Bacon & Day Silver Bell #1 Plectrum Banjo (1925)
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Item # 12495
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Bacon & Day Silver Bell #1 Model Plectrum Banjo (1925), made in Groton CT, serial # 17407, shaded maple finish, laminated maple neck, rim and resonator; ebony fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This Plectrum banjo is a rare long-neck Silver Bell, the simplest iteration of the Bacon Banjo Company's high-end professional B&D line. That's not saying it's a plain instrument; the upper-end Silver Bells were both the fanciest and most expensive (for the period) banjos ever built. The #1 was the basic professional model but still a very flashy instrument, retailing originally at $140.00. They were quite popular in the 1920s and beyond, especially among vaudeville and variety players.
This particular #1 dates to around 1925, a couple of years after the Silver Bell line was launched. The unique low-mounted Silver Bell flange is the second version with f-hole shaped cuts for sound holes. The resonator back is dark-finished burl maple, bound in black celluloid with inlaid concentric wood rings on the back. The heavy Silver Bell sheathed tone ring is the later non-perforated style. The tailpiece is the original adjustable Oettinger in excellent condition and the long armrest is intact as well, only the knee mute is missing.
The multi-laminate maple neck has delicate shaped pearl inlays in the bound ebony fingerboard. The laminate headstock (both front and back) has elaborate floral pearl inlay around the "B&D Silver Bell" logo. This one has original early geared Grover tuners that work fine 90+ years along. Bacon & Day's Silver Bell series were among the finest banjos ever built, and this long-neck #1 is an excellent example. The Plectrum version is much rarer than the tenor and this one is a lovely find!
Overall length is 33 1/2 in. (85.1 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 4 in. (10.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 23 in. (584 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.).
This is a nice clean example of this classic Silverbell model overall, a one-family instrument for nearly 100 years. It shows only fairly light wear from a century of careful use, only played in the home (the banjo equivalent of the "little old lady car"). The back of the neck was lightly oversprayed long ago but the remainder of the finish is original. The resonator back shows light scratches and scuffs and appears to have been polished out a bit long ago.
All hardware is original and complete except the entire Soft Pedal mute assembly has been removed. The plating shows very little wear and is quite well-preserved for an instrument of this age. The neck is excellent, the frets show only very minor wear and this is a fine sounding and playing Silverbell, with the powerful "snap" these are known for. It is set up with an older (probably period) Rogers calfskin head and a period Bacon-style ebony capped maple bridge, and resides in a correct period HSC. The banjo includes a lovely letter detailing the original owner's history and use and a handwritten list of the favorite songs played on it. Overall Excellent Condition.
This Plectrum banjo is a rare long-neck Silver Bell, the simplest iteration of the Bacon Banjo Company's high-end professional B&D line. That's not saying it's a plain instrument; the upper-end Silver Bells were both the fanciest and most expensive (for the period) banjos ever built. The #1 was the basic professional model but still a very flashy instrument, retailing originally at $140.00. They were quite popular in the 1920s and beyond, especially among vaudeville and variety players.
This particular #1 dates to around 1925, a couple of years after the Silver Bell line was launched. The unique low-mounted Silver Bell flange is the second version with f-hole shaped cuts for sound holes. The resonator back is dark-finished burl maple, bound in black celluloid with inlaid concentric wood rings on the back. The heavy Silver Bell sheathed tone ring is the later non-perforated style. The tailpiece is the original adjustable Oettinger in excellent condition and the long armrest is intact as well, only the knee mute is missing.
The multi-laminate maple neck has delicate shaped pearl inlays in the bound ebony fingerboard. The laminate headstock (both front and back) has elaborate floral pearl inlay around the "B&D Silver Bell" logo. This one has original early geared Grover tuners that work fine 90+ years along. Bacon & Day's Silver Bell series were among the finest banjos ever built, and this long-neck #1 is an excellent example. The Plectrum version is much rarer than the tenor and this one is a lovely find!
Overall length is 33 1/2 in. (85.1 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 4 in. (10.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 23 in. (584 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.).
This is a nice clean example of this classic Silverbell model overall, a one-family instrument for nearly 100 years. It shows only fairly light wear from a century of careful use, only played in the home (the banjo equivalent of the "little old lady car"). The back of the neck was lightly oversprayed long ago but the remainder of the finish is original. The resonator back shows light scratches and scuffs and appears to have been polished out a bit long ago.
All hardware is original and complete except the entire Soft Pedal mute assembly has been removed. The plating shows very little wear and is quite well-preserved for an instrument of this age. The neck is excellent, the frets show only very minor wear and this is a fine sounding and playing Silverbell, with the powerful "snap" these are known for. It is set up with an older (probably period) Rogers calfskin head and a period Bacon-style ebony capped maple bridge, and resides in a correct period HSC. The banjo includes a lovely letter detailing the original owner's history and use and a handwritten list of the favorite songs played on it. Overall Excellent Condition.