Rare Antique 19th Century Banjo by Windsor Taylor Circa 1895

[thereallyniceman]

Jake Glanville sent me a message of a what appears to be very high quality ZB on UK Ebay:

"Don’t know if you or any other ZB freaks saw this on eBay, but it’s the first time I’ve seen a Windsor Premiere of this quality for sale on this site.

Extra interesting is that there is provenance indicating it once belonged to Walter Melville a famous music hall artist from the end of the 19th Century.

Loved the scalloped fretboard.

Asking price is £1,650, or Best Offer.

I’m not too clever with today’s tech, so I hope pictures have turned out.

Best Wishes,

BJ."

Thank you Jake.

I have added a few photos and a link to the Ebay sale:

LINK  Windsor Z B

 

[Joel Hooks]

That is a fancy Zither Banjo!

[Jake Glanville]

Thank you Joel, for your kind reply re Windsor Premier zither-banjo.  Yes, this as a top-of-the-line model from Windsor and must have cost a King's Ransom in its day.  Alas, I've never had the opportunity of playing one to see if they were worth the money!

Thank you. by the way. for all your help in the past.  On a slightly different subject, have you any idea of the date when the famous incident took place in which the vellum of Cammeyer's banjo burst during a concert in the States?  Working through AD's My Adventuresome Banjo (1934) I make it 1880.  Have I got that right?

All the Best,

Jake.

[Joel Hooks]

I only know what he wrote in the BMG.  No timeline was given.

[Jake Glanville]

Thank you very much Joel.  The BMG article was taken straight from Cammeyer's book, and as you say, no time-line id given,  As best as I can work it out, the date would be around 1880 when AD was 19 or so (if he was born in 1861).  i've always argued that if he did say, "There goes the zither banjo!" it was because the term was already in use!  (Contrary to his claims.)

Joel Hooks said:

I only know what he wrote in the BMG.  No timeline was given.

[Jake Glanville]

Dear RNM and all Classic Banjo fans,

It looks like the Vintage Banjo Makers site has been taken down and that is a real pity.  It's this kind of happening that makes me totally distrust the Internet. 

Although VBM was a straight unacknowledged 'lift' from A P Sharpe, it was nonetheless very useful, even if it failed to mention a whole host of British and American banjo makers, was reluctant to update its information, and was sometimes inaccurate (claiming Sidney Young never put his name on his zither-banjos is simply untrue).

Any of you knowledgeable types feel like setting up something similar?  I could have a go, but my technical expertise is very poor, and it would simply be a re-hash of Sharpe from the pages of Banjo Mandolin Guitar.

BJ.