When the banjo started to be popular with the dance band boom of the early 1920s, Rose Brothers manufactured and sold, to music shops, their "Savana" range of inexpensive banjos. (The name was coined from the Savoy Hotel and its broadcasting "Havana" band.) Go to Stanley Rose Savana next maker

Established in 1873 by A Stathopoulo, “The House of Stathopoulo” were in the beginning manufacturers of most fretted instruments except banjos. The first banjos were made in 1876. In the early 1920’s, as the Epiphone Banjo Corporation it launched its “Epiphone Recording Banjo” in both tenor and plectrum models. 5 string banjos were only supplied to special order. The sales of these instruments which included new principles of hoop and neck construction was so phenomenal that in 1925 the firm bought the factory of the Favoran Co. at 35 Wilbur Avenue, long Island, NY, and moved all its production there closing its factory in NY City. In 1928 it became Epiphone Banjo Corporation. By 1935 the company, now named Epiphone Inc. , had eleven models of their “Recording Banjos” , the instruments ranged in price from $150 - $500, in addition to two models of electric tenor-banjo which could be supplied as plectrum-banjos to special order. Product ion stopped abruptly when America entered WW2 and did not start again until the 1950’s when the banjo started to be used again in entertainment circles and the address of the company at this time was 142 W. 14th St. NY City. On 5th April 1957 the Harmony Company of Chicago purchased the company and continued to market four models of the banjos. Epaminondes A Stathopoulo (who always signed himself “Epi”), president of the company died on 6th June 1943. Pictures courtesy of Stuart Morrison Epiphone next maker

Towards the end of the 1920’s three engineer brothers named Barnes in the Woolwich area decided to make banjos. They slavishly copied the Essex "Paragon" model and named their product "Paratone." At a superficial glance it was difficult to tell the two makes apart, it is not known when they ceased making banjos. Barnes Brothers Do you have a banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker

... the eldest of 8 children born in Lancashire (Ulverston?) he always advertised himself as "the pioneer maker of mandolins and guitars in Great Britain" and from about 1886 appears to have also made zither- banjos in his factory at 4a Kentish Town Road, London. A feature of these instruments was the balalaika-type of machine head faced with a highly engraved nickel silver plate; all the buttons being on the one side. About the year 1890 he produced a banjo with a hoop of aluminum and claimed to be the first to use this metal for a banjo hoop. In 1893, in conjunction with J. E. Nott-Barnes, he was running the St.Cecilia B.M. & G. Club in which he later claimed to have played the first piccolo banjo, an instrument he had himself made. (In 1896 he was the official conductor of the club at its concerts.) In May 1903 , Messrs James Sinton Ltd. of 151/153 Wardorf Street, London, were advertising "J. G. Winder mandolins etc. are made in our London workshops" yet in the picture of his "factory" is a notice"Albert Hopkins sole agent for J G Winder's English Made Mandolines and Banjos" In February 1910 he wrote from 532 Caledonian Road, London, N. "as a musical instrument maker" to the President of the Board of Trade (on the occasion of the opening of "Labour Exchanges") suggesting a scheme for teaching the making of musical instruments. He said he would like to see established a "School of Musical Instrument Making" with reading room. library and museum "to teach in a first-class and up-to-date manner." John Geldert Winder 1859 to 1931 next maker

