a round metal tone ring rests upon 26 metal spacing segments that are embedded in the top of the wooden body. The plastic head of choice (Remo clear, renaissance, white smooth top) is supported snugly by the top tension hoop on one side, and a metal shirt on the other. The shirt rests on a square metal ring that is deeply inset into the wood body, and, in turn, forms a foundation for a one piece combination bracket flange and completes the uninterrupted metal contact.
The resultant tone is vibrant, powerful, far reaching yet by playing lightly with your pick can produce a subtle sweetness, lilting and sonorous in quality. With Epiphone Recording banjos, a combination bracket flange, made of one piece of 1/8″ thickness brass, bent and machined to minute proportions which is continuous around the banjo body. It gives added strength and rigidity. The tension of the bracket hooks is entirely absorbed by the bracket flange and tightens the contact of the metal parts. The unlying wooden rim is left free for unaffected tone vibration.
So there you go, what more can I say!
The Epiphone Concert Special comes with a specially fitted original vintage case with inner turquoise coloured velvet. This particular banjo came fitted with a fishman rare earth pickup.
enjoy the photos!
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