S. S. Stewart Special Thoroughbred 5 String Banjo (1897)
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S. S. Stewart Special Thoroughbred Model 5 String Banjo (1897), made in Philadelphia, PA, serial # 18788, natural varnish finish, spunover rim, cherry neck with ebony fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
This S.S. Stewart banjo is marked "Special Thoroughbred", which was a standard model line but is a very high end model with some special presentation grade features. It was made around 1897 not long before the founder's death in April '98. At the time the Philadelphia company was, by their own account at least, the world's greatest banjo maker although both Fairbanks and Cole would have begged to differ! Originally the Stewart "Special Thoroughbred" models were built with higher grade materials but devoid of fancy fingerboard inlay; obviously by the time this one was made that distinction had been lost! This is quite a fancy banjo, with a level of ornamentation that would have put it in the $60+ range in 1898, a considerable sum of money even in the Gilded Age.
The features on this instrument are quite high end, even for Stewart who was no stranger to dressing things up. It is built around a 11" spunover 28 bracket rim. The outside of the rim is plain nickel plated and engraved with a delicate ribbon pattern around the base. The inside of the rim is filled with elaborate and beautifully executed colored wood marquetry, something Stewart saved for top-end banjos. This was intended to please the player; it is not visible from the front so a listener would never see it!
The 27" scale cherry wood neck has the heel carved in a floral motif both deeper cut an more elaborately executed than most. The fingerboard has very elaborate inlay with Stewart pearl motifs in various combinations of moons, stars and florid patterns at most fret positions. There is a lovely very dense dual floral-and-vase engraved pearl inlay pattern on the headstock, which is not a common Stewart pattern.
The dowel stick carries multiple markings: an inlayed celluloid "S.S. Stewart, Phil'a PA" logo tag and an impressed "SSS" headstock-shaped logo. An ivoroid "Special Thoroughbred" tag is set into the dowel as well just below a paper label touting the same name, which is mostly faded. The tailpiece is a period "No knot" that is of the time but not original to the banjo. The tuners are standard period friction pegs with ivoroid buttons. Stewart's patented turnbuckle neck brace is intact and working; this was one of the earliest such systems.
Stewart was never at a loss promoting his wares; The "Special Thoroughbred" was described as "made of the choicest selected material, and possesses the quality of musical tone so desirable in a concert banjo". He added it was "made for BANJO PLAYERS exclusively and not novices". For a time the Thoroughbred models were not sold in music stores, but had to be special ordered directly from Stewart's Philadelphia factory. The banjo is a very high end iteration of the "Special Thoroughbred" line, with a combination of features we have not seen before. It still plays and sounds lovely with Nylon strings, a beautiful survivor of the "Gilded Age" era of the 5-string banjo, a true playable antique and a fantastic example of S.S. Stewart's best grade work.
Overall length is 36 in. (91.4 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 27 in. (686 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/4 in. (32 mm.).
This banjo remains in largely original condition showing wear typical for its age, now nearly 130 years old! The finish on the back of the neck has some light wear to the wood but no major dings or dents. The back of the headstock has been polished out due to the restoration of original friction pegs; it was fitted with openback guitar machines in the 1950s and the filled holes for them are still visible, though not hugely conspicuous.
The outer plated rim surface and hoop are relatively clean, the top of the hoop has nicking and denting the metal from numerous hook positions over the decades. The hook and nut set appears original as indeed does all the other hardware except the tailpiece, which is of the period but not a Stewart fitting. There is some general minor plating loss and corrosion but much of the nickel plating is well better preserved than average.
