in very good plus condition with worn and taped hard shell case whose hinges are broken apart. The Bacon Banjo Company of Groton, Connecticut was founded around 1906 by Fred Bacon and in the original period many of their banjos were made for them by Vega and William L. Lange (Paramount/Orpheum). In 1922 David L. Day who had worked for Vega, was hired by the Bacon Banjo Company. Interestingly, there was never any actual company or corporation named “Bacon and Day” – the banjos were always labeled on their interior dowel as “Fred Bacon Manufacturing Co.” or “Bacon Banjo Company.” The year 1930 saw the initial promotional introduction of the fancier “Sultana” series. Unlike the more simply appointed standard Silver Bell, which had an ebony fingerboard inlaid with mother of pearl designs, the Sultana had a “pearloid” – which was celluloid, an early form of plastic – fingerboard, as well as a pearloid rim around the wooden body and resonator veneer. This material looks so much like pearl that the original owner of this banjo, Henry Lawrence Brooks of Yorkville, Manhattan, New York City, is said to have told his family that the fingerboard was “mother of pearl.” As the 1930s progressed celluloid became a popular material for fingerboards on specific models across the lines of several brands. Gibson used celluloid on the fingerboards of their TB-11 and Kel Kroyden models, Epiphone used it on some of their “Recording” series banjos, Vega on some of their Vox series, and smaller makers used it prolifically because it was showy.
The headstock which is fancy, cut and scalloped multiple times, is capped in yellow celluloid and then etched and painted with green floral designs and stylized letters reading “B&D,” “Sultana I” and “Silver Bell.” The 19-fret fingerboard is likewise decorated, in celluloid with 9 design inlays, each etched and painted. The pot of the banjo (which means everything below the neck) has 24 nickel-plated brackets, along with 24 nuts and shoes, a nickel-plated but somewhat oxidized metal flange with 27 “lower case ‘f’” shapes cut out of it; an unsigned four-finger Oettinger style adjustable tailpiece, an apparently original Bacon logo maple and ebony bridge, an old Joseph Rogers, Jr. skin head that shows its normal share of skin oils in the upper treble section; it has a “Patent Pend. Bacon Soft Pedal” mute on the treble side of the rim that allows the player, by exercising the right leg, to soften the sound while playing; and the back of the resonator is a 13 ½” span of sunburst celluloid with 12 concentric circles and a metal plate at the top center that reads “Style No. 1, B&D Silverbell, The Bacon Banjo Co. Inc., Groton, CT.” There is an etched and painted floral design on back of headstock which has a pearloid underlay, and another on the pearloid heel cap. The back of the neck is 5 pieces (three light; two dark) with a contrasting color backstrap coming down from behind the headstock to around the 2nd fret.
Overall the banjo is in excellent condition except for some normal fret wear (it plays fine even with that), and by the time you read this will have been cleaned and set-up by our repair staff. It shows normal hand-wear on the back of the neck, chips and necks here and there on headstock, neck and body. It came to us in a worn out case, and totally needs a better one (A Bedouin?) We’ll see if we can find a used, old tenor banjo case for it. The original metal “tensioner” that connects to the dowel running through the inside back is in the pocket lacks its metal post that secures it to the area that abuts the inside of the rim at the neck, but there is no particular need for it to be restored to the banjo, so we’ll just leave it in the case. What we have here is an extremely beautiful, and tastefully fancy classic tenor banjo from just the right time and place. Bacon and Day banjos are considered as professional quality a tenor as can be found. This one has its mute, it’s really cute, not too much loot, and fun to boot. NOW ON SALE! WAS $2263 BUT NOW ON SALE FOR: