I came across this banjo up for auction on 9th October in the UK. I've never seen one before. At first glance it doesn't look if it has much quality, does anyone know anything about them? There are 3 pictures uploaded.....Steve.

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It looks fabulous to me. My only concerns would be the fingerboard and back of neck and pot. The photos don't make the condition of the former clear and don't show the back of the banjo at all.


Hi Jody, I know that the later models were made by Houghtons in Birmingham, what put me off was the pressed metal tail piece, it looked a bit cheap to me. They were made from 1933 and throughout the 1940s and many of the English banjos made around that time were of 'music shop' quality to cater for a mass market. There is online bidding but I'd be reluctant to bid without seeing it first, unfortunately the auction room is in kent which is about as far from Malvern as you can get. There is also a 23% buyers premium plus tax which would bump the price up...Steve.


Jody Stecher said:

It looks fabulous to me. My only concerns would be the fingerboard and back of neck and pot. The photos don't make the condition of the former clear and don't show the back of the banjo at all.

I repaired a Grimshaw banjo about 3 years ago that was very similar to the one in the photos.  The inlays in the peghead were an almost identical design.  I believe that the early Grimshaw banjos were made by one Bob Blake in Finchley, N. London, but manufacture was transfered to Houghton's due to an increase in demand.  The banjo I worked on was also stamped "Hartford" and was a little roughly made with quite a lot of evidence of hand-building. My guess is that it was an early Bob Blake build, and probably made in his shed.  It was a neat instrument though and sounded good.  It had US-made Grover geared tuners and a genuine US-made original "Presto" five string tailpiece....itself worth as much as the banjo I would guess. ....John

The tailpiece is very similar to the engraved ones found on Clifford Essex New Paragon banjos from the '30s.

Inspector Dalmasso from the Bj ' s police discovered that the banjo was now for sale here :

http://www.instrumentspast.co.uk/instruments/PB/P579B.html

Allo, Allo, Allo, I wondered where this banjo had gone to. Well done Inspector Dalmasso, the mystery is solved. It's a good looking banjo and still affordable at £700.

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