Bacon #2 Banjolele (c. 1922)

Description

While Frederick Bacon is best known for his work with Bacon & Day, he was a legendary builder all on his own as well, who made his name building not only five-string banjos but other instruments in the banjo family, including the banjolin and the banjolele. This Bacon #2, which dates from around 1922, is one of the latter, and represents a rare and unique example of the luthier's early open-backs, as the vast majority of banjo ukes he built were resonators. All-original maple construction and Bacon's trademark, Dobson-esque tone ring give this instrument a huge voice and set it apart as one of the loudest and brightest banjoleles we've ever had in our shop. We feel it'd make an excellent addition to the collection of any musician interested in the early modern history of American traditional music.

Considering its age, this instrument is in excellent condition, with playing wear well below what would normally be found on a piece now over 100 years of age. All parts are original, including the rare Grover planetary tuners and tailpiece, as well as a very small example of Frederick Bacon's trademark tone ring, which proved to be tremendously influential in the development of the banjo. Most of the wear centers on the neck and the headstock, with a roughly typical to below typical amount of finish shrinkage at the seams in the wood. The back of the head was signed by a "Joe B. Rogers, Jr.", likely over fifty years ago. We did not feel this impacted the aesthetic appeal of the instrument to the extent that a head replacement was warranted. Please be advised that this instrument does not come with a case - give us a call if you'd like to talk about possible options.

*Please note, per our return policy, all sales on used and consignment instruments are final.*