CE XX Special Vancouver

[Ruari McLennan]

Hello, I'm a new member,

I'm from Victoria, BC but first learnt to play clawhammer banjo in Aberdeen, Scotland from Ray Stewart. After years of fruitless searching for a Clifford Essex XX Special, I just acquired one in a Vancouver guitar shop, somewhat hacked about.

The 5th string nut and peg have been removed to transform it into a plectrum banjo, and the peg hole was filled in.

I'm posting pics under the above title. I'd like to restore it, and had some questions if you'd be kind enough to oblige with comments:

1. The tone ring appears to be "upside down," although seems perfectly fitted that way, is this wrong?  Or could this be a transitional early model lke the Fairbanks Electric/pre-Whyte Laydie 1899-1900 model that also had the scallops pointing "down" to the rim, instead of up to the head?

2.  The neck is Brazilian Rosewood in a dark almost "black walnut" colour, while the rim is coloured in a reddy tone and may be maple.  Is that an example of intentionally mismatched woods or colouring - I think I read a post indicating Thereallyniceman has seen a number of rosewood necks with maple rims?  If so, should I recolour the rim to match the neck better,  as the colours may have changed in the last century? (I think the banjo, while in very good shape, is not mint and need not be considered museum quality)

3.  The only hardware missing is the original tuners and tailpiece, I thnk I will install Gotoh pegs and a Waverly 5th string peg, all in ebony.

4. With  a mirror I only see one sort of crossways slash mark under the back side of the dowel stick/perch pole, it may only be a scratch, as someone screwed through it and installed a backing plate for a cheap aftermarket resonator.

5. Could I persuade someone with an original to send me closeup pics sometime of:

a) the engraving on the inlays (for re-engraving on the orginal inlays, some of these have worn off);

b) the 5th string peg area, and the ebony nut, also for reproduction and re-installation?

6. I'm also looking for an original tailpiece! If anyone knows of one, let me know.

Thanks very much and I look forward to learning from all of you,

Ruari McLennan

Vctoria BC

[Ruari McLennan]

PS I have created a photo album entitled, "Clifford Essex XX Special Vancouver" for you to check the pictures, and will add more later, it seems I am limited to uploading 6 per day.

[thereallyniceman]

Hi Ruari,

Welcome to the site. I hope that you enjoy your time on here.

I have inserted your pictures into your post for easier viewing.

I will take a few photos of my Special XX tomorrow, as am busy for the rest of the day.

Ian,

thereallyniceman

[John Cohen]

This guitar shop offered me this banjo multiple times at various prices.  I passed each time due to the rough condition and the refinished neck.  Good luck restoring it- it would make a nice banjo when finished.

[Ruari McLennan]

Thanks, John, I passed too, even at a lower price - until I got a call months later offering it at a very substantial reduction. Somewhat to my surprise, luthiers Jim Ham and Rick Van Krugel feel it's not in that bad shape, and should be easily amenable to a nice restoration. Hope so! Did you feel the neck had been recoloured darker on a previous refinishing job?

[Ruari McLennan]

PS John, is that a Concert Grand I see in your profile pic?

[Jody Stecher]

Ruari, I've seen very dark rosewood on early 20th century English banjos but this one looks like maybe it has some shoe polish rubbed into it!

Ruari McLennan said:

Did you feel the neck had been recoloured darker on a previous refinishing job?

[John Cohen]

The shop owners told me it had been refinished by the previous owner. Looks very poorly done to me. And yes, that's a Concert Grand in my profile picture. Sold it for a beautiful Special XX but I found them to both be too bright for my playing style. Very well made banjos...

[Ruari McLennan]

Well, Jody, it sounds from what John says you might be right about the shoe polish! And John, if your XX is too bright, I could store it for you.. ;-)

[thereallyniceman]

As promised here are a few closeups of the 5th peg area, wedge plate and tailpiece.

Click the pictures to "makebiggerify" them

I couldn't get decent closeups of the MOP as I am using a mobile phone and there were reflections all over the place!

Usually the CE MOP loses the black wax in-fill in the engraving and will need re-inking. Check closely to see if the MOP engraving is still OK rather than worn away.

Good luck

[Ruari McLennan]

Thanks so much, Ian!   Jim Ham and I took the neck off my banjo today.  I think maybe the PO may, regrettably, have sanded down the neck/5th string ramp area but we'll see.  It also looks like my tone ring may have been made to fit "upside down" compared to yours and others deliberately, like the Special Electrics, as the scalloped "tips" or points rest directly on the wood of the rim!  

We will fill-in the engraving first as you suggest and take pictures before refinishing the fingerboard and neck.  Jim will probably take off the fingerboard and do a carbon fibre insert, as the neck is bent.  Unfortunately, the fancy laminations go right across the neck laying under the fingerboard, rather than being just inlet into the edging.

Is your XX a mahogany neck?  Did you restore it much?

 

Ruari

thereallyniceman said:

As promised here are a few closeups of the 5th peg area, wedge plate and tailpiece.

 

[thereallyniceman]

I am pleased they are of help. One thing though, I would strongly suggest that you DO NOT have the neck perfectly straight! A "very" slight upwards curve from the fret 6 or 7 to the nut makes for smoother playing and cuts out buzzes on the lower frets (particularly if playing with nylon strings that do move a lot).

The CE Special XX was manufactured with a rosewood, or maybe mahogany, neck and in some cases an un-dyed or stained maple hoop. So the instrument looks odd with a bark brown neck and a cream coloured hoop... but that is how they were! Maybe someone stained your maple hoop in an attempt to match the original neck.

Other Special XX banjos were factory produced with the hoop stained to match the neck, as was mine.

I was fortunate that I was online when mine appeared on USA Banjo Hangout as for sale, a few minutes later I discovered it also as a "buy it now" on UK Ebay.

I bought it and it was only 35 miles away from my home!!  After a two hours drive I was home with it.  :-)  

... AND it was in beautiful condition, only needing a vellum, polish and a small touch up on the bottom edge of the hoop where the black paint had worn off.

I look forward to seeing your finished banjo. If you need any more pictures do let me know.

Ian

[Trapdoor2]

Yes, called (here) "Neck Relief". Typically around 0.016" (.4mm). Usually one places a straight-edge along the frets (spanning from 1 to 22 if you can) and measures it at the 9th fret.

My first professional bluegrass banjo (Stelling) started out perfect but over the years it has flattened out and is now 'dead flat'. It is very picky to play now in the middle of the neck, buzzes, etc. I need to fix it.

 

===Marc
 
thereallyniceman said:

I am pleased they are of help. One thing though, I would strongly suggest that you DO NOT have the neck perfectly straight! A "very" slight upwards curve from the fret 6 or 7 to the nut makes for smoother playing and cuts out buzzes on the lower frets (particularly if playing with nylon strings that do move a lot).