Much of what is deemed folk music has its roots in Africa and African American tradition, notes Giddens. 309 Plus Park Boulevard Musicians play these instruments with a down-stroke technique similar to the earliest known banjo playing in North America. The instruments were at the core of White, Black, and integrated string bands, which might also include guitar, mandolin, harmonica, or other instruments. Virginia Minstrels spawned many imitators, and the instrumentation and general format of the skits and music became somewhat standardized. SC.nb("rooster", "cloverlickbanjoshop.com", "", "", ""); Dean O. Robinson The disassociation of the banjo from its African roots is starting to reverse. 3563 Highway 231 North Banjo maker Jim Hartel on the African heritage and American history of the banjo. The tenor banjo lacked the short fifth string, which provided a single-note musical drone. Search Enter Search Value: . A listing of notable musicians who play the banjo as a major part of their output include: A listing of celebrities who play the banjo include: American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame members, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Carroll Best: Old-Time 'Fiddle-Style Banjo' from the Great Smoky Mountains", "Perthshire banjo-maker receives special note of thanks from Billy Connolly following documentary appearance", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_banjo_players&oldid=1135301430, This page was last edited on 23 January 2023, at 21:02. Greg Galbreath 18124 Bull Rapids Road As the banjo made inroads into middle-class American parlors during the second half of the nineteenth century, it also became integral to the music of the rural South. www.flesherbanjos.com In 1930, a Gibson L-1, the guitar reportedly favored by Robert Johnson, cost $50.00, the equivalent of $687.57 today. Roger McGuinn, whose electric 12-string guitar sound defined the Byrds earlier music, played banjo on some songs, as did virtuoso John Hartford. However, the nature of the fixed intervals requires some compromise in intonation. There is likely no single ancestor of the banjo. SC.nb("phopkins", "united.net", "", "", ""); A division of Gibson. SC.nb("scott", "phillipsbanjos.com", "", "", ""); Open-back banjos, hand-made in the Appalachian mountains with native hardwoods. In 1995, in Appomattox, his banjo shop was complete and his business Chanterelle Banjos was born. Historians refer to these new instruments as early gourd banjos. Resonator vs. Open-back 1.2 2. While musical tradition runs strong in bluegrass, a generation of younger players started taking the music in new directions in the 1970s. James Hartel has been making and playing banjos on and off since 1973 when he made a banjo for his 2 year old daughter. Many of the Founded in 1959 by John Sloan, continued by Peter Sloan, and in 2012 acquired by the Allisons. SC.nb("brooksbanjos", "gmail.com", "", "", ""); The Custom Banjo order list is currently closed for the foreseeable future while Buckeye works through its backlog of orders. 137 Utah Avenue The banjo sported engraved and gold plated metal parts, engraved mother of pearl position markers on the . Clarinbridge, Co. Galway IRL H91 Yp28 Association with these genres, and the diminished presence of the instrument in twentieth-century African American music, led to the banjo becoming a representation of rural White culture. The sound of the banjo became commonplace with their theme song for the television show The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971) and the prominent placement of their instrumental Foggy Mountain Breakdown in the 1967 film Bonnie & Clyde. Bluegrass, both progressive and traditional, The disassociation of the banjo from its African roots is starting to reverse. +1 (650) 588-5558 Ltd. trading as CARTER'S Publications. Carter's Price Guide to Antiques in Australasia is Registered Trademark of John Furphy Pty. (828) 768-3488 Linn, Karen. James established his mechanized instrument factory in Connecticut in the late 1840's Ashborn was the first to apply mass production principles to banjo and guitar making, transforming the homemade artifacts to commercial products. American Banjo Makersby Stuart Cohen Recomposed by Steve Trussel This list first appeared in an article in Volume 7 Number 1 of Mugwumpsmagazine of which Michael I. Holmesis publisher and editor. +1 (540) 230-0085 Welcome to the Vintage Banjo Maker, please do, Sign up for email updates from the Vintage Banjo Maker. Plucked means that it produces sound when the strings are struck or plucked. To this day, players who emulate his techniques are said to be playing either bluegrass- or Scruggs-style banjo. SC.nb("stonebanjocompany", "gmail.com", "", "", ""); From the Sullivans of First Quality Music fame. The