Bacon & Day Silver Bell #6 Ne Plus Ultra Special Tenor Banjo (1927-33)
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Bacon & Day Silver Bell #6 Ne Plus Ultra Special Model Tenor Banjo (1927-33), made in Groton CT, serial # 22694/26719, natural finish, laminated maple and ebony rim and resonator; ebony neck with pearloid fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This stunningly fancy 19-fret Silver Bell tenor banjo is a beautiful representative of the Bacon Banjo Company's highest-end professional Bacon & Day Silver Bell line. It also presents something of a puzzle, with parts and features that are all authentic period Bacon & Day but appear to date to different years from the later 1920s into the '30s. These instruments were all custom made, often for prominent players and sometimes reworked at the factory as time went on; whatever the exact story of this banjo it remains a nearly century old piece of playable art.
The Bacon & Day Silverbell #6 Ne Plus Ultra (Latin for "Nothing Better") was the bedrock model of the top end line. The original price started around $450, which could buy you a decent automobile in the late 1920s. B&Ds were famous as the most expensive, highest grade banjos of this opulent period. The rim is veneered in ebony with pearl "double snowflake" inlay all around the sides, bound along the bottom in black and white celluloid. The resonator has what appears to be a dyed maple veneer on the back bound in black celluloid with inlaid concentric contrasting wood rings and a pearl center ornament and a #6 nameplate.
The rim bears a serial number dating to 1927 and has all gold plated engraved hardware including the tone ring sheath and the unique low-mounted Silver Bell flange, with f-hole shaped cuts for sound holes. The Silver Bell tone ring is the earlier style with small circular cutouts internally; this is a late example of this fitting. Other hardware includes the Oettinger tailpiece with 4 adjustable arms and the "hot dog" armrest engraved "B&D Silver Bell #6 Ne Plus Ultra"
The resonator back is dark-ebony,
The dowel stick is painted gold, marked "B&D Silver Bell #6" and "Special; it bears a different serial number than the rim dating to around 1929. The neck is built in a style more typical of the early 1930s, made of ebony with a floral pattern carved heel, more delicate if less fancy than the very elaborate animal head carvings of the 1920s. There are multiple wood underlays beneath the bound engraved and painted pearloid fingerboard which has incredibly delicate incised and painted designs for position markers. The headstock is laminated in pearloid (both front and back) with elaborate engraved and painted patterns on both sides, framing the "B&D Silver Bell" logo with rhinestones bordering the face. The tuners are original engraved planets with the Catalin buttons used in the 1930s and a rhinestone topping each shaft.
The very high quality and out-and-out flash of the "Ne Plus Ultra" banjos made them quite popular in the 1920s and beyond, especially among vaudeville and variety players. These B&D banjos were highly sought after collector's for Dixieland players items when sunburst Les Pauls were new! This banjo came out of the Philadelphia area and was owned by a long-time member of the old banjo clubs in that area, including the Mummers. This banjo is an assemblage of authentic B&D parts spanning several years; the conclusion of several vintage B&D experts is it is an original 1927 #6 banjo upgraded (possibly more than once) with an early 30's custom factory neck fitted. One commented "What is common around the Mummers is to have necks removed/swapped/etc.; these guys were musicians first and foremost, originality came second."
This continues "So my conclusion is what you have is a 1927 #6 Ne Plus Ultra factory repaired/restored/converted by 1933 or so. Or (less likely) a skilled luthier back in time made a hybrid of parts from three different #6 NPUs: a 1927 pot assembly, 1929 dowel and the appr. 1933 neck. Strange things have happened over the years -- fakes and replicas have been made -- however all parts of (this) banjo seem to be factory correct and made, only in three different periods. The finish and wood on the neck seem to match the resonator. Instincts say it was originally sold as all one banjo and not pieced together, other than at the factory."
Although why or when these parts were came together is lost to history, the instrument stands on its own as a superb B&D creation. Even if not a 100% original banjo this is a truly superb instrument in every way; beautiful, enchanting and great-sounding professional tenor, as fine as any in existence.
Overall length is 33 1/2 in. (85.1 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 4 in. (10.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 23 in. (584 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.).
This banjo is approaching 100 years old; it shows some light general but overall is nicely preserved. The finish appears all original or at least all Bacon factory work (assuming the neck was with factory fitted to a re-worked older rim) only some veneer checking and minor wear mostly small scrapes and dings to the back of the resonator. The gold still shines with some general plating wear, mostly to some of the hooks and the top of the armrest. The hardware does not appear to have been replated, as was common decades ago; all the engraving is crisp and clean.
The parts are all original and correct B&D hardware except there is no mute fitted; it appears to have been removed ages ago as there are few marks of its presence beyond the small hole in the rim. One of the threaded resonator mounting bolts is a replacement but the other three are original. The original frets have some light wear and neck is beautifully straight; the banjo plays very well, set up with a plastic head and Grover bridge. This is a simply superb sounding and playing Silverbell with the powerful "snap" these are known for but an overriding smoothness not heard in many tenors. It resides in a zipper-lined original HSC which is solid with some wear and a later handle ready for another century of playing. Overall Excellent Condition.
