1928 BACON BANJO REPAIR
These instruments had a history of serious neck issues. This particular instrument belongs to one of my brother Freemasons who just turned 100 years young. George Zeevalk bought the instrument used in the late 1940's and spent over 60 years playing it in the Shriners string marching band; so this banjo had gotten a real workout in all types of weather. The pear wood fretboard had disintegrated, and the neck had developed a nasty twist, making it unplayable. I sat for a few hours staring at the banjo before coming up with a solution for a jig that would allow me to both secure the neck, and dial in side to side tension adjustments during the heat treating of the wood. I made a new fretboard, then spent a couple days coaxing the neck into a relatively straight condition with heat and clamps. I let the neck sit for a few days in the jig before planing it straight and gluing a .025" maple veneer onto its working surface to compensate for any wood that had been removed. The veneer, with its glue joint would also help to reduce the neck's flexibility, and add some resistance to future warping and twisting. I carved a steeper back angle into the end of the neck where it contacts the metal rim, and then glued a maple shim plate to the tip of neck's dowel stick assembly to compensate for the change. The steeper back angle rendered a nice low, even action up and down the banjo's neck and improved it's intonation. After I was happy with the fit, I got to work on the rest of the instrument. George had a 65+ year career in the pharmacy industry and decided to retire a few years ago. He's now living comfortably in a care facility and entertains his neighbors with his newly restored vintage banjo. George enjoys a nice tall Beefeater and tonic every day at 5:30PM. Bless you George!!
The pear wood fretboard had all but disintegrated into a brittle mess. There was no way to save it. A new fretboard was in order.
Many budget line and medium priced instruments made during the early and mid 20th century had fretboards made of a variety of inexpensive hardwoods, This fretboard was slab cut piece of pear wood, dyed to resemble ebony.
This neck jig was designed and made by me solely for Bacon Banjos. There is an insert for the neck heel in the Bacon pattern. The bolts and wing nuts at the headstock allow top to bottom, and side to side adjustment of the neck when working on twisted or warped necks
Making the Ebony Fretboard
The neck has been heat treated and planed straight in the special jig. A .025" veneer was glued to the working surface of the neck to compensate for wood that had been planed out. The new .275" thick fretboard had been centered and doweled to avoid movement and slippage during clamping. The dowels were trimmed flush with the fretboard before it was glued and clamped to the neck. I used Titebod glue, as it exhibits less creep than hide glue. This neck needed all the help it could get. Some of these 1920's Bacon banjos had issues with their necks warping and twisting. The neck jig is a life saver !!
The fretboard was planed straight, and new period correct inlays were installed. The blocks in the center of the neck jig kept the neck from flexing during the planing process.
Leveling the fretboard with a flat maple beam and different grades of abrasive paper.
The inlays were sanded down flush with the fretboard.
Penetrating black dye was carefully added to the fretboard to disguise mineral streaks in the woo
Installing the frets
Here are the various tools used to fabricate a bone nut. The two rectangular wooden implements at the front of the photo are used to scribe reference lines into the face of the nut once it has been fitted into its slot. The scribing tool, or "Mouse" on the right is dead flat with a needle sharp point in its center. It is used to etch a line on the front surface of the nut, indicating the height of the frets. This is called the "base line" The tip of the "Mouse" on the left is angled upward approximately .025" for the scribing of a "safety line" for the string action. We cut the rough string action above the base line before final set up. Tjis is called the "safety line". These tools were made by my late lutherie partner Bob Ruggiero.
Fitting and scribing the bone nut. Look closely and you will see the action safety line faintly above the darker base line.
The dowel stick was perfectly centered and attached with hot hide glue. A riser plate was added to the tip of the dowel stick to compensate for the neck's new back angle of about 6 degrees, which rendered low, uniform string height and better playing action.
The dowel stick was tinted and distressed to emulate its original color using shellac mixed with liquid and powder dyes.
The color of the dowel stick was perfectly matched to the tint of the neck. The new neck angle was cut before the final gluing of the dowel stick. This photo shows the scraping and burnishing the heel to fit it snugly against the banjo's rim.
Drilling carefully for the strap hook.
Banjo Strap Hook
Voila!! Time to deliver the banjo to it's owner and serve him a nice Beefeater and tonic for his birthday.
The banjo's owner still rehearses with his old friends, all members of the Shriners Marching String Band. Time for a Beefeater and Tonic, and maybe a tune or two !!
My dear friend and Masonic Brother, George Zeevalk entertaining us in our living room with his newly restored 1928 Bacon Banjo. Carolyn and I decided to present the banjo to George as a gift for his 95th birthday. George recently celebrated his 100th birthday. Live Freemasonry !!
