Bacon Professional FF Special Grand Concert 5 String Banjo , c. 1915
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Bacon Professional FF Special Grand Concert Model 5 String Banjo, c. 1915, made in New York City, natural varnish finish, laminated maple rim and neck, ebonized fingerboard, period black hard shell case.
This banjo is a somewhat worn-in example of a very attractive 1910s instrument, Fred Bacon's top-of-the-line offering long before David Day became his partner. The "Professional Special Grand Concert" was made for and sold by the Bacon Banjo company of Forest Dale, Vermont. Bacon himself was a leading 5-string banjo stylist in the early 1900s and like several of his peers started designing and selling his own banjos. There was no Bacon factory in this period; the earliest instruments were built by Vega in Boston but by the time this one was made the subcontractor was Rettberg and Lange in New York. Like everything Fred Bacon put his name on this is a first-class instrument all the way.
The "FF Professional" models' most unique design element was the rim, built around Fred Bacon's patented tone ring and a unique internal resonator system. This consists of a hollow chamber with a substantial air cavity between the inner and outer surfaces. There are vaguely S-shaped soundholes running all along the back, while the cupped Bacon tone ring is mounted under the head.
This is a superbly detailed instrument; The bottom edges of the maple rim are trimmed with elaborate wood marquetry and half-herringbone trim. The neck is also quite fancy, made up of multiple laminated maple pieces with a underlaid wood strips including beneath the bound ebonized fingerboard. This and the headstock (front and back) are inlaid with elaborate shaped pearl and abalone designs; the face carries Rettberg & Lange's interpretation of the iconic floral vase inlay used by Vega earlier. The backstrip of the headstock extends well down the neck, which also has a pearl floral inlay on the heel.
The 1914 catalog of "The Bacon Manufacturing Co. of Forest Dale Vermont" describes the model as "Positively the finest banjo ever made, both for tone and looks. A WORK OF ART". While the fine folks at Fairbanks/Vega might have argued that point, certainly this is a very elaborate and beautiful-sounding instrument. Retailing in 1914 at the very hefty sum of $125.00, this was absolutely one of the best banjos of its day. "Every note clear as a bell" was Bacon's claim, and now 110 or so years later this banjo still delivers!
; the 1914 catalog of the Bacon Manufacturing Co. of Forest Dale Vermont describes the model as "Positively the finest banjo ever made, both for tone and looks. A WORK OF ART". While the folks at Fairbanks/Vega might have argued that point, certainly this is a very elaborate and beautiful-sounding instrument. Retailing in 1914 at $125.00, this was absolutely one of the best banjos of its day.
This model originally listed at $75 in the early 1900s; by the 1915 era it was $125 described by Bacon as "Positively the finest banjo ever made, both for tone and looks; A Work Of Art".
Overall length is 37 1/8 in. (94.3 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 27 in. (686 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
This banjo is a good player but shows a decent amount of older repair work, some not as neatly done as it could have been. Most of this pertains to the neck, where the original ebonized fingerboard appears to have suffered some disintegration and had extensive patching. The pearl inlays at the third and fifth frets spots are mostly missing with patching around them; the rest of the inlaid pieces are mostly intact. The fingerboard appears to have been refretted and rebound some time ago. It shows patching, filling and buffing over much of its length and has been re-dyed for a more consistent look.
There is some sort of small filled repair spot at the base of the back of the headstock, but no evidence of a larger neck crack or break. The dyed pearwood veneer on the back of headstock may have crumbled in this area. The face of the headstock has been overfinished and buffed out; the lovely inlay remains intact. The entire back of the neck has a thin overfinish with some dings and dents under this; the added finish has begun to wear through again.
Overall the rim remains in more original shape. There are sections of wood inlay missing along the lower edge of the rim, where some pieces fell out and the spots were filled in with wood putty. The upper edge is fully intact. All hardware appears original including the tuners, a full set of hooks and nuts and an original Elite tailpiece. The neck has a slight bow in the lower region but is still quite playable, set up with Nylgut strings and a Waverly Fiberskyn 2 head. While this is obviously not the cleanest or most collectible Bacon FF we have had, it is still a very attractive and good sounding instrument that would make a good gigging example of this very collectible banjo. It resided in a solid if imperfectly fit period HSC. Overall Very Good Condition.
