"The Frank Converse Solid Arm Banjo."

[Carl Anderton]

http://books.google.com/books?id=YS0BAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA217&img=...

I've never heard of or seen one of the banjos. Anybody know anything about them.

[Jody Stecher]

The link works fine now but something seems to be happen Ning to my messages. Maybe this one will not get lost in the ether. Anyway, no I haven't seen or heard of a SAB before. I guess they all sprung, warped, twisted, or broke before my time.

[Joel Hooks]

I seem to remember a Buckbee offered on Bernunzio's that had the same inlay. The "Dobson" (Buckbee) that I just picked up to seems to have a dowel/ neck carved from the same piece of wood, no glue joint.

[Joel Hooks]

[Carl Anderton]

Now how is a possible that with all the banjo historians here none of us has ever heard of or seen one of these Frank Converse banjos? It just doesn't make sense. The price tag of $20 means it wasn't a cheapie, right? Or was this just an entry level banjo? I know Frank Converse was primarily a teacher by the time this was advertised, but I wouldn't think he would lend his name to anything that wasn't quality.

[Trapdoor2]

Yah, the photo (engraving) has all the earmarks of "Buckbee". It's likely a contract banjo and although Converse lent his name to it, it would probably not be much more better [sic] than any of the Dobson's (or other 'names' on the huge variety of Buckbee made banjos). This is not to say they weren't a quality banjo...just that they're fairly common. If it doesn't have "Converse" stamped into the wood somewhere, no one today would call it anything but a Buckbee.

[Picker]

Carl Anderton said:

Now how is a possible that with all the banjo historians here none of us has ever heard of or seen one of these Frank Converse banjos? It just doesn't make sense. The price tag of $20 means it wasn't a cheapie, right? Or was this just an entry level banjo? I know Frank Converse was primarily a teacher by the time this was advertised, but I wouldn't think he would lend his name to anything that wasn't quality.

[Picker]

I have a Frank Converse open back banjo, that my wife inhereited from her uncle. It has the one-piece neck and dowel, which has "Frank Converse" stamped into it. The original skin head is replaced with plastic, the tuners replaced with geared tuners, the tailpiece is a replacement, and the strings are steel (although some of the original gut strings were in the case). Several of the rim hooks are replacements.
The case is the original, wooden case, with blue lining and German silver fittings.

The neck is somewhat warped, and is in the hands of a luthier. The overall quality of the banjo indicates that it was an entry level instrument. I saw one for sale about four years ago for $600.

[Adam]

I'd like to see some pics of the original case, if you have the means and inclination!

[Picker]

When I get it back from the luthier, I will email a photo to you. It may be four or five weeks.