This stunningly fancy 19-fret Silver Bell tenor banjo is a beautiful representative of the Bacon Banjo Company's highest-end professional Bacon & Day Silver Bell line. It also presents something of a puzzle, with parts and features that are all authentic period Bacon & Day but appear to date to different years from the later 1920s into the '30s. These instruments were all custom made, often for prominent players and sometimes reworked at the factory as time went on; whatever the exact story of this banjo it remains a nearly century old piece of playable art.
The Bacon & Day Silverbell #6 Ne Plus Ultra (Latin for "Nothing Better") was the bedrock model of the top end line. The original price started around $450, which could buy you a decent automobile in the late 1920s. B&Ds were famous as the most expensive, highest grade banjos of this opulent period. The rim is veneered in ebony with pearl "double snowflake" inlay all around the sides, bound along the bottom in black and white celluloid. The resonator has what appears to be a dyed maple veneer on the back bound in black celluloid with inlaid concentric contrasting wood rings and a pearl center ornament and a #6 nameplate.
The rim bears a serial number dating to 1927 and has all gold plated engraved hardware including the tone ring sheath and the unique low-mounted Silver Bell flange, with f-hole shaped cuts for sound holes. The Silver Bell tone ring is the earlier style with small circular cutouts internally; this is a late example of this fitting. Other hardware includes the Oettinger tailpiece with 4 adjustable arms and the "hot dog" armrest engraved "B&D Silver Bell #6 Ne Plus Ultra"
The resonator back is dark-ebony,
The dowel stick is painted gold, marked "B&D Silver Bell #6" and "Special; it bears a different serial number than the rim dating to around 1929. The neck is built in a style more typical of the early 1930s, made of ebony with a floral pattern carved heel, more delicate if less fancy than the very elaborate animal head carvings of the 1920s. There are multiple wood underlays beneath the bound engraved and painted pearloid fingerboard which has incredibly delicate incised and painted designs for position markers. The headstock is laminated in pearloid (both front and back) with elaborate engraved and painted patterns on both sides, framing the "B&D Silver Bell" logo with rhinestones bordering the face. The tuners are original engraved planets with the Catalin buttons used in the 1930s and a rhinestone topping each shaft.
The very high quality and out-and-out flash of the "Ne Plus Ultra" banjos made them quite popular in the 1920s and beyond, especially among vaudeville and variety players. These B&D banjos were highly sought after collector's for Dixieland players items when sunburst Les Pauls were new! This banjo came out of the Philadelphia area and was owned by a long-time member of the old banjo clubs in that area, including the Mummers. This banjo is an assemblage of authentic B&D parts spanning several years; the conclusion of several vintage B&D experts is it is an original 1927 #6 banjo upgraded (possibly more than once) with an early 30's custom factory neck fitted. One commented "What is common around the Mummers is to have necks removed/swapped/etc.; these guys were musicians first and foremost, originality came second."
This continues "So my conclusion is what you have is a 1927 #6 Ne Plus Ultra factory repaired/restored/converted by 1933 or so. Or (less likely) a skilled luthier back in time made a hybrid of parts from three different #6 NPUs: a 1927 pot assembly, 1929 dowel and the appr. 1933 neck. Strange things have happened over the years -- fakes and replicas have been made -- however all parts of (this) banjo seem to be factory correct and made, only in three different periods. The finish and wood on the neck seem to match the resonator. Instincts say it was originally sold as all one banjo and not pieced together, other than at the factory."
Although why or when these parts were came together is lost to history, the instrument stands on its own as a superb B&D creation. Even if not a 100% original banjo this is a truly superb instrument in every way; beautiful, enchanting and great-sounding professional tenor, as fine as any in existence.
Overall length is 33 1/2 in. (85.1 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 4 in. (10.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 23 in. (584 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.).
This banjo is approaching 100 years old; it shows some light general but overall is nicely preserved. The finish appears all original or at least all Bacon factory work (assuming the neck was with factory fitted to a re-worked older rim) only some veneer checking and minor wear mostly small scrapes and dings to the back of the resonator. The gold still shines with some general plating wear, mostly to some of the hooks and the top of the armrest. The hardware does not appear to have been replated, as was common decades ago; all the engraving is crisp and clean.
The parts are all original and correct B&D hardware except there is no mute fitted; it appears to have been removed ages ago as there are few marks of its presence beyond the small hole in the rim. One of the threaded resonator mounting bolts is a replacement but the other three are original. The original frets have some light wear and neck is beautifully straight; the banjo plays very well, set up with a plastic head and Grover bridge. This is a simply superb sounding and playing Silverbell with the powerful "snap" these are known for but an overriding smoothness not heard in many tenors. It resides in a zipper-lined original HSC which is solid with some wear and a later handle ready for another century of playing. Overall Excellent Condition.