next maker Abbott trained as a cabinet maker and was a maker of banjos from about 1895 and sold under his own name and made for other firms and teachers (e.g. Barnes & Mullins , John Alvey Turner , Norton Greenop , Charles Skinner, Len Shevill , G. Scarth) . When Barnes &, Mullins came to London in 1901,and soon after, started their own workshops at Harrow, Middlesex, John G. Abbott supervised the making of the Barnes & Mullins banjos and zither-banjos. In 1905 he left Barnes & Mullins to form his own company with the title of J. G (George). Abbott & Co. and a factory at 97/99 Hampstead Road, London, N.W.l. The instruments they made were grouped under the general names of "Mirabile" (banjos), "Monarch" (plectrum-banjo and tenor-banjos) and Amboyna" (Zither-banjos). About 1928 his workshops were transferred to 44 Chalton Street,Euston Road (where his son-learned the art of instrument making) and four years later he became, part of the Besson Co., when his works were transferred to Besson’s premises at Stanhope Place, Marble Arch, London, when the making of banjos virtually ceased, his activities being devoted to making plectrum guitars (sold under the brand of "Aristone"). In 1936 he suffered from serious internal trouble from which he never fully recovered. He died on February 11, 1938 after a brief illness. John (“Jack") Abbott, son of the above learned the craft of instrument making in his father's workshops. When his father joined Besson & Co. in 1932, he established his own one room work-shops at various addresses in London for the making of, mostly, guitars. He did make a few banjos and even steel guitars with a pickup, which were branded "Abbott-Victor”. He gave up business in 1957. John G Abbott 1878 to 1938

...of 193 Great Brinswick Street, Dublin was a successful teacher of the banjo and a promoter of local concerts from about 1890 to the turn of the century. He sold banjos bearing his name as maker but it is thought they were made for him by Barnes & Mullins. C F Allen Do you have a banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? 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. Henry C Dobson opened a studio in New Your City in 1853 “to combat the prejudice that the banjo was an instrument meant only for Negros” and he numbered the cream of American society amongst his pupils. The first banjo he designed along modern lines was made for him by Buckbee who subsequently made all the Dobson banjos (see below) Dobson was the inventor of the so called “silver bell” banjo (c1858) with the all metal hoop which became popular on both sides of the Atlantic and was the inspiration for many other makes of banjos. Henry Dobson’s banjos were sold with 9”, 10” 11” and 12” hoops and he claimed to be the first to fit raised fret as per the guitar in 1870 although it is know that these occurred well be for this time. Dobson’s “Bell” banjo was a great success and many thousands were sold in America and Great Britain and for the English market he even made 6 and 7 string versions. Clarence Partee mentioned that in one Chicago music store’s window he saw “at least a hundred” Dobson banjos on display. In 1901 Henry went bankrupt, declaring that the day of the banjo was over but “The Crescendo” said at the time that his failure was due to his lack of progress and enterprise and not any decline of the banjo as an instrument. He died on May 29th 1908. David McLaughlin wrote (2013) " Buckbee did not subsequently make all the Dobson banjos of his later modern line, the Great Patent Silver Bell. Actually, though it is true that a vast majority of the Silver Bells are assembled from some if not all Buckbee parts, the final assembly (and sometimes finishing) was done at Henry Clay's studio shops, first at 1237 Broadway and then at 1368 Broadway from 1883 through the 1890s. Some HCD banjos are nearly entirely Buckbee parts, some have a mixture of Buckbee parts with those of other suppliers, and some, if few, have no Buckbee parts at all. And of course, in 1897 Rettburg & Lange bought out Buckbee and upped the quality of those parts that HC was buying. Even though Buckbee made banjos, they were mostly a banjo and drum parts supplier, similar to Stew-Mac and other parts suppliers of today. So, sadly, the consequence is that it is almost universally believed and accepted that each and every banjo made with Buckbee parts was entirely assembled and finished at the Buckbee factory and delivered as a completed banjo. Another problem with people's understanding of Henry Clay's Silver Bell is that it is always assumed they are all "from the early 1880s" because of the patent dates stamped into them. Many of these Silver Bell banjos are from the late 1880s and all through the 1890s, and can be dated by their parts, assembly features, varnish used, etc., but not as easily by any numbers stamped into them." NOTE: At Sale of Musical Instruments in July 1911 through well-known London Auction House Puttick & Simpson of London lot 167 was: A nickel hoop banjo by Dobson, in case, with plectrum. In scribed” Presented to Birdie Brightling, Opera Comique, London 28th November 1881, from HRH Prince of Wales. Birdie Brightling was the stage name used by American female banjoist Mrs Alice Lyman who was a success at a Clifford Essex , Kensington Town Hall Concert in 1910. Brewster was her teacher. pictures courtesy of The Guitar Factory Henry C Dobson 1831 to 1908 next maker

