+1 (972) 617-5576 which was documented in its early days by an English settler within the same rural region . Many of the With the group The Weavers, formed in 1948, Seeger took the banjo to the top of the popular music charts multiple times, though the orchestra arrangements on many of their recordings obscured it. William Seeders Mosheim www.hussanddalton.com. In some historical records, "playing banya" or "playing banjo" may have referred to the dance ritual, not the musical instrument. Early forms of the instrument were fashioned by African Americans in the United States. 301 Church Street In the 1880s and 1890s, banjo makers created different members of the banjo family such as bass banjo and piccolo banjo. +1 (800) 5-STRING The first consists of primary banjo players and the second of celebrities that also play the banjo. Lon and Camille Decap, sons of Alos Decap who founded the firm in 1902. Banjos have experienced a resurgence in . www.grundybanjos.com 3 special model, serial number 8382, New York, circa 1920s, intricate abalone shell inlay to fingerboard and headstock which also bears the Company logo. 791 Burton Ridge Road These items have been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only. 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. By the early 1940s, musicians introduced electric guitars in jazz and blues. Search Enter Search Value: 1739 South Sheridan Rd. By the end of the decade, other White solo banjo players in blackface became popular on the circus and variety show circuit. Jam, swap meet Saturday 9:30-10:30 Cece Conway - Black Banjo Videos 10:45-11:45 Paul Sedgwick - The Banjo Lesson www.goldtone.com All but four of these referenced Black musicians. Banjo Roots and Branches. While musical tradition runs strong in bluegrass, a generation of younger players started taking the music in new directions in the 1970s. Gold-Tone Banjo was originally formed in 1993. Pete began making banjos in the 1990s at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City and then apprenticed with Scott Didlake of Mississippi. Glasgow, KY USA 42141 SC.nb("banjobart", "aol.com", "", "", ""); Rob Bishline 2 - First Staghorn and first Stelling designed, built for Brian Welchel, also a student. www.stealthbanjo.com He used European drum technology to attach the head, which provided a mechanism for controlling the instruments tone. In 1995, in Appomattox, his banjo shop was complete and his business Chanterelle Banjos was born. $4,000.00 USD - Used - Excellent Condition. They recorded string bands and solo musicians, often on location in makeshift recording studios, and released the music under the labels old-time, old familiar tunes, or hillbilly. Samantha Bumgarner from Dillsboro, North Carolina, recorded ten songs for Columbia Records in April 1924. The banjo featured prominently in records manufactured and sold in the first decades of the industry. Philadelphia was a centre of activity for banjo making in the early 1880's and it may be that he was one of the wood workers that cashed in on the banjo craze. +1 (931) 580-5742 in banjo orchestras, they were tuned an octave higher than a standard banjo. Many White musicians learned to play banjo directly from African Americans. Modeled on the designs of William A. Cole's 1890s banjos, this instrument has the highly-ornate inlays of the Boston banjo makers but designed with a lower action and steel strings for contemporary five-string players. While some continued to play the instrument, there was a steep decline in the presence of the banjo in Black music. No direct sales; through dealers only. Folk rock bands, including Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers, have introduced the instrument to younger mainstream audiences. Get this mug with a donation of $45 or more! 2, Birmingham, circa 1907, model number and date impressed to the top of the headstock, verso is an engraved plaque bearing 'Robert E Dorman'. The best banjos will utilize premium materials and produce rich vibrant tones. Bryson City, SC USA Bonnie returned the banjo to Geoff in 1988 for banjo #3371. The Kingston Trios version sold more than three million copies as a single. There are more than eighty-five documented banjo sightings in North America between 1736 and 1840. Until the 1840s, banjos were homemade gourd-bodied instruments. The images used in this list have been provided by their respective builders and are the copyrighted