.. was an enthusiastic banjo player in Boston, Mass. who was making the occasional banjo for his friends from about 1875. In 1880 he and William E Cole formed a partnership, and trading under the name of Fairbanks & Cole established a workshop in Beach Street, Boston “to manufacture banjos, mandolins and guitars”. With Frank Cole (younger brother of William) in charge of production the firm flourished. On December 30th 1890 they patented a banjo with a tone ring which they called their “Special Electric Model”. In 1903 this model was redesigned to begin its worldwide fame as the “ Whyte Laydie” banjo. In 1892 AC Fairbanks, having lost interest in banjo making, gave up control of the firm to exploit his invention of the wooden rim for bicycles, forming the AC Fairbanks Wood Rim Co. The Cole brothers also left to form their own banjo making company. The financial control of Fairbanks & Cole was acquired my Messrs Dodge & Cummings who changed the title to AC Fairbanks & Co Inc. and put David L Day (subsequently to be associated with the Bacon Banjo Co .) in charge of product ion at the firms new premises at 786 Washington Street. In 1895 the firm patented a tubular tone ting for the banjo which they called the “tu-ba-phone” and on1st September 1909 this was incorporated in an instrument they called the “tu-ba-phone banjo” although by this time they were under the control of the Vega Company. Early in the 1900 the Fairbanks Company had made a second grade banjo called the “Star” which had a five pointed star on the peg head. In 1904 the Washington Street premises were burned to the ground and the trading name and salvaged plant were taken over by the Vega Company and incorporated in their Sudbury Street Factory. For a time both the Fairbanks and Vega company names were used in advertising , at the same, Sudbury address. Prior to 1904 The Vega Company had not made banjos. Acquiring the Fairbanks plant, they continued the production of “Fairbanks “instruments and in addition launched the Vega banjo – both ranges of instruments being made in the same workshops and in fact being identical except for the name. For eighteen years both “Fairbanks” and “Vega” banjos were made in the Sudbury Street works nad David L Day was then the salesman for the two-in-one firm. He travelled the whole of the USA selling their products. He left the company on 18th September 1922 to become the Vice President of the Bacon Banjo Company Inc. of Groton, Conn, At this time the Fairbanks name was finally dropped by Vega. Note: The double spun pot on this 1895 5 string gut strung. Pictures of Electric courtesy of Steve Prior. Hank Schwartz site on the history of Fairbanks A C Fairbanks & Co 1890- 1895 next maker

.. of Albany, New York fashioned banjos in many odd designs from about 1870. It is said that he was always experimenting to find the perfect banjo and most of his necks were made without a perch-pole being bolted directly to the hoop. He succeeded to the business of Albert Wilson who continued to produce the banjo with the wooden hoop veneered with German silver which had been marketed by Wilson. Farnham does not appear to have produced any banjos after 1890. William H Farnham Do you have a banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker

.. the famous minstrel banjoist, designed the instruments he advertised as the “Hall Banjo “ and although he always stressed the fact that these banjos were “his own make” , they were made for him first by James W Clarke (who was responsible for building Hall’s famous banjos known as “Ironside” and “Thunderer”) and then on the death of Clarke in 1880, probably by Buckbee . In 1881 he toured England with a minstrel show. In 1893 EM Hall “the tall banjoist” as he was known, started teaching in a studio in Chicago, from which he advertised the “New EM Hall Banjo” made for him by JB Schall who had a flourishing banjos business and factory in Chicago at that time. Within a year Hall had given up teaching and was touring with a minstrel show. Hall lost his life along with 600 other people when the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago burned down on 30th December 1903. Emory M Hall 1845 to 1903 Do you have a pre 1940's banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker

was born in Leamington in Warwickshire where at 23 years old he was a bricklayers mate and married. Within 10 years he had moved to London living in Marylebone with 7 children the oldest being ten and the youngest were two month old twins . He was shown on the 1891 census as a banjo maker but within two years his wife appears to have died and with 7 children he married again, moving to Maidenhead, Berkshire working from home in the market area, as a green grocer. By 1911 he had fathered a further nine children and was a professional travelling musician and still living in Maidenhead .. he died in 1919. Banjo images courtesy of Grayson Calvert , which started out as a fretless banjo Thomas Lyons 1858 to 1919 next maker

... established his business in New York in 1871 producing a wide range of instruments. The son of Sylvanus Billings Pond an established piano maker he took over part of the business of Firth, Pond & Co. to form William A Pond & Co. when his father retired. He was known for his range of high quality instruments ranging from pianos to guitars and band instruments and also as a music publisher While he died in 1885 the company continued trading until 1917 under the control of his sons. William A Pond 1824-1885 Do you have a pre 1940's banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker

During the dance-band boom of the early 1920s Hawkes & Co. of London marketed banjos bearing their name, these instruments were made for them by J.G. Abbott & Co. In 1930 the firm was incorporated with Boosey & Co. to become Boosey & Hawkes Ltd. Hawkes & Co. Do you have a pre 1940's banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker

