Classic-Banjo

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S S Stewart

S.S. Stewart Special Thoroughbred Style 4 1898

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Comment by thereallyniceman on October 15, 2015 at 16:33: Thank you, unfortunately one glance at the MOP on the fingerboard and you get an instant migraine!!!

Comment by Shawn McSweeny on October 15, 2015 at 18:18: Very nice Ian. One needs sunglasses just to look at it.

Small point, but SSS did not have a No 4 grade. (a popularized misconception).

His No 3 grade could be ordered with more elaborate trimmings, from $50.00 upward to $150.00 depending on model.

Comment by thereallyniceman on October 15, 2015 at 19:03: Hi Shawn,

I should be back at our projects soon... more physiotherapy tomorrow and my elbow is virtually fixed... unfortunately my shoulder and neck hurt like hell now !!

...but beer and whisky help ;-))

Interesting point about the SS Thoroughbred. I bought it from John Bernunzio as a No4. and I would have expected him to be a bit of an authority. I believe it came from the Akira Tsumura Banjo collection.

Do you have documentation about the models and available extras produced by old SS, as I would like to know for sure what it is?

Bill's Banjos have its twin and describe it as model 4...but it doesn't mean either are correct!

Special Thoroughbred at Bill's Banjos

Comment by Shawn McSweeny on October 15, 2015 at 20:17: Hi Ian

So glad to hear your elbow is mended; you will have to divulge your secrets. When the pain moves to a new location, sometimes that means it's on the wane.

You have uncannily identified both main sources for my stating "popularized misconception". I am unable at the moment to post a scan from the SSS catalogue, but my previous post is almost a verbatim quote from it, regarding the No 3's appointment options. There is no mention of a No 4 grade in the catalogue.

Comment by Trapdoor2 on October 15, 2015 at 20:33: My copy of the 1896 catalog has no #4 designation.

I believe that collectors simply granted special status (#4) to those banjos which exceed the 'over-the-top' status of a "Plain-Jane" #3 level of ornamentation...and yet are not designated "presentation". I'm with Shawn, I don't think Stewart ever called it a #4...Joel may have further insight into this.

You could get two versions of the 'presentation grade' instrument. One has the special 'presentation' peghead and the other is a standard Stewart peghead with 'presentation grade' appointments (which, IIRC was cataloged as a "Champion Presentation").

Comment by Shawn McSweeny on October 15, 2015 at 20:42: Hi Marc

We are both in the same camp as SSS expert Eli Kaufman, who acknowledges SSS had no No 4 designation. Retailers have an obvious profit motive in touting a higher, but fictitious, grade number for highly ornamented instruments.

Comment by thereallyniceman on October 16, 2015 at 9:00: So it's a No3 in a party frock, eh?

:-)

Comment by Trapdoor2 on October 16, 2015 at 14:30: Well...I simply consider it "collector's shorthand" for "holy crap, this thing is over the top!" ;-)