In 1930, a Gibson L-1, the guitar reportedly favored by Robert Johnson, cost $50.00, the equivalent of $687.57 today. The collection became popular with urban college students and inspired many young musicians, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Jerry Garcia. Putting that aside, the early paragraphs are informative; banjo's African roots and early American incarnations in 19th century are . +1 (503) 568-3044 Mazow, Leo G. Picturing the Banjo. SC.nb("hatfieldbanjos", "scrtc.com", "", "", ""); Allen & Monte Hendricks Greg Galbreath Thomas Dartmouth Rice started the minstrel craze in 1828 with his song and dance Jump Jim Crow. Joel Walker Sweeney was the first minstrel performer to play the banjo. . Apologies for being away and thanks to our resident designer Ginny for putting the site back together. Greensboro, PA USA 183 Cloverdale Dr. The company has been producing banjos for over 40 years and has earned a reputation for being one of the best banjo makers in the world. Indianapolis, IN USA 46217 Blackface characters portrayed African Americans in derogatory, clownish exaggerations. Known today as Banjo clocks, these elegant wall clocks are prized by collectors. Leon Ballard SC.nb("info", "hendricksbanjos.com", "", "", ""); Hickler Banjos is a custom shop specializing in reproduction necks and rim tone research. Mastercraft banjos are handcrafted in the . +353 91 796156 The earliest historical record of the banjo in North America was from a 1736 New-York Weekly Journal article. Over the decades, banjos have evolved into a bewildering array of styles including open four-string and plectrum banjos, five-string banjos, as well as banjos with guitar, mandolin or ukulele necks. A.A. Farland, celebrated banjo virtuoso of the late 19th and early 20th century, didn't care for those new-fangled tone rings banjo makers of his era were putting on their high-grade instruments -- he thought they sounded "too tinny!" He also abhorred spun-over metal rims like those on S.S. Stewart's banjos for the same reason. University Park, PA: Penn State University Press, 2006. 3656 Hopkins Avenue A Few Notes on the Genealogy of Vintage Banjo Manufacturers. Lutes are stringed instruments with necks that are distinct from their bodies. www.cedarmtnbanjos.com Early Version with Nickel Hardware and Full-Thickness Maple Rim. Shelbyville, TN USA 37160 models. Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Zakir Hussain: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert (2010). Kisco NY, Cider Bros Roadhouse | Comfort Food In Red Hook NY, 518 Donuts | Fresh Cake Donuts & Fried Chicken, Troy Waterfront Farmers Market | Indoor Winter Market, The Falcon | No Cover Live Jazz In Ulster County NY. Geared tuners and frets are not part of their skill set or among their usual tools of the trade. The Arthur E. Smith Banjo Company produces a line of meticulously crafted banjos that certainly reflects the respect and admiration Kate and Mark have for those early instruments. The genre is part of the Americana or American roots music category, which includes elements of traditional folk, country. Although the early history of the banjo is not really clear, most people believe the origin lies in instruments from Africa (see ngoni and akonting on the page Africa). An entirely different approach to pot construction. Bluegrass, both progressive and traditional, old-time, and Americana music are still going strong in recordings, concerts, and gatherings of musicians and fans at festivals. There is likely no single ancestor of the banjo. Length 92.5 cm, Tenor/Plectrum banjo, c1970 in as new condition. However, I'm not sure what's going on with the business, as the site seems static since 2012. Model no. from one-man shops, so perhaps it means that competition in this segment was www.sagamusic.com. Other parts of the "pot" 1.5 5. www.vancebanjos.com Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs: "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" (1949). Huber Jim Mills 5 string Banjo Rare Gold Plated Mahogany Powerhouse w Deluxe Archtop Case $6,500.00 USD - Used - Excellent Condition NEW Davis RB4 5 string Banjo Walnut with Hardshell Case NEW $3,999.00 USD - New Gibson RB-250 Banjo $3,000.00 USD - Used - Excellent Condition Russell Springs, KY USA 42642 Length 56.5 cm, diameter of body 20 cm. Today, Levinger is the proprietor of Players Vintage Instruments, where he buys and sells vintage guitars, mandolins, banjos, and other musical instruments. 