CE special woodhoop _all mapple & rosewood series

[marc dalmasso]

Here ' s is the picture of one of my favorite , the CE special  , ones all made of mapple with rosewood fingerboard &  head cap  ; the one i play in my Live videos last year in St Gervasy;

[marc dalmasso]

This one is a very special CE special with a large neck very easy to play ; 11 '  pot with 26 & 3/ 8 scale ( 67 cm )

the neck is 32 mm  at the nut and 52 mm  at the last fret ;

No serial number on these models but the manufacturing number is  X ;  you need a small Mirror to Watch this one Under the DS / PP

[marc dalmasso]

I think that Ian & Alan have the same banjo ; May i know your manufacturing number ?

We could discover if they are from the same series ( pre 1920  ) or if there are several series of this same banjo ?

[thereallyniceman]

They "really" are great banjos. My CE wood hoop  and my Weaver are my two favourite  banjos. They just "feel" right.  

Mine seems to be the same dimensions as Marc's but does not have an X but  I I  stamped under the perch pole!

[marc dalmasso]

THANKS IAN  ; on these series , the manufacturing number is engraved 4 times at least : DS / pot internal / pot external & bezel ; i 've got a 2nd one  i don 't play much cause the neck is 31mm / 49 mm for the same scale & 10    15 / 16 Pot ; engraved X I

Could you tell me if the number I I is engraved on the black part beside the square hole ?

[Russ Chandler]

William Ball said of the CE Wood Hoop Special “If you bought a higher grade Essex banjo you were wasting your money.”

[Mike Redman]

I also have a CE Wood Hoop Special, with the wider rose wood finger board, one of my favourite banjos with a sweet tone and plenty of volume.  It comes a very close second to my CE XX Special.

[thereallyniceman]

Marc,

Yes, I have  I I  stamped inside the hoop on the black section of the bevel (above the square hole).

I can't see any other marks, without taking the banjo to bits that is, but next time I do I will take photos for you.

I assume that they are Roman numerals, so mine was No 2  and yours was No 11  (or maybe  No 9 depending which way up you look)... but my guess would be 11

What that actually means is another thing!  Maybe batch numbers on a specific day/ week?

Who knows?

Ian

ps. Mike, I didn't count my CE Special XX... as that is only kept for "Best" when I do videos in my tuxedo and favourite bow-tie.  I know what you mean though the Wood hoop Special and the Special XX... are "SPECIAL" banjos!

[marc dalmasso]

Yeah , i guess Bill Ball was RIGHT.

I guess these banjos with the CE & Co Tag should be from just prior 1920 (1919  may be )

that actually means  if they all have the same signs at the same place and we don 't  find 2 times the same Roman numeral , they could be from a same & unique serie...... ?

Waiting for your numeral , Mike  , and Alan , too

[marc dalmasso]

Alan Sims said…

Hi Mark .My banjo just the same as yours .It is Clifford Essex co .I noticed when I took it a part to refurbish it there were four lines iiii on the perch pole with a line through the middle .I wondered what it was Any ideas

You own the number 4 of the serie ;  i never saw 4 written  I V  ; i think , may be , they  lost the V   wood stamp in the CE factory ... , ?