Bacon Peerless Tenor Banjo (1923)
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Item # 9755
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Bacon Peerless Model Tenor Banjo (1923), Groton CT, serial # 8814.
This plain but spiffy little tenor dates to the period just before the Bacon Banjo Company became Bacon & Day, with former Vega executive David Day turning the company into one of the top tier makers of the '20s. It was actually made by Day's old firm Vega, and is a simple design but very nicely crafted.
The laminated maple rim has a sheathed Little Wonder style tone ring, with a heavy hoop and good quality hardware. The 21" scale 17-fret neck is laminated maple with a dot-inlaid "ebonized ' fingerboard and Vega-pattern headstock. The instrument is nicely finished in clear natural maple. If not for the pearl "Bacon" script precariously fitted right at the tip of the peghead this could easily be mistaken for Vega's popular Little Wonder tenor.
This is a fine beginner or general knock-around tenor, very well made with the shorter scale neck now much preferred for Irish tuning. It has a later Presto extension tailpiece, plastic head and more recent geared Grover-style tuners so is fully ready to go, a nice player in a modern HSC.
Overall length is 30 3/4 in. (78.1 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 21 in. (533 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
This banjo shows light wear overall, with minor dings, dents and scuffs to the finish but no major wear. The tailpiece, tuners, head and bridge are later, the rest of the rim hardware appears original. There is some general plating wear, most heavily to the hooks a few of which are rusted through. The original frets have some minor wear but playability is excellent and as budget tenors go they don't get much better than this "Peerless" especially 99 years on! Overall Excellent - Condition.
This plain but spiffy little tenor dates to the period just before the Bacon Banjo Company became Bacon & Day, with former Vega executive David Day turning the company into one of the top tier makers of the '20s. It was actually made by Day's old firm Vega, and is a simple design but very nicely crafted.
The laminated maple rim has a sheathed Little Wonder style tone ring, with a heavy hoop and good quality hardware. The 21" scale 17-fret neck is laminated maple with a dot-inlaid "ebonized ' fingerboard and Vega-pattern headstock. The instrument is nicely finished in clear natural maple. If not for the pearl "Bacon" script precariously fitted right at the tip of the peghead this could easily be mistaken for Vega's popular Little Wonder tenor.
This is a fine beginner or general knock-around tenor, very well made with the shorter scale neck now much preferred for Irish tuning. It has a later Presto extension tailpiece, plastic head and more recent geared Grover-style tuners so is fully ready to go, a nice player in a modern HSC.
Overall length is 30 3/4 in. (78.1 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 21 in. (533 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
This banjo shows light wear overall, with minor dings, dents and scuffs to the finish but no major wear. The tailpiece, tuners, head and bridge are later, the rest of the rim hardware appears original. There is some general plating wear, most heavily to the hooks a few of which are rusted through. The original frets have some minor wear but playability is excellent and as budget tenors go they don't get much better than this "Peerless" especially 99 years on! Overall Excellent - Condition.