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. Tulsa, OK USA 74112 245 Industrial Pkwy S. Frank Goscha of Philadelphia is mentioned as having been one of the early banjo makers in America but no details of him or his products have ever come to light. Chris Bozung Matthew Sabatella plays "Pompey Ran Away" on a banjo built by Pete Ross. The Series is part of the Smithsonian Folkways Instrument Builder Collection . Mostly open-back models. Furthermore, he continues his research and fine tunes his banjos regularly so that they look and sound as much like the banjos of the early minstrel period as possible. Two brands, DP Hopkins and Louzee, from the same builders. The banjo featured prominently in records manufactured and sold in the first decades of the industry. We are always interested in purchasing clocks by any of the clock makers listed below. Shunk, PA USA When, Through the 1920s and early 1930s, the guitar gradually replaced the banjo in, 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. 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. A. Sloan & Son. Macon incorporated multiple techniques, including clawhammer and two- and three-finger up-picking, into his banjo playing. +1 (260) 657-5486 Banjo, Mandolin, and Guitar Club at West Virginia University in 1896. In this day and age research into most subjects can start with the internet, but sometimes what is posted is simply perpetuating a myth. 23 Goodwood Lane, PO Box 442 SC.nb("contact", "goldtone.com", "", "", ""); Laurie Grundy Two little gems from opposites sides of the pond, Contact us if you would like your link here, Copyright 2012-22 vintagebanjomaker.com. String bands primarily provided music for square dances and step dances in southern Appalachia. Buffalo Grove, IL USA 60089 Today, the banjo can be heard in virtually every genre of music. P.O. +1 (250) 620-0592 James Hartel has been making and playing banjos on and off since 1973 when he made a banjo for his 2 year old daughter. 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. In 2019, Giddens, in collaboration with Black banjo players Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell, released the album Songs of Our Native Daughters. In 1968, the Byrds brought it back home with their album Sweetheart of the Rodeo, hailed by many as among the first country-rock albums. We received a 2007 Master/Apprentice grant from the Maryland Traditional Arts Council so I could learn engraving from Kevin. Virginia Minstrels spawned many imitators, and the instrumentation and general format of the skits and music became somewhat standardized. It has gone from being an exclusive sound of West Africa, to being associated with the distinct bluegrass twang of the Appalachians and the unique picking style of clawhammer banjoists. dioramas from Suriname both appear to depict this ritual. www.sloanbanjos.com +1 (828) 226-2286 Home of the Rickard "Cyclone" 10:1 tuners. South San Francisco, CA USA 94080 SC.nb("jason", "romerobanjos.com", "", "", ""); Openback and bluegrass banjos, entirely hand made;Standard New Vintage and custom. Other banjo manufacturers emerged in the 1840s and the following decades. They recorded string bands and solo musicians, often on location in makeshift recording studios, and released the music under the labels , Gus Cannon was a versatile and influential African American banjo player. The Carolina Chocolate Drops with Dom Flemons on banjo: "Country Girl" (2012), Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons, former members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, continue to perform, explore, and tell the banjos story in live performances, recordings, writings, and interviews. Old-time banjo players Clarence Ashley and Dock Boggs enjoyed new opportunities to record and perform on stage at folk festivals, coffeehouses, and college campuses. Horsefly, BC CAN V0L 1L0 Between 1893 and 1917, he made more than 500 recordings of, In the early twentieth century, manufacturers introduced the four-string, or tenor, banjo. Fretted instruments, such as guitars and mandolins, are generally easier to play in tune than unfretted instruments, such as violins, violas, and cellos. The vast archives of 20th-century recordings of African American banjo players and Haitian banza players, recorded by John Werk III, Alan Lomax, and others for the Library of Congress and Smithsonian, capture what people who otherwise were relatively voiceless were singing, and therefore what they were saying and thinking about in different 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. Most banjos today are fretted, though some musicians play fretless. 