The Merlin Manufacturing Corporation of 3545-7, North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois was formed in 1962/3 by Leonard McCabe, an accountant, and Jay Smith, a mechanical engineer. William “Bill” Malloy who was an amateur banjoist was engaged as an advisor and sales manager. The efforts of the company were devoted to the 5-string banjo, prompted by Mr Smith’s desire to play one after finding it difficult to buy such an instrument. Since he was a mechanical engineer he decided on an unusual approach and to quote from the company’s literature the Merlin banjo was to be “a blend of modern and traditional design”. In fact the instruments were made of aluminium and fibreglass except the wooden fingerboard and the spun brass resonator. The neck of the banjos was of highly polished aluminium and the hoop made of fibreglass; neck and hoop being locked together by means of six screws which were said to allow an adjustment of the neck (see pictutres) It could be “moved up or down and even rotated to bring the out strings closer to the finger board” it was claimed. CC Richelieu, who had been building and playing banjos for forty years was a consultant to the company in a minor capacity. – on a “what’s wrong” basis, as he put it. He wrote “the Merlin banjo as it evolved from a series of rather foolish trial and error experiments, finally turned out to be a rather good banjo”, It did however lack a the feel of good wood and conventional banjoist frowned upon it – but its tone and the action was quite good. In 1965 the company stopped production after selling less than 100Merlin banjos. In 1967 it went into liquidation. Pictures courtesy of Barbara Harris-Pruitt Merlin next maker

It would appear that Albert Houdlett & Son makers of drums and banjos were in existence in the early 1860’s for Friederich Gretsch was working in their factory until he was 27 when he left to form his own business. In a list of banjo makers included in the June 1928 issue of “The Cresendo”a firm or Houdlett of 40 Melrose Street,Brooklyn, New York were listed as makers of “Lynbrook” (brookLyn), “Nu-art” and “Nu-way” banjos and a "Royal Parlour" 5 string, they went out of business in 1930. The “Music Trades” magazine of February 1958 referred to the company as “long defunct”. "Lynbrook" pictures courtesy of Jim Kvalheim Albert Houdlett & Son 1865-1930 next maker

in 1883 he made this banjo in Albany NY, and wrote his name on it .. thats all we know. restoration and pictures by Andy Fitzgibbon Jacob F Noelsch next maker

