Bacon Banjo Co.
Doublejigs
Rhythm King tenor banjo supposedly 1930's (walnut) and I took the resonator off
and the Bacon Banjo Co. was stamped on the inside with a 1927 date. Thanks in
advance. Linda
Jeffrey Friedman
on to other brands of banjos. This could be the case here.
Jeffrey
Noel Induni
http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/appleway/182/index.html
as a start.
Noel
Doublejigs <doubl...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19991014155319...@ng-da1.aol.com...
Robert F. DeVellis
question.
The Bacon Banjo Co. was in operation from 1915-1939 (incorporated in 1920) in
Groton, Connecticut. Contrary to popular belief, the company was never named
“Bacon & Day” despite the fact that David Day joined the company on Sept 18, 1922.
Day had been Vice President and General Manager for the Vega Company of Boston
prior to assuming a similar title at Bacon Banjo. Fred Bacon, a well-known banjo
virtuoso, had worked with Day at Vega/Fairbanks and had also made banjos at
Rettburg & Lange before founding the Bacon Banjo Co. with Cassie Bacon and Dr. &
Mrs. E. O. Winship in Groton, CT. George Gruhn (Frets Magazine, February, 1983)
says that, “During the banjo boom of the1920's. Many musicians considered Bacon &
Day [sic] to be the finest banjo maker of the time. The instruments were prized
for their exceptional volume and cutting power as well as for their beautiful
craftsmanship.” Elsewhere (Frets Magazine, November, 1979) Gruhn has noted that,
“Vega, Paramount, Bacon & Day [sic], Epiphone and Gibson were the most important
banjo manufacturers of the ‘20s ....” After Day joined the company, models bearing
his design influence carried the "Bacon & Day" or "B & D" model designation, even
though the company's name never had "Day" in it. Bacon’s higher-end instruments,
such as the B & D Silver Bell 5-string and tenor banjos (in several styles of trim)
are the best known (and of exceptional quality); the lesser instruments produced by
the Bacon company share some materials and features with the high end models but
also differ in several respects that affect sound and playability. Bacon, like
other manufacturers of the time, had some models that featured the names of
endorsers such as the "Montana" and "Roy Smeck" instruments. Bacon also
manufactured instruments that carried other names, a common practice at the time.
"Rhythm King" appears to have been a model of Bacon banjo, falling between the
B & D # 2 Special and B & D # 3 Special (_not_ the Silver Bell #'s 2 and 3, which
were substantially more expensive) in price. If the resonator is original, it
helps date the banjo. Day went to the Bacon Co. in 1923 or so and some resonators
have a label reading: “B & D ‘Resonance and Amplifying Chamber,’ Patented Nov. 30,
1926, The Bacon Banjo Co., Inc, Groton, Conn., U. S. A.” Obviously, such a
resonator is post-1926. I'm not sure if Bacon banjos carried an earlier style
resonator that predated Day's arrival. Some very early Bacon's, predating the
establishment of the Groton operation, had a hollow rim about 2 inches or so wide
that presumably served a purpose similar to a hybrid of tone ring and resonator.
These models were called "Professional" in 1906 or so (we're talking 5-strings here
-- no tenors on the scene yet) but are clearly different from later models carrying
the same name.
So, if all this is correct and the banjo and resonator started life as a team,
you have an instrument made by a very good company. The instrument, however, isn't
one of their top models. So how good is it? A table of banjo prices in the 1920's
that I got off the internet lists the Bacon Rhythm King as selling for $90 at that
time. A Vega Whyte Laydie, which is a very well-regarded instrument these days,
sold for $100. But relative value then doesn't necessarily imply relative value
now. The most important thing is how much you enjoy it. The one or two lesser
Bacons from the '20's that I've seen had good volume (the resonators helped),
decent tone, and variable playability. the latter can usually be remedied with
proper set-up and the action can usually be adjusted to be satisfyingly low if the
neck is still straight. The shorter tenor necks probably fare better in this
regard than the longer (and, hence, more warp-prone) 5-strings or plectrums. On
one Bacon mandolin banjo (a 1927 Style C, which was pretty near the low end of the
range), a thin shim I put under the neck heel on the fretboard side resulted in
really superb action and playability and is completely invisible. The skin-on-wood
rim design doesn't produce the best tone, to my ears, but it's a very solid and
playable little instrument.
I hope this information satisfies your curiosity and that you enjoy playing
your Rhythm King!
Doublejigs wrote:
> Does anyone have any information about the Bacon Banjo Co. I recently bought a
> Rhythm King tenor banjo supposedly 1930's (walnut) and I took the resonator off
> and the Bacon Banjo Co. was stamped on the inside with a 1927 date. Thanks in
> advance. Linda
--
======================
======================
Bob DeVellis
bob_de...@unc.edu
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
919-966-0557
RGlass1753
CT. B&D MADE SEVERAL LINSE OF BANJOS FROM TENORS,PLECTRUMS, AND FIVESTRINGS.
SOME OF THE HIGH END INSTRUMENTS ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL AND ORNATE. THERE IS A BOOK
CALLED "ACOUSTIC GUITARS AND OTHER FRETTED INSTRUMENTS" WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED
BY GEORGE GRUHN AND WALTER CARTER. THIS IS A VERY INFORMATIVE BOOK THAT
EXPLAINS THE HISTORY OF VINTAGE INSTRUMENTS AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE COMPANIES
THAT MANUFACTURED CUSTOM AND "OFF THE RACK " PRODUCTS THAT DATE BACK 200 YEARS
!!!
WChafWV
with Serial Number 1111. There is a patent date inside the banjo body of
September 20, 1920. Would you possibly know the year of manufacture or be able
to refer me to a source with this information?