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. 1870-Uncle Dave Macon born in Tennessee 1878-Henry Dobson produces 5 string with frets (made by Buckbee) 1880-1890 Fairbanks and Cole of Boston. To this day, players who emulate his techniques are said to be playing either bluegrass- or Scruggs-style banjo. Boulder, CO USA 80301 A listing of notable musicians who play the banjo as a major part of their output include: A [ edit] Derroll Adams Eddie Adcock David "Stringbean" Akeman Howard Alden Peter R. Arnott Clarence Ashley Scott Avett B [ edit] Etta Baker Danny Barker Danny Barnes Terry Baucom Riley Baugus Andru Bemis Carroll Best [1] Louis 'Lou' Black Ron Block Mike C. clocks4u NAWCC Member Sep 2, 2000 684 28 28 In the book Banjo Roots and Branches, 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.. Between 1893 and 1917, he made more than 500 recordings of ragtime songs, marches, and minstrel material. Scruggs and guitarist Lester Flatt left the Blue Grass Boys to form Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1948. The book profiles the most important players and spotlights key luthiers and manufacturers. Prominent players today include Jake Blount, Otis Taylor, Corey Harris, and Taj Mahal. 1215 was a good year too Well built in Philadelphia (note the rosewood pot) around 1886 this 130 year old Samuel Stewart Piccolo travelled the world and ended up. Philip Allison Price 2 The Best Banjo Brands for Beginners 2.1 Rogue 2.2 Ibanez 2.3 Epiphone 2.4 Fender 2.5 Deering 2.6 Rogue The Kingston Trio, with banjo player Dave Guard, released their first album in 1958. Hendersonville, TN USA 37075 1 - 7. www.tranjo.com Boucher replaced the gourd with a wood-frame body, which could be mass-produced with much greater consistency. They also composed new songs on the banjo, often devising unique tunings for the instrument to achieve the desired tonalities. The builder must make and sell at least 12 banjos per year or have a history of having done so. and the banza collected in Haiti in 1841. 167 Walley Road, Franklin NY 13775 607-330-4330 Website Gallery Hartel Banjos are individually handmade with the finest materials using dimensions from original banjos of the Minstrel Era. , hailed by many as among the first country-rock albums. www.hatfieldbanjos.com 1 - First banjo completed, Bellflower, sold to Bonnie Hasting, Geoff's banjo student, on July 25th. I have a particular love for early banjo toys, which includes makers such as Jerome Secor, Ives, Guntermann, Reed, Courier, Phalibois, Vichy, etc. 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.. These books demonstrate a transition in playing technique from the African-rooted downstroke, utilized by Black musicians and minstrel performers, to an up-picking method common among guitarists. SC.nb("ballardbanjers", "yahoo.co.uk", "", "", ""); Bart Reiter That Half-Barbaric Twang: The Banjo in American Popular Culture. discretion but no compensation or gratuity is required or accepted. E- 1134, circa 1950, George Formby plaque inlaid in mother-of-pearl to the headstock, 58 cm long, English ukulele banjo, by John Grey & Sons, model Dulcetta, serial no. Resonator vs. Open-back 1.2 2. Click the blue globe to visit the maker's Web site. University of Tennessee Press, 1995. Windsor, 94 Newhall St. Birmingham, England', 95 cm long, American ukulele banjo, by Gibson, Ub-1 model, Michigan, circa 1920s, 'The Gibson' decal to headstock, 49 cm long, Lida cased banjo with mother of pearl inlay. Caraya 5 string banjo with Remo head made out of mahogany, the banjo is a plectrum-style instrument and has a closed-back design and and the mahogany body is complemented by a maple neck and a natural gloss finish. Many details of these early gourd banjos are evident in the instruments built by European American banjo makers in the mid-nineteenth century. Banjo Mandolin early 20th century in original case. The tenor banjo lacked the short fifth string, which provided a single-note musical drone. Founded in 1959 by John Sloan, continued by Peter Sloan, and in 2012 acquired by the Allisons. Often this book, at least at my writing this review in 2014, will go for $150-$400. Length 76 cm, A Windsor Premium No. +1 (931) 580-5742 Welcome to the Vintage Banjo Maker, please do sign up for email updates to keep in the loop about new additions to our research coming soon! SC.nb("phopkins", "united.net", "", "", ""); I have absolutely no information for this brand at all other than having seen several McKinley banjos, which impressed me. 