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A beautifully restored 1926 Bacon & Day SilverBell N0.1 made in Groton, CT. The Bacon and Day company was the collaboration of David Day, former plant manager of the Vega Banjo Company and Fred Bacon. The Bacon and Day company are universally known for their craftsmanship and exceptional build quality of prewar tenor banjos. The Silver Bells in particular have exceptional volume and cutting power, with great tonal qualities and very much sought after by the Irish banjoist. The neck is 100% straight with low playing action and It plays in tonal perfection up the fret length. The neck has been professionally refinished along with the resonator.  5 piece maple/ebony neck with ivoroid binding along the fretboard edge. Ivoroid-bound 24 frets ebony fingerboard with varied MOP inlay pattern position makers, (20 frets to the tension hoop) and has a scale length of 23 – 1/2″ and nut width of 30mm.  The finely shaped heel cap is made from ebony. “B&D / SILVER / BELL” and fancy pearl leaf inlays on headstock overlay. The geared tuners are 5 star quality with ivoriod cream buttons.

The resonator is beautifully finished in a dark brown sunburst and connected to a f style flange. Plating throughout is in very good condition as seen from the photos. This model has the Silverbell tone ring with the 29 holes for better acoustic sound. The banjo is fitted with a new white smooth top Remo 11″ head and one of Marinie Toman’s hand crafted ebony bridges, original Oettinger 4 finger tailpiece and B&D armrest. Fitted with new nickel strings 12,17,28,38 and comes with brand new brown leatherette hardshell case.

Banjo serial #17698

Details:

• f hole resonator flange
• 24 fret ebony extended fingerboard with beautiful diamond cut pearl inlay postion markers.
• 5 piece maple/ebony neck with ivoroid binding along the fretboard edge.
• Fancy floral design pearl inlaid head-stock bearing the name SilverBell
• Mother of pearl inlay to rear of headstock
• Oettinger 4 finger tailpiece and Hercules geared tuners
• New hardshell case

For Sale £1850

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1925 Epiphone Concert ‘ART’ Dragonhead  tenor banjo

You will crawl around the planet to find one of these Epiphone Art concerts, known as the “Dragon” model. Not only does it possess the perfect tone for traditional Irish music, it is a stand alone piece of art and so pleasing to look at.. The neck is made from Brazillian rosewood with horizontal and vertical laminates for stability and strength and features a peg head inlaid with the exquisitely engraved pearl dragon. Traveling down the ornate fretboard, we encounter mother of pearl, engraved inlays of intricate design. The side of the neck has ivoroid binding with black dot side position markers, combined with maple & pear wood laminate, culminating in a gorgeous heel carving. The resonator is equally spectacular, constructed of rosewood with three centre wood marquetry rings and double wood marquetry middle lines.  The resonator side walls is finished in hand engraved pyalin . All metal parts are solid brass with gold-plating throughout and hand engraved, Has original engraved arm rest and newly fitted gold plated oettinger tail piece. The original tuners are all working fine resplendent with their genuine mother of pearl buttons.

The instrument is in very good original condition throughout with good frets, the neck is slick and is perfectly straight with low action and in perfect tonal tune throughout. Recently fitted with new white smooth top Remo head and new strings. Perhaps the best feature is that wonderful jazz age tone which emerges effortlessly from this rare and beautiful Epiphone banjo, you have to play it to believe the tone it has like no other banjo I’ve heard.

Comes with vintage hard shell case in good condition.

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