Weavers with Pete Seeger on banjo: "On Top of Old Smoky" (1951). Also see the SHS online store at www.shop-shs.comand the SHS main site at www.shsint.net. During the last decade of the 19th century there were 5 well respected manufacturers of Banjos, doing business between # 161 and #187 1842 .. John Tyler was US President, slavery was not going to be abolished in the USA for another 23 years . property of those builders. During the late 1920s, he recorded for various companies race record lines, which captured African American, In the late 1930s, mandolinist, singer, songwriter Bill Monroe formed The Blue Grass Boys, the band primarily responsible for developing bluegrass music. Stedman's specification of the Creole-Bania 's four strings as being "three long and one short" is the first and only period textual description of the typical string configuration for a 4-string early gourd banjo. By the mid-1800s, the banjo had become a popular instrument in Europe and America, and quickly became a staple of folk, bluegrass, and country music. She may have been the first Appalachian banjo player to cut a commercial record. Nashville, TN USA 37217 Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1999. SC.nb("greg", "buckeyebanjos.com", "", "", ""); Rostislav ?apek Prague CZ Provenance: The Alex & Annette Hood Collection, NSW, An Italian mandolin with label 'Giov. www.hendricksbanjos.com SC.nb("FleshrBnjo", "aol.com", "", "", ""); Custom open back 5-string banjos for traditional old-time music. A wide array of hardware is available, ask for anything you dont see here. Vega also made some of the early Bacon Professional banjos. Ken LeVan McMurray, PA USA 15317 SC.nb("hatfieldbanjos", "scrtc.com", "", "", ""); Allen & Monte Hendricks Mastercraft banjos are handcrafted in the . BJ005, length 101 cm. Mike C. clocks4u NAWCC Member Sep 2, 2000 684 28 28 Over the past three decades, Gold Tone has been incredibly prolific at producing stringed instruments. In original case, early 20th century. Players formed banjo orchestras out of these family members as well as related instruments like mandolin and guitar. The banjo thimble, a precursor to the fingerpicks that are standard in bluegrass playing, increased the volume of banjo soloists performing in the downstroke style on stage. William Temlett's son, William Ernest, had started work in his father's factory in early boyhood but left at the age of thirty to form his own business. . Christian has been with Tommy since 2007 and has another shop in Memphis. www.deeringbanjos.com SC.nb("hicklerbanjo", "gmail.com", "", "", ""); Open back banjos and other folk instruments built in Orwell, NY. Mostly open-back models. The two races lived in close proximity in the Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont, and other parts of the South, interacting socially and playing music together for dances. Early Baltimore Banjo Manufacturers Pete Ross and Greg Adams will revisit the Baltimore Museum of Industry exhibit on William Boucher and what we've learned about Baltimore banjo manufacturers since then. When ragtime and blues music melded into jazz in the 1910s, the tenor banjo was one of the principal instruments in the rhythm section. +1 (339) 219-3047 Musicians adapted various genres to the banjo, including fiddle tunes, popular sentimental songs, ballads from the British Isles, and songs from the minstrel stage. Franklin, TN USA won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album. A Few Notes on the Genealogy of Vintage Banjo Manufacturers. Vintage banjo collector Lowell Levinger is perhaps best known to 1960s music fans as "Banana," the bushy-haired guitarist and keyboards player for The Youngbloods. 7, Birmingham, circa 1920, 96 cm long, English zither banjo, by Windsor, popular model no. 1 Best Beginner Banjo 2023 Buying Guide 1.1 1. In its earliest form, the banjo can be traced as far back as 1620. . 133 Marion Drive Today, Levinger is the proprietor of Players Vintage Instruments, where he buys and sells vintage guitars, mandolins, banjos, and other musical instruments. . It was tuned in fifths, like a mandolin or violin, and played by strumming with a plectrum, also known as a pick. In 1992 he met banjo builder Bart Reiter who became a tremendous supporter of Mike's advising him about his work and helping him set up a production shop. SC.nb("tom", "banjo.ie", "", "", ""); Jeffrey P. Kramer Like so many other parts of our culture, the banjo started as an immigrant. He learned the instrument from Black musicians in his home state of Virginia. +1 (972) 617-5576 1 - 7. +1 (650) 588-5558 Tulsa, OK USA 74112 However, a wealth of historical research conducted since the 1970s has brought attention to the African roots of the banjo, and performers and scholars have been making efforts to restore