Bacon Blue Ribbon Style A Tenor Banjo (1922)
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Item # 11323
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Bacon Blue Ribbon Style A Model Tenor Banjo (1922), made in Groton CT, serial # 7307, natural varnish finish, laminated maple neck and rim, rosewood fingerboard, black gig bag case.
Like all banjos carrying the Bacon brand, this Blue Ribbon model is a very high-quality instrument. It sports typical features of a late 1910's through early 1920's tenor: a shorter scale neck, larger head and no flange or external resonator. The inception of the "modern" tenor banjo 100 or so years ago (!) rendered these earlier instruments obsolete for "orchestra" playing but they have remained popular for the later Irish style and general jug band, folk or just plain fun banjo playing.
The banjo does feature an extremely clever detachable closed back made of arched laminated maple that effectively seals off the interior and has a noticeable effect on tone, a similar but rather more effective idea than the contemporary Gibson trap-door design. Combined with this is a series of small soundholes just under the hoop on the rim intended to carry the tone of the closed chamber outward. This same fitting was carried over to the early Silver Bell banjos but proved redundant combined with a full flange-and-resonator and was soon dropped.
The Blue Ribbon was Fred Bacon's mid-line model just before he entered into partnership with David Day and the classic Bacon & Day Silver Bell line was launched. While nowhere near as fancy as these later instruments, this Style A is still very nicely appointed. The maple neck has multiple laminates both vertically and horizontally and pearl insets in the heelcap and back of the headstock. The headstock is faced with ebony with an inlaid block letter "Bacon" logo and "Blue Ribbon" in pearl script with a floral design. The bound fingerboard has delicately-shaped pearl inlay along its length. The rim is laminated maple with a bound and ebony-capped bottom edge. The hardware is typical Bacon with a heavy hoop, large "Cobra" hooks and a 4-string No-Knot tailpiece. Geared tuners have been added more recently.
While not having the more "modern" (ca. 1923!) features of the jazz age tenor banjos, this Blue Ribbon is beautifully made and a fine instrument; the larger head and short scale give it a denser, warmer sound. This would be an excellent choice for playing situations where many tenors would be too strident. It is a wonderful instrument for Irish playing in the lower "G" tuning, one of the nicest early tenor banjos we have handled.
Overall length is 31 in. (78.7 cm.), 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm.) diameter head, and 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) deep. Scale length is 20 in. (508 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
Overall this 100 year old tenor is mostly original and generally well-preserved It remains original except for the recent geared planetary tuners and an added clip-on armrest. There is some normal playing wear, especially to the finish on the back of the neck much of which is down to the wood. It has been neatly refretted with some clean patching to old divots in the fingerboard and is quite playable, set up with a modern plastic head and ebony-capped maple bridge. The banjo is currently strung and tuned for the Irish lower "G" pitched playing style, but can be easily adapted back to standard tenor tuning if desired. It happily inhabits a small guitar-shaped gig bag. Overall Very Good + Condition.
Like all banjos carrying the Bacon brand, this Blue Ribbon model is a very high-quality instrument. It sports typical features of a late 1910's through early 1920's tenor: a shorter scale neck, larger head and no flange or external resonator. The inception of the "modern" tenor banjo 100 or so years ago (!) rendered these earlier instruments obsolete for "orchestra" playing but they have remained popular for the later Irish style and general jug band, folk or just plain fun banjo playing.
The banjo does feature an extremely clever detachable closed back made of arched laminated maple that effectively seals off the interior and has a noticeable effect on tone, a similar but rather more effective idea than the contemporary Gibson trap-door design. Combined with this is a series of small soundholes just under the hoop on the rim intended to carry the tone of the closed chamber outward. This same fitting was carried over to the early Silver Bell banjos but proved redundant combined with a full flange-and-resonator and was soon dropped.
The Blue Ribbon was Fred Bacon's mid-line model just before he entered into partnership with David Day and the classic Bacon & Day Silver Bell line was launched. While nowhere near as fancy as these later instruments, this Style A is still very nicely appointed. The maple neck has multiple laminates both vertically and horizontally and pearl insets in the heelcap and back of the headstock. The headstock is faced with ebony with an inlaid block letter "Bacon" logo and "Blue Ribbon" in pearl script with a floral design. The bound fingerboard has delicately-shaped pearl inlay along its length. The rim is laminated maple with a bound and ebony-capped bottom edge. The hardware is typical Bacon with a heavy hoop, large "Cobra" hooks and a 4-string No-Knot tailpiece. Geared tuners have been added more recently.
While not having the more "modern" (ca. 1923!) features of the jazz age tenor banjos, this Blue Ribbon is beautifully made and a fine instrument; the larger head and short scale give it a denser, warmer sound. This would be an excellent choice for playing situations where many tenors would be too strident. It is a wonderful instrument for Irish playing in the lower "G" tuning, one of the nicest early tenor banjos we have handled.
Overall length is 31 in. (78.7 cm.), 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm.) diameter head, and 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) deep. Scale length is 20 in. (508 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
Overall this 100 year old tenor is mostly original and generally well-preserved It remains original except for the recent geared planetary tuners and an added clip-on armrest. There is some normal playing wear, especially to the finish on the back of the neck much of which is down to the wood. It has been neatly refretted with some clean patching to old divots in the fingerboard and is quite playable, set up with a modern plastic head and ebony-capped maple bridge. The banjo is currently strung and tuned for the Irish lower "G" pitched playing style, but can be easily adapted back to standard tenor tuning if desired. It happily inhabits a small guitar-shaped gig bag. Overall Very Good + Condition.