Paramount Style A Plectrum Banjo (1923)
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Item # 9499
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Paramount Style A Model Plectrum Banjo (1923), made in New York City, serial # 2496, natural varnish finish, laminated maple rim, laminated maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, molded plastic hard shell case.
Paramount's Style A was the plainest-grade instrument in the company's initial professional "letter series" line of the 1920s. Retailing at $130.00, this was still a fancy and expensive instrument by the standards of the day! William Lange's Paramount line were the most popular of all orchestra banjos of the Jazz Age along with Vega's Vegaphone and basically set the pattern for the "modern" resonator banjo. These banjos were the lynchpin of the rhythm section of every jazz and dance band in the country, as well as a featured soloist's instrument.
This early Style A Plectrum has the typical features of the older 1920s Paramounts. The construction is identical to the highest grade instruments, it just has plainer woods and ornamentation. The neck, resonator, and rim are maple with rosewood-bound edges. The rosewood fingerboard has notched diamond pearl inlay and there is a marquetry strip under the fingerboard. The flashiest feature is a fancy and attractive peghead design with elaborate engraved pearl inlay.
The tailpiece is the standard Paramount style with a hinged tension-adjusting cover, recently introduced when this one was made. The armrest is the early bent metal style and the tuners are the first-generation Page units with heavy milled housings. Not long after this Lange switched to cast housings which have proved fragile over the years and are often replaced; these original style tuners are undamaged and still work just as they always did.
This Style A is a medium-level banjo by 1920s standards but has all the sound of the best Paramounts. This is a relatively affordable but still upscale professional grade Plectrum Banjo from that instrument's heyday, and considerably rarer than the corresponding tenor model. This remains a fine example of a nearly century-old banjo, ready for the next 100 years.
Overall length is 33 1/2 in. (85.1 cm.), 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm.) diameter head, and 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 27 in. (686 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.).
This is a nice, all original example of an early 1920s Paramount Plectrum with some light average play wear and one notable repair. The finish is all original with small nicks, dings, and scuffs, mostly to the resonator back with some finish rubbed off the center spine along the back of the neck from play. There was a typical crack through the heel, which is fairly common on Paramounts. This has been very neatly repaired and is almost invisible except under close inspection. The repair is completely solid and does not affect play at all.
The banjo retains all its original hardware, except for one slightly later Paramount nut. The much superior early Page tuners are in excellent shape and still working perfectly. Much of the original plating is intact with minor loss overall and one worn-through area on the tailpiece cover.
This is a very good player; the neck is not absolutely straight, having some very minor relief which is very common on these older long-neck banjos. This is not enough to cause problems and the banjo plays fine over all 22 frets. The original very thin Paramount frets have been crowned down a bit in the lower positions and show hardly any wear. The banjo is set up with a vintage skin head. This is a great-sounding Plectrum ready to go, including a modern molded hardshell case. Overall Excellent - Condition.
Paramount's Style A was the plainest-grade instrument in the company's initial professional "letter series" line of the 1920s. Retailing at $130.00, this was still a fancy and expensive instrument by the standards of the day! William Lange's Paramount line were the most popular of all orchestra banjos of the Jazz Age along with Vega's Vegaphone and basically set the pattern for the "modern" resonator banjo. These banjos were the lynchpin of the rhythm section of every jazz and dance band in the country, as well as a featured soloist's instrument.
This early Style A Plectrum has the typical features of the older 1920s Paramounts. The construction is identical to the highest grade instruments, it just has plainer woods and ornamentation. The neck, resonator, and rim are maple with rosewood-bound edges. The rosewood fingerboard has notched diamond pearl inlay and there is a marquetry strip under the fingerboard. The flashiest feature is a fancy and attractive peghead design with elaborate engraved pearl inlay.
The tailpiece is the standard Paramount style with a hinged tension-adjusting cover, recently introduced when this one was made. The armrest is the early bent metal style and the tuners are the first-generation Page units with heavy milled housings. Not long after this Lange switched to cast housings which have proved fragile over the years and are often replaced; these original style tuners are undamaged and still work just as they always did.
This Style A is a medium-level banjo by 1920s standards but has all the sound of the best Paramounts. This is a relatively affordable but still upscale professional grade Plectrum Banjo from that instrument's heyday, and considerably rarer than the corresponding tenor model. This remains a fine example of a nearly century-old banjo, ready for the next 100 years.
Overall length is 33 1/2 in. (85.1 cm.), 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm.) diameter head, and 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 27 in. (686 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.).
This is a nice, all original example of an early 1920s Paramount Plectrum with some light average play wear and one notable repair. The finish is all original with small nicks, dings, and scuffs, mostly to the resonator back with some finish rubbed off the center spine along the back of the neck from play. There was a typical crack through the heel, which is fairly common on Paramounts. This has been very neatly repaired and is almost invisible except under close inspection. The repair is completely solid and does not affect play at all.
The banjo retains all its original hardware, except for one slightly later Paramount nut. The much superior early Page tuners are in excellent shape and still working perfectly. Much of the original plating is intact with minor loss overall and one worn-through area on the tailpiece cover.
This is a very good player; the neck is not absolutely straight, having some very minor relief which is very common on these older long-neck banjos. This is not enough to cause problems and the banjo plays fine over all 22 frets. The original very thin Paramount frets have been crowned down a bit in the lower positions and show hardly any wear. The banjo is set up with a vintage skin head. This is a great-sounding Plectrum ready to go, including a modern molded hardshell case. Overall Excellent - Condition.