the instruments place in Black culture. Charlie Poole with the North Carolina Ramblers: "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues" (1927). en.pruchabanjos.cz DP Hopkins, Inc. By the 1850s, the banjo had become an integral part of American culture. Their attempts to elevate the instrument disassociated it from its African roots. Chuck Lee Banjo Company, Inc. 112 Silverwood Drive Ovilla, TX USA 75154 +1 (972) 617-5576 www.chuckleebanjos.com Made in USA Clareen Banjos As might be expected from the location, the majority of the business is in 4-string banjos. defunct listings were for old-time, open-back banjos and most of these were While musical tradition runs strong in bluegrass, a generation of younger players started taking the music in new directions in the 1970s. Gus Cannon was a versatile and influential African American banjo player. SC.nb("colin", "vancebanjos.com", "", "", ""); 1000 Corporate Grove Drive Bloomington, MN USA 55431 No direct sales; through dealers only. +1 (707) 845-9524 Moreover, the accompanying illustration of the Creole-Bania in the top right corner of Narrative's Plate 69, "Musical Instruments of the African Negroes" (1790/1796, 1988/2010: 539 . It was played exclusively by Africans in America and African Americans during colonial times and the early United States. www.chuckleebanjos.com His three-finger guitar style had a significant influence on the bluegrass players of the 1940s. As products from mail-order companies like Sears & Roebuck became available in the late nineteenth century, rural Americans increasingly purchased inexpensive manufactured instruments. In most cases, early banjos were not made by skilled luthiers, but rather plantation made by slave wood workers and later by drum makers and turners (carpenters). 3733 Kenora Drive A. Sloan & Son. severe and the loss of companies represents a thinning of the herd. genuine. The pairing of fiddle and banjo, which integrated Celtic American fiddle and African American banjo styles, became central to song and dance traditions. www.romerobanjos.com The first consists of primary banjo players and the second of celebrities that also play the banjo. Gold-Tone Banjo was originally formed in 1993. Although these elements are from the 19th century instruments, I wanted a banjo that would play 20th century pitches with steel strings. The images used in this list have been provided by their respective builders and are the copyrighted Its loud, bright sound cut through jazz bands and dance orchestras, providing a solid rhythm. Sweeney, of course, went on to become a famous blackface entertainer; Ferguson, who taught Dan Emmett to play the banjo, might have followed a similar path, but died of yellow fever in New Orleans in 1841. These groups were common, especially on college campuses. These books demonstrate a transition in playing technique from the African-rooted downstroke, utilized by Black musicians and. 5, circa 1920, maker and model number impressed to the head stock, the fingerboard inlaid with mother-of-pearl. +1 (260) 657-5486 Charlotte, NC USA Banjos like classic Paramounts, Vegas, Coles, and S.S. Stewarts serve as the standards by which the makers at Arthur E. Smith measure their work. During the late 1920s, he recorded for various companies race record lines, which captured African American blues, jazz, and gospel music and marketed to Black record buyers. Unlike the fiddle, which African Americans played far more commonly, the banjo was primarily a southern instrument. The Kingston Trios version sold more than three million copies as a single. Crowe & The New South: "Old Home Place" (1975). The brand focuses primarily on creating high-quality acoustic stringed instruments, with options available to all ability levels, styles, and budgets. The banjos must be available for sale in the United States. Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Zakir Hussain: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert (2010). Will's List of Banjo Makers, Builders & Manufacturers. James Hartel has been making and playing banjos on and off since 1973 when he made a banjo for his 2 year old daughter. Roger McGuinn, whose electric 12-string guitar sound defined the Byrds earlier music, played banjo on some songs, as did virtuoso John Hartford. A plain round stick serves as a neck. The images may have been edited by me for Players tune the instrument by sliding the rings up or down to tighten or loosen the strings. The 1890s brought the dawn of recorded sound with Thomas Edisons phonograph and Emile Berliners gramophone. In the book, historian Pete Ross concludes, All three banjos differ enough from African instruments while sharing some details specific to later banjos played and made by European Americans to place them at a point in the