Vega In 1889 in Boston, Mass. Julian Nelson and his brother Carl, with two skilled musical instrument makers named John Pahn and John Sweson, formed a small company for the making of guitars. Calling themselves The Vega Company, Julian and the two Johns started to produce some high quality guitars in their one roomed “factory”. Carl took no active part in production ; he was merely the financial adviser (book keeper) in the beginning. Business prospered and kept the three craftsmen busy but for some years Vega guitars were only known in and around Boston. Julian Nelson was an expert on woods and was always responsible for the selection and purchase of the quality timbers that went into the making of Vega instruments. (He died on 14th July 1920 at the age of 51 but his insistence on only the best woods for Vega instruments, was a legacy he left behind him). After a few years Julian and Carl Nelson purchased the controlling interest of the other two partners and Carl entered the firm as full-time financial adviser and a move was made to larger premises on one of the waterfront streets in Boston. To cope with the fast increasing demand for Vega Instruments a number of workmen were added to the pay roll and several wood working machines installed. In addition to guitars the Vega Company now started to make mandolins, which were fast becoming popular in the USA. With Mandolin Clubs (orchestras) being formed everywhere in America the name of Vega started to become known from the East Coast to California. The demand for Vega guitars and mandolins continued to grow apace and soon the company had outgrown its small factory. Having in mind the future development of the company, in 1908 the two brothers Nelson bought the Standard Band Instrument Company (?) from Thompson & Odell (the music publishers and importers) who, incidentally, had originally acquired the firm and its factory about 1880 from Quimby Brothers and DC Hall (its founders) who were the first instrument makers of any note in Boston. This was the first expansion which made it possible for the Vega Company to sell goods other than those they actually made. (It is interesting to note that this remains the status quo to this very day {1967}) The Vega plant was moved into the spacious Standard Co factory at 62 Sudbury Street where, with the additional machines and up-to-date facilities they remained until June 1917 when they moved to even larger premises at 155 Columbus Avenue. In 1904 the premises of AC Fairbanks & co in Washington Street was destroyed by fire. These makers of high class banjos were held in high esteem by banjoists. The firm at this time was owned by Messrs Dodge & Cummings but the affairs of the company had been in the capable hands of David L Day, a name regarded with respect throughout the whole banjo world. The Vega Co. was offered the trading name and salvaged plant of Fairbanks and with their purchase Vega added the making of banjos to their growing activities. David L Day was taken into the Vega company assuming managerial duties in the firms new banjo department. From the Fairbanks company Vega also acquired some of the skilled banjo makers and, perhaps more importantly, the services of Herbert J Fandel , who started with the Fairbanks company in 1889 and was to play an important part in the design and promotion of Vega banjos. When the Vega company became a fully-fledged corporation under the incorporating laws of the state of Massachusetts, David Day was elect Secretary of the company. With the acquisition of the Fairbanks Company Vega not only started to make banjos with their own name but also continued to market the Fairbanks products. For a time they used both names as trading companies: the Fairbanks Company being at 63 Sudbury Street and the Vega Company at 62. All models in the Fairbanks range were also available as Vega instruments. In addition to supervising the banjo making part of the factory David Day was “on the road” selling these high class instruments. In 1908 the Fairbanks “Whyte Laydie” was redesigned by David Day and a year later Vega produced the famous “Tu-ba-phone” banjos, both of which were revolutionary in design. Under the management of Carl Nelson (Treasurer) Julian Nelson (President and Factory Superintendent) and David Day (Secretary and Sales Manager) the new Vega company grew in size and prestige. When he dance band boom started Vega instruments were eagerly sought by players everywhere and the company was hard put to it to keep up with the unprecedented demand. Here it might be mentioned that in 1918 the company made the special extra-large hoop banjos with low G fifth string used by Brent Hayes in all his world tours. In 1920 the factory was turning out eight models which ranged from the cheapest to the dearest: “Senator”, “Regent”, “Imperial Electric”, Whyte Laydie No. 2”, “Whyte Laydie No. 7”, “Tu-ba-phone No. 3”, “Tu-ba-phone No. 9” and the “Tu-ba-Phone Delux”, the latter three having 11” hoops and the others 10 ¾”. In 1922, after an active business association with the form for eighteen years David Day resigned his position with the Vega company to become Vice-President and general Manager of the Bacon Banjo Company. “Bert” Fandel replaced Day as Sales Manager and his high standards of instrument perfection did much to further the booming sales of Vega tenor-banjos and plectrum-banjos at that time. It was under his aegis (with Julian Nelson having passed away 3 years earlier) that in 1923 Vega re-designed most of their banjos and, in 1927, in addition, produced its “Vegaphone” model and, in 1927, its revolutionary “Vegavox”. A modern version of an old ideas in banjo construction which found favour with many solo and orchestra players. The discontinued banjo production when the USA entered WWII but recommenced production in the late 1960’s and continue to make a full range of banjos, including long necked “folk” banjos and models in the style of the pre-war “Vegavox” Instruments. The Vega Co., Inc. is now ( 1967 ) located at 40 Leon Street Boston, Mass. USA. Pictures courtesy of S teve Prior next maker