Clifford Essex Special X - Classic-Banjo2024-03-29T10:05:11Zhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/clifford-essex-special-x?commentId=2667446%3AComment%3A158837&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThanks everyone for your help…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-10-29:2667446:Comment:1588372020-10-29T22:17:35.652Zritchie thomsonhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/ritchiethomson
<p>Thanks everyone for your help, much appreciated.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your help, much appreciated.</p> Hi Ritchie - in the UK I woul…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-10-29:2667446:Comment:1589342020-10-29T20:33:15.913Zcarrie horganhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/carriehorgan
Hi Ritchie - in the UK I would currently expect to pay anywhere from £650 to £950 for a Clifford Essex CE Special in good condition; may be around £450 if it needed work. The woodhoop ones are rarer and may be closer to the top-end.
Hi Ritchie - in the UK I would currently expect to pay anywhere from £650 to £950 for a Clifford Essex CE Special in good condition; may be around £450 if it needed work. The woodhoop ones are rarer and may be closer to the top-end. Well sure. We have choices. H…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-10-28:2667446:Comment:1586292020-10-28T18:32:27.189ZJody Stecherhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/JodyStecher
<p>Well sure. We have choices. How much choice between strings was available in the classic era? I never fussed about banjo strings when I was a teenager in the 1950s. I took what I could get. And that was Black Diamond. It was like Henry Ford and his workers. "They can have any color they want so long as it is black". Every now and then Bell Brand was available. We all heard that there were Gibson banjo strings but no shop carried them. La Bella might have produced gut strings or nylon…</p>
<p>Well sure. We have choices. How much choice between strings was available in the classic era? I never fussed about banjo strings when I was a teenager in the 1950s. I took what I could get. And that was Black Diamond. It was like Henry Ford and his workers. "They can have any color they want so long as it is black". Every now and then Bell Brand was available. We all heard that there were Gibson banjo strings but no shop carried them. La Bella might have produced gut strings or nylon strings but no banjo player I knew had ever seen a set. We never heard of mail order strings either. Slight diversion, but not by much: the most convincing argument I ever read about the secret of the varnish of Antonio Stradivari was that he went to the equivalent of the local hardware store and asked for varnish and they gave him what they had. Someone had the brilliant idea to analyze the varnish on furniture from Cremona from the time of Stradivarius, They found it to be identical to Strad violin varnish. So yeah, one doesn't fuss over choices when there are few or none. <br/> <cite>Joel Hooks said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/clifford-essex-special-x?commentId=2667446%3AComment%3A158673&xg_source=activity#2667446Comment158673"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>From the little evidence I have on strings for these, they used the same but were shorter scale.</p>
<p>From all that I have read, we fuss WAY more over strings than was done during the classic era.</p>
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</blockquote> From the little evidence I ha…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-10-28:2667446:Comment:1586732020-10-28T17:16:26.032ZJoel Hookshttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/deuceswilde
<p>From the little evidence I have on strings for these, they used the same but were shorter scale.</p>
<p>From all that I have read, we fuss WAY more over strings than was done during the classic era.</p>
<p>From the little evidence I have on strings for these, they used the same but were shorter scale.</p>
<p>From all that I have read, we fuss WAY more over strings than was done during the classic era.</p> Joel, were lighter gauge stri…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-10-28:2667446:Comment:1586722020-10-28T16:50:38.757ZJody Stecherhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/JodyStecher
<p>Joel, were lighter gauge strings used on the Special models? I guess with a shorter scale that would not be necessary.<br></br> <cite>Joel Hooks said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/clifford-essex-special-x?commentId=2667446%3AComment%3A158759&xg_source=activity#2667446Comment158759"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Hi Marc,</p>
<p>In the US, starting in the early 1890s, a "Special sized" banjo (which was 10 1/2" rim and shorter scale) was a…</p>
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<p>Joel, were lighter gauge strings used on the Special models? I guess with a shorter scale that would not be necessary.<br/> <cite>Joel Hooks said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/clifford-essex-special-x?commentId=2667446%3AComment%3A158759&xg_source=activity#2667446Comment158759"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Hi Marc,</p>
<p>In the US, starting in the early 1890s, a "Special sized" banjo (which was 10 1/2" rim and shorter scale) was a banjo designed to be pitched one step above C, or pitched with the 4th string to D and all others one step higher than standard.</p>
<p>Farland adopted this as his preferred banjo size. Stewart made him a "Special Thoroughbred" which was a "Special" sized Thoroughbred with a three octave neck. I think that was in 1893, I covered this in the most recent issue of the "5 Stringer" so someone can check my footnote for the year.</p>
