Paramount Style E Tenor Banjo (1927)
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Paramount Style E Model Tenor Banjo (1927), made in New York City, serial # 10250, natural varnish finish, laminated white holly rim and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This is a fantastic and beautiful original example of the rare and very fancy Paramount Style E, one of William Lange's high end models. The Style E is also one of Paramount's most attractive designs, a blonde holly wood gem richly decorated with elaborate marquetry including chain pattern wood edging, wood binding, and brightly colored wood inlay. The multilaminate neck has a fully carved heel, carved peghead back and multilayered wood binding with extremely fancy engraved pearl inlay on headstock and rosewood fingerboard.
All metal parts are "quadruple" gold plated and elaborately hand engraved. The fragile original gold-plated Page tuners with pearl buttons are intact and functional, as are the Paramount adjustable tailpiece and "hot dog" armrest. Selling originally for $290 - at the time a Ford model T automobile cost $260 -- the Style E is an extremely fancy top-grade professional Tenor Banjo from that instrument's heyday affordable only to the most serious professional users.
Paramounts were the most important orchestra banjos of their day which introduced the salient features of the modern resonator banjo to the world. These instruments were firm favorite with professional jazz musicians in the 1920's and are frequently seen in period photographs, especially with the pioneering African-American Jazz Orchestras of the period. The Style E represents the full flowering of this opulent tenor banjo era; an extremely fancy top-grade professional Tenor Banjo from the instrument's heyday, and as fine an "orchestra banjo" as there has ever been.
Overall length is 34 1/2 in. (87.6 cm.), 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm.) diameter head, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 23 in. (584 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/4 in. (32 mm.).
This banjo remains in fine original condition, showing some typical play wear overall and no alterations. It was recently acquired from the original owner's family, and has not been played for decades. The finish has some general playwear and checking, with dings and scratches to the resonator back and walls and some wear-through on the back of the neck. A tiny piece of marquetry is gone from the resonator lip just below the heel, and the lower edge has some finish flaked off. A good amount of the oft-flaking clear lacquer over the engraved pearl on the headstock face remains intact.
The heavy gold plating has a lovely deep amber patina with some areas of loss (most heavily on the armrest, which is down to bare metal on the top) and minor discoloration. All hardware is original and functional including the hinged adjustable tailpiece and the fragile Page tuner housings. The typically very thin original Paramount frets are intact with only minor wear. The fine engraving on the fingerboard inlays is largely intact, with some of the black fill lost.
All in all this is one of the nicer examples of a high-grade Paramount we have had, and plays and sounds exactly as it should. Set up with a modern Fiberskyn head this is a truly stunning and splendid 1920's piece of tenor banjo art, and a great piece of New York Jazz age history. It resides in a very worn but solid OHSC with the trademark Paramount double pockets and zipper lining. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This is a fantastic and beautiful original example of the rare and very fancy Paramount Style E, one of William Lange's high end models. The Style E is also one of Paramount's most attractive designs, a blonde holly wood gem richly decorated with elaborate marquetry including chain pattern wood edging, wood binding, and brightly colored wood inlay. The multilaminate neck has a fully carved heel, carved peghead back and multilayered wood binding with extremely fancy engraved pearl inlay on headstock and rosewood fingerboard.
All metal parts are "quadruple" gold plated and elaborately hand engraved. The fragile original gold-plated Page tuners with pearl buttons are intact and functional, as are the Paramount adjustable tailpiece and "hot dog" armrest. Selling originally for $290 - at the time a Ford model T automobile cost $260 -- the Style E is an extremely fancy top-grade professional Tenor Banjo from that instrument's heyday affordable only to the most serious professional users.
Paramounts were the most important orchestra banjos of their day which introduced the salient features of the modern resonator banjo to the world. These instruments were firm favorite with professional jazz musicians in the 1920's and are frequently seen in period photographs, especially with the pioneering African-American Jazz Orchestras of the period. The Style E represents the full flowering of this opulent tenor banjo era; an extremely fancy top-grade professional Tenor Banjo from the instrument's heyday, and as fine an "orchestra banjo" as there has ever been.
Overall length is 34 1/2 in. (87.6 cm.), 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm.) diameter head, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 23 in. (584 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/4 in. (32 mm.).
This banjo remains in fine original condition, showing some typical play wear overall and no alterations. It was recently acquired from the original owner's family, and has not been played for decades. The finish has some general playwear and checking, with dings and scratches to the resonator back and walls and some wear-through on the back of the neck. A tiny piece of marquetry is gone from the resonator lip just below the heel, and the lower edge has some finish flaked off. A good amount of the oft-flaking clear lacquer over the engraved pearl on the headstock face remains intact.
The heavy gold plating has a lovely deep amber patina with some areas of loss (most heavily on the armrest, which is down to bare metal on the top) and minor discoloration. All hardware is original and functional including the hinged adjustable tailpiece and the fragile Page tuner housings. The typically very thin original Paramount frets are intact with only minor wear. The fine engraving on the fingerboard inlays is largely intact, with some of the black fill lost.
All in all this is one of the nicer examples of a high-grade Paramount we have had, and plays and sounds exactly as it should. Set up with a modern Fiberskyn head this is a truly stunning and splendid 1920's piece of tenor banjo art, and a great piece of New York Jazz age history. It resides in a very worn but solid OHSC with the trademark Paramount double pockets and zipper lining. Overall Excellent - Condition.