Abbot Amboyna photos and story

[Jody Stecher]

Old banjos have had time to accumulate a history. Sometimes the history is just a story but it adheres to the banjo all the same. Through conversations with David Wade and Ian Holloway I learned something about the history of this model banjo and of this particular "specimen".  At one point Jack Abbott Senior was contracted to make the Amboyna model zither-banjo for Barnes & Mullins exclusively. Apparently this model was his personal design. Then in 1905, 10 craftsmen, led by Jack walked off the job and started their own shop making the same banjo under the Abbott name. This led to Banjo Wars and a Court Case. It has been alleged that my banjo was made for James Newell by Jack Abbott himself before the split and that he sold it to Newell under the table as Abbott was still under contract to B & M. The stamp on the side of the heel suggests that this banjo might after the split. It says

J.G. Abbot & Co

London

Makers

No 1

Anyone familiar with mid 20th century British pop and rock music will know the name Bert Weedon. He was a very influential electric guitar player. James Newell was his teacher. The Really Nice Man bought the banjo from Newell's grandson. As he has stated recently, he couldn't get it to play well. He sold it to Rob McKillop who also did not bond with it. I got it from Rob and changed the bridge and strings, using a set of my own devising that feels and sounds balanced to me. The scale is just shy of 28 inches so I string it lighter than the JE Dallas zee bee whose scale is almost an inch shorter. And I used my last Aquila gut G string, which this banjo loves. The sound was rather biting with most bridges. Eric Stefanelli made me several and the one that de-zing-a-fied this banjo was a bridge made from bamboo. 

[Jody Stecher]

[skip sail]

just sold my Abbot amboyna to a chap who lives not far away from you,so hopefully you can get a photo of the two together(when was the last time that has happened?)

[Jody Stecher]

Two Amboynas/No Waiting. Yeah, he's bringing it over on friday. I'll take some photos. Thanks for the good idea.  I don't know the last time there were two Amboynas together but the last time 2 Daniels Defiance Banjos were together was about 2 years ago on my dining table.

skip sail said:

just sold my Abbot amboyna to a chap who lives not far away from you,so hopefully you can get a photo of the two together(when was the last time that has happened?)