WS15-12

Fairbanks                                             Un-designated Electric                            5 String

 

S/N: 251           1890                                       11 7/8 x 27"                             5 lb.

 

Originality: Fingerboard had separated from the neck and all board inlays were lost. ( Peghead inlays are original).

 

Condition: Excellent.

 

Background: After the 1890 invention of the Electric tone ring, Fairbanks began producing banjos with that feature and stamped “Electric” 1 or 2 places on the dowel stick. Only later did they become standardized enough to also be designated with names and /or model numbers. As might be predicted these very early Electrics show considerable variation adding greatly to their charm and desirability. In the prior decade, Fairbanks & Cole catalogs showed no models that routinely came with oak necks and only two that offered oak as an option. A moderate number of Fairbanks’ early Electrics had necks of oak, a practice that appears to have quickly stopped. These included both un-designated and numbered models and came with both plain and carved heels. The oak is heavily and darkly grained making these instruments more “handsome than beautiful” .

  

Features of this instrument:

1) Fascinating and very atypical heel carving. While the general outline vaguely resembles work done by both Cole and Fairbanks, the execution is radically different. Less like Art Nouveau than Art Deco ( way before its time), it is a very linear carving which strikes me as “being right at home” on this oak neck. I have not seen other banjos with similar work and have wondered if it was either done by a skilled but inexperienced craftsman or tried as a style that was rarely or never used again. Perhaps the boat hull shape was a contributing factor.

2) Beautifully-grained oak neck with a wide red veneer under the board. ( Much thinner red veneers were used under fingerboards and all 3 caps on Fairbanks’ top grade Electrics and  Whyte-Laydie No. 7 models until the 1904 fire).

3) Lovely hand carved ivory tuners.

4) Typical for this early period, inlays are mainly saw-cut designs with little engraving.

5) S/N places this banjo fairly soon after they were recycled.

6) ( One of those stories that collectors cherish even when they cannot be proved) The dealer from whom I bought this stated that he had been trying to acquire this for 5 years from the granddaughter of the original owner.

 

Click to enlarge: