The Fred Gretsch Mfg. Co. was formed by Friederich Gretch (who Anglicised his name after settling in America) at the age of 27 when he left his job of working for the drum and banjo makers Albert Houdlett & Son of Brooklyn, NY. With a few workmen he opened small shop at 128 Middleton Street Brooklyn and manufactured drums, banjos and tambourines. Fred senior died in 1885 when his firm had but a dozen employees and was housed in a wooden building in S. 4th Street, Brooklyn. Within five years his son Fred (eldest of seven children) had impressively altered the firms operations to include the making of mandolins, and in addition, the importation of most musical instruments and their various accessories. The also had acquired impressive factory premises at 104 Middle Street, which were vacated in 1916 for the mammoth 10 story office and factory building the firm had specially built for them at 60 Broadway, Brooklyn, which is still the home of the Fred Gretsch Mfg. Co. They had been making and advertising banjos from about 1870 and in 1902 introduced “Daynor” banjos each of which had a hole in the vellum. After WWI they made a range of banjos with the trade name “Rex” and these were being advertised well in to the 1920’s. By 1928 their range of banjos had been extended for the company was advertising their “Gretsch”, “Claraphone” and “Orchestrella” models in addition to the popular “Rex” range. In addition to this they were making banjos for many other brand names, notably Wurlitzer and Bruno . In March 1940 the company acquired the Bacon Banjo Co . of Groton. Conn. and the post war range of “B&D” banjos was made by them. During the the 50s and 60s they made the Belmont model in regular and long neck versions . Images courtesy of Teddy Lee Wolf 1926 Orchestrella images courtesy of Vinnie Mondello 1929 Orchestrella images courtesy of Bob Ervin Fred Gretsch to 1885 next maker

In 1856 Oliver Ditson employed Haynes to lead the formers move into musical instrument manufacture by setting up the the John C Haynes Company to make a range of fretted instruments. Ditson died in 1888, Haynes took over the business and by 1892 he was advertising "The Lewis Banjo" as "endorsed by the best players". By1895 guitars and mandolins made by Haynes new venture "The Bay State Company" were being sold by the F J Martin Company of Kansas City, and by 1897, it was stated in an American magasine, the products of this company had received "27 awards at the principle Expositions" and that in June of that year the company had "taken on several new hands" to comply with the demands for their well-known instruments. The name of "Bay State" was used by John C Haynes & Co of 453-464 Washington Street and 33 Count Street, Boston, Mass. and the first advertisements for Bay State banjos appears in 1903; the instruments being sold by firms in Boston, New York & Philadelphia. John C Haynes next maker

C E Leslie (Charles Eddy) (1845 - 1893) established The CE Leslie Music Company of 225 Dearbourn Street, Chicago with his wife. They started the Chicago Music Company who were “ publishers and dealers in Musical Merchandise” based at 150 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois as a retail outlet for their publishing company. He was noted as the manager of the book department in 1887 and they subsequently they moved to Nos. 195-197 and by 1893 had moved again to No. 260 Wabash Ave.. It is assumed that he was the owner but his wife also worked in the business from its early days, had her own copyrights and published music books and scores which specialised in singing instruction. The busines appears to have continued for a year after his death Images courtesy of Dennis Rowntree Chicago Music Company 1880 - 1894 next maker

... was born in Accrington, Lancashire and became a music teacher and retailer of banjos. At 18 years of age Will Birch became Emile Grinshaw's (who was aged12 years at the time) banjo teacher. Little else is known about this maker/retailer except the details on a high end zither banjo, Will Birch, Accrington, Importer . However this very same banjo was also available branded "Barnes & Mullins No 1 Perfect " , probably made by either Windsor or Dallas . John "Will" Birch 1874 to... next maker

Albert Wilson Do you have a pre 1940's banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker a banjo maker of Troy, New York, was called by S S Stewart “an eccentric genius” who was “much liked by players of his day”. About the year 1850 he constructed a banjo which had a solid iron hoop and thirty iron brackets fitted with elaborate thumb screws for tightening the vellum. It proved too heavy for practical use apart from it being crudely made. The neck was merely bolted to the hoop and the instrument could not be relied upon to keep in tune. About twenty years later he made a much lighter banjo which known as the “Sliver Rim” banjo and established a pattern for the majority of banjo makers. This instrument had a wooden hoop veneered with thin German silver (white brass) which was rolled over the top and bottom edges of the hoop. Wilson became adept at the use of German silver, making ingenious articles using it, which he sold. Although his eccentricity caused him to fashion banjos in many odd designs by way of experiment, he finally adhered to the legitimate instrument and was deemed to be the best banjo maker of his time. Many of his instruments for professionals were profusely inlaid with mother of pearl, silver and fancy woods. His successor, William H Farnham , continued to make the Wilson banjo up until the 1890s without any appreciable modifications.

Van Eps next maker ... see under Eps .