<p>Your description of the Special X seems to conform to the "Special Sized" banjos made by SSS and others for being pitched at D.<br/> <br/> <cite>marc dalmasso said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/clifford-essex-special-x?xg_source=activity#2667446Comment158834"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>The CE special X is the model prior to the CE Boudoir , exactly same construction but 10 1/2 inches ( Boudoir = 11 ' ) It 's a rarity ; i own one , and i 've only seen a couple of these offered on ebay , including the one here , which seems to be priced at the right price</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clifford-Essex-Co-CE-Special-X-Banjo-Case-Circa-1904-5-Fantastic-Cond/303739684699?hash=item46b84bc75b:g:FXcAAOSwWqBfhuoT" target="_blank">https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clifford-Essex-Co-CE-Special-X-Banjo-Cas...</a></p>
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</blockquote> Hi Marc,
In the US, starting…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-10-28:2667446:Comment:1587592020-10-28T13:31:05.175ZJoel Hookshttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/deuceswilde
<p>Hi Marc,</p>
<p>In the US, starting in the early 1890s, a "Special sized" banjo (which was 10 1/2" rim and shorter scale) was a banjo designed to be pitched one step above C, or pitched with the 4th string to D and all others one step higher than standard.</p>
<p>Farland adopted this as his preferred banjo size. Stewart made him a "Special Thoroughbred" which was a "Special" sized Thoroughbred with a three octave neck. I think that was in 1893, I covered this in the most recent issue of…</p>
<p>Hi Marc,</p>
<p>In the US, starting in the early 1890s, a "Special sized" banjo (which was 10 1/2" rim and shorter scale) was a banjo designed to be pitched one step above C, or pitched with the 4th string to D and all others one step higher than standard.</p>
<p>Farland adopted this as his preferred banjo size. Stewart made him a "Special Thoroughbred" which was a "Special" sized Thoroughbred with a three octave neck. I think that was in 1893, I covered this in the most recent issue of the "5 Stringer" so someone can check my footnote for the year.</p>
<p>Your description of the Special X seems to conform to the "Special Sized" banjos made by SSS and others for being pitched at D.<br/> <br/> <cite>marc dalmasso said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/clifford-essex-special-x?xg_source=activity#2667446Comment158834"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>The CE special X is the model prior to the CE Boudoir , exactly same construction but 10 1/2 inches ( Boudoir = 11 ' ) It 's a rarity ; i own one , and i 've only seen a couple of these offered on ebay , including the one here , which seems to be priced at the right price</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clifford-Essex-Co-CE-Special-X-Banjo-Case-Circa-1904-5-Fantastic-Cond/303739684699?hash=item46b84bc75b:g:FXcAAOSwWqBfhuoT" target="_blank">https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clifford-Essex-Co-CE-Special-X-Banjo-Cas...</a></p>
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</blockquote> The CE special X is the m…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-10-28:2667446:Comment:1588342020-10-28T07:29:50.834Zmarc dalmassohttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/marcdalmasso
<p>The CE special X is the model prior to the CE Boudoir , exactly same construction but 10 1/2 inches ( Boudoir = 11 ' ) It 's a rarity ; i own one , and i 've only seen a couple of these offered on ebay , including the one here , which seems to be priced at the right price…</p>
<p></p>
<p>The CE special X is the model prior to the CE Boudoir , exactly same construction but 10 1/2 inches ( Boudoir = 11 ' ) It 's a rarity ; i own one , and i 've only seen a couple of these offered on ebay , including the one here , which seems to be priced at the right price</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clifford-Essex-Co-CE-Special-X-Banjo-Case-Circa-1904-5-Fantastic-Cond/303739684699?hash=item46b84bc75b:g:FXcAAOSwWqBfhuoT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clifford-Essex-Co-CE-Special-X-Banjo-Case-Circa-1904-5-Fantastic-Cond/303739684699?hash=item46b84bc75b:g:FXcAAOSwWqBfhuoT</a></p>
<p></p> Oh! This might be a CE Speci…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-10-28:2667446:Comment:1585332020-10-28T02:14:01.997ZJody Stecherhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/JodyStecher
<p>Oh! This might be a CE Special. It's a less valuable model monetarily but musically desirable if it's all in working orr. Is the hoop (the "pot") covered with metal? Is it all wood? Definitely the price I quoted is way too high. But it can be a wonderful banjo. Look around this website for discussions about it. Is there a photo ?<br></br> <br></br> <cite>ritchie thomson said:…</cite></p>
<p>Oh! This might be a CE Special. It's a less valuable model monetarily but musically desirable if it's all in working orr. Is the hoop (the "pot") covered with metal? Is it all wood? Definitely the price I quoted is way too high. But it can be a wonderful banjo. Look around this website for discussions about it. Is there a photo ?<br/> <br/> <cite>ritchie thomson said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/clifford-essex-special-x?commentId=2667446%3AComment%3A158625&xg_source=activity#2667446Comment158625"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Thanks, it has CE Special X stamped on the wooden dowel stick, supposed ly dates from 1904/5, is tthat the same as an XX?</p>
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</blockquote> I presumed the missing X was…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-10-28:2667446:Comment:1587552020-10-28T00:15:59.039ZJoel Hookshttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/deuceswilde
<p> I presumed the missing X was a typo. </p>
<p> I presumed the missing X was a typo. </p> Thanks, it has CE Special X s…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-10-27:2667446:Comment:1586252020-10-27T22:44:52.533Zritchie thomsonhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/ritchiethomson
<p>Thanks, it has CE Special X stamped on the wooden dowel stick, supposed ly dates from 1904/5, is tthat the same as an XX?</p>
<p>Thanks, it has CE Special X stamped on the wooden dowel stick, supposed ly dates from 1904/5, is tthat the same as an XX?</p>