Show me yours and I'll show you mine

[thereallynicelady]

Oh, sorry, I can't because I just play the piano and not a banjo. Tell you what I'll show you Ian's instead. You've all seen it before but here it is in all its glory without the distraction of the bow tie! It's a Clifford Essex Wood Hoop Special.

Now, over to you for a bit of show and tell - post a picture and/or a description of your banjo or even banjos. (Is it banjos or banjoes?)

[Trapdoor2]

I really need to make a new photo of the collection, as it has expanded somewhat in the past 10 yrs. I don't like to get them all together in one place as Miz Diane might notice the overall increase. In the past, I always waited until she went off on a trip somewhere. ;-)

Clifford Essex Spun-over Metal Hoop Special

[marc dalmasso]

 Cole mod D  with  yellow parts ( may be a special order .. ? )

[thereallyniceman]

Marc, That is a beautiful banjo. Is it a recent purchase, does it have flush frets?

It has the two things that for some reason I have always loved to see on a banjo...  I like Moons and Stars and Gold plated parts, and have never owned a banjo that had either.

I have always wanted to own a Cole Eclipse  "Man in the Moon" ... anyone got one for sale :-)

ps Don't tell the wife I said that.

[marc dalmasso]

Not flush but regular frets  & not gold parts but brass ones ; immediate purchased on ebay UK  / 150 £ ; However , the Bj is not marked Cole ; it was made by the Cole Co for a sub_brand but the metal plate is no longer there to say which brand it was ? anybody can help ?

The serial n° is matching on the pot & neck ; was ready to fix it but there was nothing to fix , just to cut & glue 2 inlays in the star , to clean it , new head and play ; the neck is perfect

[Richard William Ineson]

Cammeyer imported a lot of Cole banjos prior to establishing his own workshop with Essex, even then they had difficulties in supplying demand for banjos, especially of the more expensive kind. Normally, the Cammeyer 'Cole' banjos have the Cole number planed off the perch pole, and sometimes there is an embossed brass plate pinned on the pole - 'MADE EXPRESSLY FOR ESSEX & CAMMEYER' I have had a few of these Cole 'Cammeyer' banjos it used to be cheap way of getting an American banjo, perhaps this was one of these banjos, imported by Cammeyer.

[Shawn McSweeny]

With Ian in mind, here is an 1890's SS Stewart with plenty of stars, moons and what-have-you. 

The Cole " Man in the Moon"  has a distinctive look, however,  the Eclipse rim has a weak voice compared to its Boston cousin, the Whyte Laydie.

[Richard William Ineson]

What does it sound like?

[thereallynicelady]

Perhaps I shouldn't have put this post up. Ian's making a list of 'must have' banjos now! Thank you to all who have posted pics. Bring on some more and make his list longer. Hopefully he'll be happily occupied just looking. :)

[Shawn McSweeny]

Richard :

Thanks for asking. While one often hears that "wood sounds better than pearl", these fancier Stewarts actually sound quite good, perhaps because the marquetry-inlaid rims are heavier than the regular rims. However, the busy fingerboard is difficult to navigate at speed as when every position looks special, no position is special.

[German David Patarroyo]

It finally arrived to Colombia!! I am deeply impressed with such a beautiful handcraft!