banjos history where it was no longer simply a relocated African instrument, but on its way to attaining the structure of the well-known antebellum nineteenth-century banjo.. www.epiphone.com 1739 South Sheridan Rd. Chris Bozung In 1958, Mike Seeger (Petes half-brother), Tom Paley, and John Cohen formed the New Lost City Ramblers, a young group that remained faithful to, The folk music revival took a turn towards folk-rock in the mid-1960s, as Bob Dylan plugged in, and the Byrds played folk songs with electric guitars. SC.nb("capek", "capek.us", "", "", ""); Unusual among small luthiers for building both banjos and guitars. +1 (800) 444-2766 University of Tennessee Press, 1995. These items have been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only. In 2005, the Carolina Chocolate Drops brought together four African American musicians playing traditional string band music on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and various other instruments. First, the banjo was priced out of the market as the Great Depression swept through the country. +1 (262) 492-9883 If you know of any builders not on this list, please let me know. Enslaved West Africans in the Caribbean created a new instrument by incorporating elements of European instruments into the familiar design of their plucked spike lutes. Year 1974 Serial Nos. The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. Burlington, WI USA 53105 With case. Between the 1930s and 1960s, American roots music enjoyed successive waves of interest. The 1890s brought the dawn of recorded sound with Thomas Edisons phonograph and Emile Berliners gramophone. 791 Burton Ridge Road Horsefly, BC CAN V0L 1L0 Black musicians played the banjo to accompany singing and dancing, sometimes with percussion or hand clapping. American Princess banjo by Samuel S. Stewart. Plus an 8 string banjo mandolin, early 20th century, Mandolin, 1920's Italian banjo mandolin by 'Il Globo' (faults), Banjo, 1920's banjo by S.rose & Co., comes with original case. SC.nb("patrick", "pisgahbanjos.com", "", "", ""); Jaroslav Prucha These banjos can have 10.5, 11 or 12 inch pots; with any rim/ tone ring combination available including Electric Prototype, Bacon reproduction, Whyte Laydie, Tubaphone, Dobson; and a standard 25.5 inch scale length, or a shorter 23.5 inch. +1 (918) 551-6419 www.tranjo.com The lead finger, usually the index or middle, strikes a string or strings with a downward motion, and the thumb sometimes plucks a string as the hand returns to starting position. Russell Springs, KY USA 42642 Banjo Mandolin early 20th century in original case. The banjo featured prominently in records manufactured and sold in the first decades of the industry. The rest were widely scattered, with small clumps around New York City and New Orleans. Pete Ross Banjos: open-back 5-string banjos based on the designs of late 19th century banjos made by Dobson, Buckbee, Fairbanks, and Cole, with modernizations for the contemporary player. serial number impressed to verso, 60 cm long, Australian zither banjo, by boomerang, early 20th century, impressed factory mark to headstock, mother-of-pearl inlay to finger board, 93 cm long, English zither banjo, by Windsor, model no. Know anything? Temlett Maker/ London', 89 cm long, English zither banjo, by Windsor, no. Emmylou Harris, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Neil Young, the Eagles, Pure Prairie League, Linda Ronstadt, and Gillian Welch have created music within these spaces, often featuring banjo in their recordings. Today, the banjo can be heard in virtually every genre of music. First introduced to the United States by African Americans in southern slave communities, the early banjo was construed with a gourd head and four gut or vine strings. +1 (270) 646-5219 J.D. Early European banjo-makers added a fifth string and a fretboard, and began to experiment with different tunings and string arrangements. This period in America played a pivotal role in the history of the Dixieland banjo by fostering technological advances to the instrument, which would allow it to be adopted by many musical genres and eventually jazz. 2023 John Furphy Pty. The genre is part of the Americana or American roots music category, which includes elements of traditional folk, country. I am obsessed with banjo as a tool of reclamation for African American artists., Our Native Daughters with Allison Russell on banjo: "Quasheba, Quasheba" (2020). In 1899, reorganized as the American Automusic Co. Poco, New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and others carried country-rock into the 1970s and beyond. The instrument shares design elements and playing techniques with a family of approximately eighty known West African plucked spike lutes. +1 (931) 580-5742 Buffalo Grove, IL USA 60089