Roger J Ward .. 1819 to 1872 next maker Around 1840 Roger John Ward arrived in Liverpool from Dublin as a Musical Instrument Maker. Within 10 years he was married with 4 children living at 64 Albert Street, Everton. He opened a musical instrument shop in Liverpool in which he sold brass band instruments fashioned by hand. In 1870 his son Richard Joseph Ward ( b 1854 ) had aqquired the business and, with his sons, had established a flourishing shop and factory at 10 and 12 St Anne Street Liverpool. By 1905 the firm, although still advertising itself as 'Military Band Instrument Manufacturers' had added banjos and mandolins to the instruments they made and sold. Their smooth-arm banjos had ornately engraved nickel silver encased hoops, with the neck and perchpoles made of solid ebony, (rosewood) highly polished. The fingerboards were made of richly engraved nickel sliver. Some of the banjos were made with hoops as large as 16” and all were fitted with pegs of the push in type made of ivory. It is possible the banjos made by R.J.Ward and sons of Liverpool were made individually by a lone workman for your author has seen an instrument marked made for B.Chamberlain by R.J. Ward & sons Liverpool' . The example shown in the pictures is being restored but clearly the company, at some time, also opperated out of 67 Dale Street, Liverpool (as did George Jordan) Edward J Ward also ran a music business out of St Anne Street and he died in 1920. The firm closed down about 1931 but is believed they ceased making banjos some years before this date. hand note -surely 'made by B Chamberlain for R.J.Ward?

James H Waldo next maker James H Waldo and John F Barrows were operating musical manufacturing companies out of Saginaw Michigan in the last decade of the 19th C. Instruments included banjos and a full range of mandolins and the company also took patents out on their design of tailpiece. It is not clear if there was a business relationship between them but Waldo had banjos made for him by Schall , also under the model TW Reamer. Images courtesy of the estate of Richard Evans

.. was making banjos in New York City prior around the 1850's and he went to California with his banjo making friend Thomas W Bree during the boom times following the gold rush of1849. It is not known when he returned to New York but it is reported that he presented a banjo of his making as first prize at the Banjo Tournament held at the Chinese Assembly Rooms on Broadway in 1857. (However other research suggests that this banjo was supplied by Jimmie Clarke ). Charles Morrell Do you have a pre 1940's banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker

George Jordan ( b 1807-c1854), a musical instrument maker came to Liverpool from Ireland where he married Alice Walmsley. Employing several relatives they manufactured musical instruments out of 42 Manchester Street, Liverpool. On the death of his father, George Jordan jnr. ( b 1832) set up business at 67 Dale Street ( see RJ Ward) making and selling instruments while his mother Alice Jordan (1810–c1872) continued out of Manchester Street with her daughter Alice running the shop and nephew William Jordan making instruments. By 1910 the premises at 42 Manchester Street had ceased trading and George Jordan jnr had moved out of Dale Street but was still in the music industry. Alice Jordan 1810 - c1872 next maker

... a teacher, player and composer for fretted instruments, established a workshop and studio at 84 High Street, Clapham, London, in 1880. His extremely well-made banjos and (after 1888 - Ed.) zither-banjos soon gained a name with professionals and amateurs alike in and around London. He employed a number of workmen and made a great number of instruments each week for a number of years. As a professional player of the banjo he used the nom de plume of Dick Spence. By 1883 he was making banjos with an insert strip of ebony through the centre of the two-piece neck .and in 1897 he was advertising the "Spencer. & Watkins' Patent Banjo," although no details of Watkins or the features of the "patent" banjo have been discovered. In addition to his prolific output of instruments bearing his own name, Spencer also made-banjos and zither banjos for others which were branded with the seller's name. He made extensively for Essex & Cammeyer in the early days of their partnership and for Clifford Essex for a number of years. When Richard Spencer died on April 2nd, 1915, Clifford Essex bought his plant and stocks of material from his son who had no interest in banjo making. It is interesting to note that Alfred Dare (who had started work in the Spencer workshops at the age of 14 took charge of the Clifford Essex workshops on the death of Spencer. Will Mitchell (who succeeded Dare as foreman of the Clifford Essex workshops) was also employed by Spencer for some years. In 1910 Spencer moved from Clapham High Street to 364 Clapham Road. Images courtesy of Skip Sail. Richard "Dick" Spencer 1863 to 1915 next maker

... was born in Clerkenwell London, of Scottish parents and trained as a jeweler. He subsequently moved to Birmingham as a Schools Inspectior where he married and then established his Reliance Works in Heaton Street, Birmingham in 1888. The range of banjos and zither-banjos he made were branded "Reliance." His well made inexpensive range of instruments quickly found favour with dealers and players alike and before long his factory was extended, his staff increased and the name changed to G. Houghton & Sons. Production was almost wholly devoted to making instruments for other firms to be branded with the vendor's name and/or trademark. By 1901 his business had expanded and, now resident in Staffordhsire, he was also making the cardboard and leather cases for his instruments, which were also branded "Reliance." Houghton's maintained a stock catalogue of instruments (usually marked with a gold-embossed lion with the initials G. H. & S. underneath) with which many retailers and most of the wholesale houses made up their own catalogues. One of the most popular selling lines of their banjos was the inexpensive instruments labelled "Melody Jo." Besides making, their own stock instruments they would also copy other firms' prototypes for them, to be branded with the latter's name as "makers". In 1962, town-planning development in Birmingham plus staff difficulties finally decided George Houghton (son of the founder) to close down and he moved to London to become associated with John E. Dallas & Sons Ltd. The plant and materials and a few of his key workers he brought from Birmingham was established in a factory at 12 Gravel Hill, Bexleyheath, Kent, and from that time until he retired in 1965 he made the inexpensive banjos sold under the Dallas label. George Houghton 1849 to 1913 next maker