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. Gold Tone has licensed one model. 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. The most technically advanced banjo of the early minstrel period. +1 (417) 839-5951 Banjo maker Jim Hartel on the African heritage and American history of the banjo. Gus Cannon was a versatile and influential African American banjo player. . +1 (615) 456-5486 SC.nb("info", "rickardbanjos.com", "", "", ""); A comprehensive lineup including Gold Star, Flinthill, Saga and Rover models. Length 63 cm. 9777 Missaukee Lane Often referred to as "the red book" (for obvious reasons) by the banjo-collecting world, the books does a great job at identifying and describing some hightly sought banjos. Hirata- Nishi 1-2-16 1F Somerville, TN USA 38068 SC.nb("ken", "levandesign.com", "", "", ""); DP Hopkins, Inc. +1 (650) 588-5558 Black string bands still performed at community dances at this time. , banjo manufacturers began installing frets on the instrument. Fairview, TN USA Type of wood 1.4 4. In original case, early 20th century. SC.nb("will", "seedersinstruments.com", "", "", ""); Formerly J. These builders may make other types as well. Steve likes to use the banjo for old-time tunes and to accompany his vocals. In 1952, Folkways Records released Anthology of American Folk Music, which prompted tremendous interest in the raw, rural sounds of the banjo. More than half of the banjos and players reported were in the Chesapeake Bay states of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. The Anthology was a set of six long-playing records that compiled eighty-four songs initially released on old-time and race record lines in the 1920s and 30s. Brooks Masten SC.nb("dean", "deanocraft.com", "", "", ""); Home of Tenbrooks, Vega, and the ubiquitous Goodtime models. The Desert Rose website is no longer reachable. www.chuckleebanjos.com error? In many cases, banjos were made using gourds and animal skins. www.cbguitars.com The Earl Scruggs Deluxe five-string banjo made for Scruggs by Vega in 1960 bore more of a resemblance to their ultra fancy tenor and plectrum banjos than the austere five-string banjos typically associated with folk and country musicians. Pete Ross, a Baltimore banjo maker, player and historian, plays a historic gourd-type banjo replica. en.pruchabanjos.cz Cased banjo Sold by in for Glasgow, KY USA 42141 Over the past three decades, Gold Tone has been incredibly prolific at producing stringed instruments. 2023 John Furphy Pty. (905) 727-8686 As a material, it is harder and more stable than ebony, and is increasingly used by world-class guitar makers. First, the banjo was priced out of the market as the Great Depression swept through the country. 18124 Bull Rapids Road Uncle Dave Macon: "Take Me Back to My Old Carolina Home". +1 (615) 799-9217 Pete Seeger, son of musicologist Charles Seeger, first heard the 5-string banjo in 1936 at the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in western North Carolina, organized by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Banjo: An Illustrated History. Year 1974 Serial Nos. It was tuned in fifths, like a mandolin or violin, and played by strumming with a plectrum, also known as a pick. Zachary Hoyt A plain round stick serves as a neck. Historians refer to these new instruments as early gourd banjos. "African Banjo Echoes in Appalachia: A Conclusion." . The strings are attached to the neck with leather or cloth rings. The banjo is a stringed instrument that is, or has been, prominent in American folk, country, bluegrass. Because they did not fit the White stereotype of hillbilly music, record companies were not interested in recording them, though occasionally Black musicians played in the background on records by White artists. A wide array of hardware is available, ask for anything you dont see here. His first banjos consisted of a banjo neck attached to a drum-like steam-bent wood hoop with two skin membranes, one stretched over the top and the other over the bottom of the hoop. The earliest instruments came to our