A. A. Farland Artists Grand 5 String Banjo , c. 1910
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Item # 9966
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A. A. Farland Artists Grand Model 5 String Banjo, c. 1910, made in Plainfield , New Jersey, natural varnish finish, maple neck and rim, ebonized fingerboard, black hard shell case.
A.A. Farland, celebrated banjo virtuoso of the late 19th and early 20th century, didn't care for those new-fangled tone rings banjo makers of his era were putting on their high-grade instruments -- he thought they sounded "too tinny!" He also abhorred spun-over metal rims like those on S.S. Stewart's banjos for the same reason. Farland preferred a plain wooden rim with no metal at all and so designed and patented his own banjos with no tone ring whatsoever -- just a heavy laminated maple rim sloped away from the outer edge.
He called his masterpiece the "A.A. Farland Beveled Top Wood Rim Banjo", putting a label inside to that effect with his picture in the center. As he was primarily a performer and teacher he didn't actually build the instruments bearing his name, but subcontracted with the best builders of the day. This particular Artist's Grand was made by New York's Rettberg and Lange and shares many family traits with their better known Orpheum banjos.
This is a very high end banjo, with deluxe features abounding. The neck is bookmatched fancy burl maple with ebony center-strip and a carved heel. The headstock is ebony veneered front and back with multiple colored wood underlays. The ebonized fingerboard is bound in wood with elaborately shaped delicate pearl inlays and an ebony nut. The headstock has extensive vine inlaying and "Farland Artists Grand" on pearl banners, while a large pearl fleur-de-lys adorns the back of the head. The original friction tuners have genuine pearl buttons.
The rim is laminated birdseye maple with an ebony cap, which has a marquetry center strip. The dowel is similarly appointed, and bears a label marked with Farland's signature and claiming manufacture in Plainfield, New Jersey. There is an elaborate and fascinating mute assembly mounted on the dowel with a string-and-turnbuckle connection to a small lever on the rim, another Farland invention. This is intact but not currently adjusted to actually mute the banjo. In practice it is actually rather inconvenient as it works in reverse to most such systems, being permanently engaged unless the lever is pressed to un-mute the instrument!
This superb and very fancy Farland banjo is not only a beautiful example of turn-of-the-century craftsmanship but a distinctive sounding instrument. Farland's ideas were regarded even at the time as eccentric and didn't ever catch on in a big way, but he did leave behind some elegant and distinctive banjos. The unique sound of the beveled top wooden rim gives the banjo a deeper mellow tone prized most famously by John Hartford, among others. Some makers have even copied them in more recent times. This all-original Artists Grand is a beautifully preserved and excellent playing example of Farland's legacy.
Overall length is 35 1/2 in. (90.2 cm.), 10 9/16 in. (26.8 cm.) diameter of rim, and 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 26 in. (660 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.).
This is a very nicely preserved banjo in fine playing and extremely original condition, an especially delightful find considering it is WELL past its 100th birthday. The finish and plating remain original, with some minor wear most notably light rubs and chipping to the bottom rim capping and plating loss to the ball ends of the hooks. The thin varnish finish shows only light wear beyond that, with some light chipping to the headstock face as well.
All hardware is original including the complete set of hooks and nuts, Elite tailpiece and genuine pearl button friction tuners. The original Farland turnbuckle-and-string mute device is intact except for two small strings, but is not set up to function. The fragile paper Farland labels on the rim and dowel are intact.
The frets and fingerboard show some very minor wear. The banjo is set up with a genuine white calf skin head and NylGut strings, sounding and playing much as it did in Farland's day. This is simply a splendid survivor of the great pre WWI virtuoso banjo era, as nice an example of a high-end Farland as we have ever encountered and a truly lovely instrument. It is currently housed in a modern hard case. Excellent Condition.
A.A. Farland, celebrated banjo virtuoso of the late 19th and early 20th century, didn't care for those new-fangled tone rings banjo makers of his era were putting on their high-grade instruments -- he thought they sounded "too tinny!" He also abhorred spun-over metal rims like those on S.S. Stewart's banjos for the same reason. Farland preferred a plain wooden rim with no metal at all and so designed and patented his own banjos with no tone ring whatsoever -- just a heavy laminated maple rim sloped away from the outer edge.
He called his masterpiece the "A.A. Farland Beveled Top Wood Rim Banjo", putting a label inside to that effect with his picture in the center. As he was primarily a performer and teacher he didn't actually build the instruments bearing his name, but subcontracted with the best builders of the day. This particular Artist's Grand was made by New York's Rettberg and Lange and shares many family traits with their better known Orpheum banjos.
This is a very high end banjo, with deluxe features abounding. The neck is bookmatched fancy burl maple with ebony center-strip and a carved heel. The headstock is ebony veneered front and back with multiple colored wood underlays. The ebonized fingerboard is bound in wood with elaborately shaped delicate pearl inlays and an ebony nut. The headstock has extensive vine inlaying and "Farland Artists Grand" on pearl banners, while a large pearl fleur-de-lys adorns the back of the head. The original friction tuners have genuine pearl buttons.
The rim is laminated birdseye maple with an ebony cap, which has a marquetry center strip. The dowel is similarly appointed, and bears a label marked with Farland's signature and claiming manufacture in Plainfield, New Jersey. There is an elaborate and fascinating mute assembly mounted on the dowel with a string-and-turnbuckle connection to a small lever on the rim, another Farland invention. This is intact but not currently adjusted to actually mute the banjo. In practice it is actually rather inconvenient as it works in reverse to most such systems, being permanently engaged unless the lever is pressed to un-mute the instrument!
This superb and very fancy Farland banjo is not only a beautiful example of turn-of-the-century craftsmanship but a distinctive sounding instrument. Farland's ideas were regarded even at the time as eccentric and didn't ever catch on in a big way, but he did leave behind some elegant and distinctive banjos. The unique sound of the beveled top wooden rim gives the banjo a deeper mellow tone prized most famously by John Hartford, among others. Some makers have even copied them in more recent times. This all-original Artists Grand is a beautifully preserved and excellent playing example of Farland's legacy.
Overall length is 35 1/2 in. (90.2 cm.), 10 9/16 in. (26.8 cm.) diameter of rim, and 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 26 in. (660 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.).
This is a very nicely preserved banjo in fine playing and extremely original condition, an especially delightful find considering it is WELL past its 100th birthday. The finish and plating remain original, with some minor wear most notably light rubs and chipping to the bottom rim capping and plating loss to the ball ends of the hooks. The thin varnish finish shows only light wear beyond that, with some light chipping to the headstock face as well.
All hardware is original including the complete set of hooks and nuts, Elite tailpiece and genuine pearl button friction tuners. The original Farland turnbuckle-and-string mute device is intact except for two small strings, but is not set up to function. The fragile paper Farland labels on the rim and dowel are intact.
The frets and fingerboard show some very minor wear. The banjo is set up with a genuine white calf skin head and NylGut strings, sounding and playing much as it did in Farland's day. This is simply a splendid survivor of the great pre WWI virtuoso banjo era, as nice an example of a high-end Farland as we have ever encountered and a truly lovely instrument. It is currently housed in a modern hard case. Excellent Condition.