This banjo is a somewhat worn-in example of a very attractive 1910s instrument, Fred Bacon's top-of-the-line offering long before David Day became his partner. The "Professional Special Grand Concert" was made for and sold by the Bacon Banjo company of Forest Dale, Vermont. Bacon himself was a leading 5-string banjo stylist in the early 1900s and like several of his peers started designing and selling his own banjos. There was no Bacon factory in this period; the earliest instruments were built by Vega in Boston but by the time this one was made the subcontractor was Rettberg and Lange in New York. Like everything Fred Bacon put his name on this is a first-class instrument all the way.
The "FF Professional" models' most unique design element was the rim, built around Fred Bacon's patented tone ring and a unique internal resonator system. This consists of a hollow chamber with a substantial air cavity between the inner and outer surfaces. There are vaguely S-shaped soundholes running all along the back, while the cupped Bacon tone ring is mounted under the head.
This is a superbly detailed instrument; The bottom edges of the maple rim are trimmed with elaborate wood marquetry and half-herringbone trim. The neck is also quite fancy, made up of multiple laminated maple pieces with a underlaid wood strips including beneath the bound ebonized fingerboard. This and the headstock (front and back) are inlaid with elaborate shaped pearl and abalone designs; the face carries Rettberg & Lange's interpretation of the iconic floral vase inlay used by Vega earlier. The backstrip of the headstock extends well down the neck, which also has a pearl floral inlay on the heel.
The 1914 catalog of "The Bacon Manufacturing Co. of Forest Dale Vermont" describes the model as "Positively the finest banjo ever made, both for tone and looks. A WORK OF ART". While the fine folks at Fairbanks/Vega might have argued that point, certainly this is a very elaborate and beautiful-sounding instrument. Retailing in 1914 at the very hefty sum of $125.00, this was absolutely one of the best banjos of its day. "Every note clear as a bell" was Bacon's claim, and now 110 or so years later this banjo still delivers!
; the 1914 catalog of the Bacon Manufacturing Co. of Forest Dale Vermont describes the model as "Positively the finest banjo ever made, both for tone and looks. A WORK OF ART". While the folks at Fairbanks/Vega might have argued that point, certainly this is a very elaborate and beautiful-sounding instrument. Retailing in 1914 at $125.00, this was absolutely one of the best banjos of its day.
This model originally listed at $75 in the early 1900s; by the 1915 era it was $125 described by Bacon as "Positively the finest banjo ever made, both for tone and looks; A Work Of Art".
Overall length is 37 1/8 in. (94.3 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 27 in. (686 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
This banjo is a good player but shows a decent amount of older repair work, some not as neatly done as it could have been. Most of this pertains to the neck, where the original ebonized fingerboard appears to have suffered some disintegration and had extensive patching. The pearl inlays at the third and fifth frets spots are mostly missing with patching around them; the rest of the inlaid pieces are mostly intact. The fingerboard appears to have been refretted and rebound some time ago. It shows patching, filling and buffing over much of its length and has been re-dyed for a more consistent look.
There is some sort of small filled repair spot at the base of the back of the headstock, but no evidence of a larger neck crack or break. The dyed pearwood veneer on the back of headstock may have crumbled in this area. The face of the headstock has been overfinished and buffed out; the lovely inlay remains intact. The entire back of the neck has a thin overfinish with some dings and dents under this; the added finish has begun to wear through again.
Overall the rim remains in more original shape. There are sections of wood inlay missing along the lower edge of the rim, where some pieces fell out and the spots were filled in with wood putty. The upper edge is fully intact. All hardware appears original including the tuners, a full set of hooks and nuts and an original Elite tailpiece. The neck has a slight bow in the lower region but is still quite playable, set up with Nylgut strings and a Waverly Fiberskyn 2 head. While this is obviously not the cleanest or most collectible Bacon FF we have had, it is still a very attractive and good sounding instrument that would make a good gigging example of this very collectible banjo. It resided in a solid if imperfectly fit period HSC. Overall Very Good Condition.