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?)

[thereallyniceman]

Congratulations German,

I am sure that your new SSS will sound as good as it looks.  I hope that you will soon be producing a video. I just love these old SS banjos, and yours even has "Moons and Stars"... my favourites!

Shawn,

I know exactly what you mean about these highly ornate SS fingerboards.

On my Special Thoroughbred Style 4 it is impossible to use the inlays to work out where you are jumping to up the neck, as the pearl is at nearly every fret, like yours!

The other problem I experience is instant an migraine  attack every time I open the case... all those flashing pearls ;-)

[marc dalmasso]

Congrats , German , this SSS banjo is a good choice

[marc dalmasso]

here are pictures of the 4 strings ' CE cello_Bj that Dan is playing on the last vidéo i posted . Unfortunatly , here in the cote d 'Azur , every day , the sun is shining , the weather is cool and the thermometer is about 20 to 22 degrees celsius  ,  ( approximatly the same weather they have in Blackpool )  and some time after  i gived some tension in the vellum  to make it playable   , this last cracked and of course , the 14  3/8 head is all but a regular size ..... btw , i would like a plastic head to make it more powerful but  a special order to the Remo ' Co would be expensive , i guess ; I will show you my work in  another post

[Shawn McSweeny]

Ian

You have a lovely high grade Sp Th. Love the heel carving.  Impossible to navigate with only four unmarked fingerboard positions. Here is one bursting with pearl at every fret. I imagine a pro using it regularly would add side dots and perform with sunglasses to reduce the glare.

[Richard William Ineson]

A really beautiful banjo, I bought one of these top grade Stewarts, in Scarborough, in a junk shop, in about 1967, for £4. 10 shillings - £4. 50p new money, this had an elephant's head carved on the heel, which I've never seen on any other SSStewart banjo. This was before banjos came to have any antique value. At the same time we used to have a busker in Sheffield, who performed on a B&D style 9, outside the Olde Blue Bell in Fitzalan Square, whatever the weather, the vellum was holed and he had repaired it with Christmas Sellotape, he used the 'F' holes in the resonator to hold his smouldering cigarette.

[Richard William Ineson]

Looks like a really nice banjo, you will not want to put this beauty down, and the improvement in your playing will amaze you.