shores as part of the slave trade. Poco, New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and others carried country-rock into the 1970s and beyond. As of June 2022, there are 56. Banjo built by William Boucher, Jr. in Baltimore Maryland in 1845. As African American musicians continued their innovations in blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel music, the guitars sustain and deep bottom end suited their musical needs better than the banjo. +1 (570) 924-4080 Starting in the 1840s, blackface minstrel performers began popularizing the banjo among middle-class Whites who purchased manufactured instruments and learned to play. Today, the banjo can be heard in virtually every genre of music. In 1968, the Byrds brought it back home with their album. 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 . Ltd. trading as CARTER'S Publications. But in the early twentieth century, the banjo began to move to town. www.sagamusic.com. Ltd. 2023 John Furphy Pty. They played in both the African-rooted downstroke style, now commonly called frailing or clawhammer, and the two- and three-finger up-picking guitar styles taught in the banjo tutors. Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons, former members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, continue to perform, explore, and tell the banjos story in live performances, recordings, writings, and interviews. SC.nb("hicklerbanjo", "gmail.com", "", "", ""); Open back banjos and other folk instruments built in Orwell, NY. Historians refer to these new instruments as early gourd banjos. They learned directly from the older masters and recorded them to capture their stories, wisdom, and musical approach. 309 Plus Park Boulevard When ragtime and blues music melded into jazz in the 1910s, the tenor banjo was one of the principal instruments in the rhythm section. Unlike the fiddle, which African Americans played far more commonly, the banjo was primarily a southern instrument. It features 100 "milestone instruments" with in-depth coverage, including model details and beautiful photos. 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. The banjo became his instrument of choice in work as an activist and advocate for folk music and group singing. sites.google.com. dphopkinsbanjos.com However, bluegrass incorporates jazz influences and emphasizes instrumental virtuosity and improvised solo breaks, which were not prevalent in old-time music. The instrument shares design elements and playing techniques with a family of approximately eighty known West African plucked spike lutes. What type of banjo is best for beginners: Acoustic or electric? They share features that differentiate them from West African lutes, including a flat, fretless fingerboard, wooden friction tuning pegs, and the way the neck enters and attaches to the gourd body. Titusville, FL USA 32780 +1 (339) 219-3047 Members of BMG clubs played plucked stringed instruments in a variety of sizes and shapes. 802-829-7317 Does the peg head profile really tell you the maker? www.huberbanjos.com, 420 Bridge Street PO Box 882, Elkins, West Virginia 26241 304-636-6710 Phone Hours; 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Eastern Time, Monday through Friday and occasionally on Saturday; Banjos,Contact us. Shelbyville, TN USA 37160 Other prominent bluegrass banjo players, including Don Reno, Sonny Osborne, and Bill Keith, followed in Scruggs footsteps and broke ground of their own. Early, relatively primitive designs of the instrument are African in origin and modern (designs) vaguely resemble these early versions. SC.nb("info", "deeringbanjos.com", "", "", ""); Scott also heads the Recording King custom shop in Japan. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2007. In its earliest form, the banjo can be traced as far back as 1620. . Farris Travel Banjo Company . SC.nb("capek", "capek.us", "", "", ""); Unusual among small luthiers for building both banjos and guitars. As is typical for this early banjo style, the neck and fingerboard are made from a single piece of wood. Dorset, VT USA 5251 Sylvester Louis Vess Ossman was one of the most popular recording artists of his time. SC.nb("fiddlintim", "gmail.com", "", "", ""); Chuck Lee Banjo Company, Inc. SC.nb("fnbanjo", "duo-county.com", "", "", ""); Unique. The musical repertoire in the tutors expanded to include sentimental popular songs, European waltzes, mazurkas, and polkas.