The head is a recent fine quality calfskin and sounds excellent. Like all early Stewarts this banjo was built in an era when only gut strings were used, so it is set up with a Nylon classical set. We would NOT recommend steel strings on this instrument; the cherry neck is relatively straight for one of these but was never intended for steel string tension. Many old Stewart banjos have been effectively ruined by fitting with steel over the last 100 years. Taken as it is, this is a truly lovely original period piece, a fine playing and sounding banjo within its 19th century intentions. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This S.S. Stewart banjo is marked "Special Thoroughbred", which was a standard model line but is a very high end model with some special presentation grade features. It was made around 1897 not long before the founder's death in April '98. At the time the Philadelphia company was, by their own account at least, the world's greatest banjo maker although both Fairbanks and Cole would have begged to differ! Originally the Stewart "Special Thoroughbred" models were built with higher grade materials but devoid of fancy fingerboard inlay; obviously by the time this one was made that distinction had been lost! This is quite a fancy banjo, with a level of ornamentation that would have put it in the $60+ range in 1898, a considerable sum of money even in the Gilded Age.
The features on this instrument are quite high end, even for Stewart who was no stranger to dressing things up. It is built around a 11" spunover 28 bracket rim. The outside of the rim is plain nickel plated and engraved with a delicate ribbon pattern around the base. The inside of the rim is filled with elaborate and beautifully executed colored wood marquetry, something Stewart saved for top-end banjos. This was intended to please the player; it is not visible from the front so a listener would never see it!
The 27" scale cherry wood neck has the heel carved in a floral motif both deeper cut an more elaborately executed than most. The fingerboard has very elaborate inlay with Stewart pearl motifs in various combinations of moons, stars and florid patterns at most fret positions. There is a lovely very dense dual floral-and-vase engraved pearl inlay pattern on the headstock, which is not a common Stewart pattern.
The dowel stick carries multiple markings: an inlayed celluloid "S.S. Stewart, Phil'a PA" logo tag and an impressed "SSS" headstock-shaped logo. An ivoroid "Special Thoroughbred" tag is set into the dowel as well just below a paper label touting the same name, which is mostly faded. The tailpiece is a period "No knot" that is of the time but not original to the banjo. The tuners are standard period friction pegs with ivoroid buttons. Stewart's patented turnbuckle neck brace is intact and working; this was one of the earliest such systems.
Stewart was never at a loss promoting his wares; The "Special Thoroughbred" was described as "made of the choicest selected material, and possesses the quality of musical tone so desirable in a concert banjo". He added it was "made for BANJO PLAYERS exclusively and not novices". For a time the Thoroughbred models were not sold in music stores, but had to be special ordered directly from Stewart's Philadelphia factory. The banjo is a very high end iteration of the "Special Thoroughbred" line, with a combination of features we have not seen before. It still plays and sounds lovely with Nylon strings, a beautiful survivor of the "Gilded Age" era of the 5-string banjo, a true playable antique and a fantastic example of S.S. Stewart's best grade work.
Overall length is 36 in. (91.4 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 27 in. (686 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/4 in. (32 mm.).
This banjo remains in largely original condition showing wear typical for its age, now nearly 130 years old! The finish on the back of the neck has some light wear to the wood but no major dings or dents. The back of the headstock has been polished out due to the restoration of original friction pegs; it was fitted with openback guitar machines in the 1950s and the filled holes for them are still visible, though not hugely conspicuous.
The outer plated rim surface and hoop are relatively clean, the top of the hoop has nicking and denting the metal from numerous hook positions over the decades. The hook and nut set appears original as indeed does all the other hardware except the tailpiece, which is of the period but not a Stewart fitting. There is some general minor plating loss and corrosion but much of the nickel plating is well better preserved than average.
The head is a recent fine quality calfskin and sounds excellent. Like all early Stewarts this banjo was built in an era when only gut strings were used, so it is set up with a Nylon classical set. We would NOT recommend steel strings on this instrument; the cherry neck is relatively straight for one of these but was never intended for steel string tension. Many old Stewart banjos have been effectively ruined by fitting with steel over the last 100 years. Taken as it is, this is a truly lovely original period piece, a fine playing and sounding banjo within its 19th century intentions. Overall Excellent - Condition.