In 1897 Messrs Rettburg and Lange took over the factory and banjo making plant of JH Buckbee and established a factory at 383 Second Avenue, New York City. By 1903 they had moved to 115-121 East 13th Street and from this address in 1908 they announced the production of their “Orpheum” range of banjos. Three years later they were able to announce that increasing business had made then seek even larger premises at 225-227 East 24th Street. In January 1915 they advertised their “Brass Band Orpheum” – an new banjo with 29 frets (to high G) . The neck on this instrument was joined to the hoop at the 20th fret with a fret board extension over the velum carrying the extra 9 frets. July 1918 saw the debut of the “Orpheum Plectrum banjo” and a new 5 string with a long fifth string tuned to an octave below the third string (this banjo was similar to the Vega banjo Brent Hayes had played for some years). It was in August 1920 that the company was granted a US patent for its new “Paramount” banjo and this new instrument (designed by William L Lange) made its first appearance in 1921. In 1922 William took over sole control of the company and changed the title to Wm L Lange. In September of that year he announced (as “successor to Rettberg & Lange) six styles of the “Paramount” banjos. “Paramount” banjos became world famous and were much sought after by all the leading dance-band players. The five spacious floors at East 24th Street accommodated over 250 workers making banjos and included its own plating shop. It was during this period that Wm D Bowen tested all banjos leaving the factory. In November 1922 Lange made what was said to be the World’s largest banjo. It was for the Paul Whiteman orchestra and is said to have cost $500. The instrument weighed 35 pounds and was five feet long. The hoop was 24” in diameter and the neck 3 feet long and was playable! In the early part of 1925 the Lange factory bought out a cheaper model instrument with the name of “Langstile” and this incorporated a resonator made of metal and mahogany. Such was the demand for this cheaper instrument that it was produced at a second factory located in Brooklyn where instruments (notably the “Challenger” and the “Artcraft” range) were also made for other manufacturers and retailers to sell. All manufacturing ceased in 1939. The Challenger Melody King and the Challenger Victory were both manufacctured by William Lange the builder of Paramounts, Orpheums, Langstiles, Langecraft, Broadcraft and many more for various stores. The Melody King model was a bottom end professional level model which sold for $135 in the late 20's, $5 more than a Paramount A. Langstile Tenor models, sometimes with a Supertone name were made for Sears by Lange. Images courtesy of Vincent Hadus W M Lange next maker

... of New York City was a banjo-making associate of Charles Morrell around about the 1860’s. Together they went to California during the boom times after the gold rush of 1849. Jan 2014: The attached pictures are from a banjo which is currently under investigation further information to come. Pictures courtesy of Bill Emery Thomas W Bree next maker

From about 1850 the Dobson brothers in America had as much to do with the keeping up of interest in the banjo as anyone. .. except perhaps SS Stewart. As performers, teachers and instrument makers their names became household words wherever the instrument was played even touring the UK in the 1860s. Charles Edgar Dobson was the inventor of the “closed back” banjo based on a design by Henry, which was awarded first prize at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876. The instrument can justifiably be claimed as the forerunner of the closed back zither banjo invented by Temlett and perfected by Cammeyer . It should be noted that Temlett’s close back banjo patent application was never granted. Charles E Dobson 1839 to 1910 next maker

... of 344 Broome Street, New York, N.Y. advertised thenselves as “Manufacturer of High Grade Musical Instruments.” including “Puntolillo’s Famous Banjos”. The were granted a patent on designs for a Tone Chamber in the early 1920's ( June 2nd 1920 ). See Majestic Guitars for more information on this maker Pictures courtesy of Anthony Marchitelli Gaetano Fransisco Puntolillo 1880 .. next maker

... a well-known teacher of the banjo, mandolin and guitar was born in Hove and settled in Brighton, Sussex in 1883. For many years he conducted a successful teaching studio there and led an amateur B. M. & G. orchestra in the seaside town. At the turn of the century he established a teaching studio at John Alvey Turner' s in London which he attended twice a week and for some time he also conducted a London amateur B. M. & G. Orchestra. He was a self-taught player of the banjo, having started to play on seven string instrument. He became well-known as a banjo soloist after he changed to the five-string instrument and until 1893 used a Weaver banjo. He started to play and sell his "own make" banjos but the instruments bearing his name as maker, were made for him by John E.Dallas . Images courtesty of Chris Irving William H Plumbridge 1864 to 1925 next maker

"Taylor of Liverpool" Born in Retford, Nottinghamshire, to a father who was a sadle and harness maker he initially became a Gun Smith and in 1881 aged 23 he was living in Leeds Yorkshire. The 1891 census shows Walter Taylor at 142 Kirkdale Road, Liverpool, banjo maker and twenty years later with his wife and son as 'assistants in business' Examples of his innovative metal working as well as wood working skills, clearly learned in the Gun Smith trade are evident in his unique instruments. Research courtesy of John Bolton Images of the interesting fretless Taylor banjo courtesy of Richard Evans Imagest of another courtesy of Vic Wilcox both with all metal pots next maker Walter Taylor 1858 -