12" hoop banjo

[David griffiths]

I own a 12" banjo with a good calf skin which I am thinking of selling because I may be acquiring a Clifford  Essex Boudoir Grand. I think the neck is rosewood with an ebony fingerboard. The hoop is all wood.

This banjo was built by Sidney W Young for John Alvey Turner.

Anybody interested?

"I have been told that this banjo is not currently available for sale."

Edit by Ian on 20th Jan.

[carrie horgan]

Thanks Ian - interesting how different the necks are on CE banjos.  It's a shame you already own the CE woodhoop special otherwise we could swap!  

thereallyniceman said:

Carrie,

My Boudoir Grand has exactly the same neck measurements as your CE Special metal hoop!

Boudoir Grand sizes:

30mm at the nut

44/45mm 12th fret up to the hoop.

I had no problem playing the CE Special so I guess that I am comparing the Boudoir's widths to those of my Weaver which are:

20 fret Weaver sizes:

34mm at the nut

49mm at the 12th to the hoop.

Joel, this side of the pond few people under 60 years can understand the old Imperial system as we "went metric" in 1965.

[Joel Hooks]

I would suspect that the size depends on who they sourced them from.  I'm sure they provided specifications that were followed more or less. 

My Metal Hoop Special has a very wide neck at 34.925mm.  I wonder why that is?

[thereallyniceman]

I am sure that you are correct Joel. Possibly it was not what was specified but who they ordered the banjo from?

Maybe they were NOT given specifications...  maybe it was  "send us 20 of the Wood hoop Specials asap"

It is a great shame that we will never know the correct answer.

[marc dalmasso]

For my part , i prefer  instruments with a wide neck at the nut ;

it 's true that the size at the nut  is not always the same , even in the same model of the same brand ; I guess it 's up to the luthier ' idea , up to the piece of wood he is using to make the neck (  CE  & Windsors about 30  to 34  cm)

Weaver  , 34 , 35 cm

my Hartford  is 35 mm at the nut

https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/emile-grimshaw-artist-m...

and my champions are my 2 Merriman ( 36 mm / nut the Abbott 'made & 38 mm the Windsor ' made )

[thereallyniceman]

Hi Marc!

Happy New Year to you and the family.

Those Merrimans are beautiful looking banjos.  I guess that we will never know how the fingerboard widths were decided... Did the maker have a way of measuring or supply a finger chart for when the order was taken?  I have never heard about this, but there must have been some way or there would be a lot of players who didn't like the neck widths of their brand NEW instrument!

[Richard William Ineson]

Ian, I would think that when you bought a banjo in 1900, you got what you were given.

[thereallyniceman]

Hey Richard, How did you know that I bought my first banjo in 1900?

;-)

Richard William Ineson said:

Ian, I would think that when you bought a banjo in 1900, you got what you were given.

[Richard William Ineson]

A good question, and as usual, there are more questions that answers, put it down to intuition.

[marc dalmasso]

LOL  ..............................Happy new year , Ian &  all CB ' lover on the site

I hope to post some videos soon , for the time , Rémi falled in the guitar / mando ' circle ; and he is the chief to

work on videos , of course , better than us 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH_2-8ag9-8

thereallyniceman said:

Hey Richard, How did you know that I bought my first banjo in 1900?

;-)

Richard William Ineson said:

Ian, I would think that when you bought a banjo in 1900, you got what you were given.

[thereallyniceman]

Brilliant... what a talented family!

[Richard William Ineson]

Very nice, brought back many happy memories of sunny summer days playing this tune a long time ago.