I recently purchased a 1928 Paramount Aristocrat and would be interested in finding out how many Banjo Hangout members own an Aristocrat or other Paramount banjo models. How do you like your Paramount and what style(s) do you play?
18 Comments |
 | wuzapicker says:
7/30/2012 6:52:20 AM
I used to own a Paramount Aristocrat Special plectrum banjo. That was a 1930's upgrade to the standard Aristocrat model I sold it with several other Paramount models to raise capital for another special interest of mine.
Lange introduced the Paramount line in mid 1921 to much success. The Aristocrat and Leader styles were added in mid 1922 or 1923.
I became a facinated with Paramount banjos in the mid 1970's. By the mid 1980's I had acquired a number of them and was buying and selling Paramount banjos and parts.
Today I still own a Paramount Leader tenor, a Paramount Style C tenor (converted to 5-string) and a Paramount Style A tenor.
My favorite Paramount model is the Leader. With its Rosewood neck, rim and resonator. In general I feel the Leader offers the best sound of all Paramount banjos below the Style F which was also Rosewood.
I am looking to acquire another Paramount Leader tenor. Depending how much restoration it may require my plan is to either restore one tenor and convert the other to a 5-string with a new non-destructive neck. Thus, I would have a matching tenor and a 5-string Leader for use.
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 | bob ferrier says:
7/30/2012 7:07:54 AM
Cool! Do you know what types of wood make up the Aristocrat?
Thanks,
Bob
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| wuzapicker says:
7/30/2012 8:53:56 PM
Walnut neck with dyed wood laminates. The resonator is poplar with Walnut veneers. The rim is either a Maple or Beech core. I've seen examples with either wood variety. The inner and outer rim veneers are walnut.
Unless it is really beat up, you likely have a very nice banjo.
Would you care to share the serial number?
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| bob ferrier says:
7/31/2012 6:20:11 AM
The Aristocrat plectrum is in excellent condition. The serial number is 9779. I'd like to check out a Leader at some point if I could ever find one. I've played a style F. Another beautiful sounding piece of art.
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| wuzapicker says:
7/31/2012 7:33:20 AM
I'm sure your Aristocrat is a 1928 model. It seems 1928 was Lange's largest production year. That was also the year Henry Ford introduced his Model A to replace the venerable Model T.
It is always fun to remember that whilst Lange was making Paramount and Orpheum banjos among other labels automobile technology was still quite primitive. Paramount banjos and Model T Fords go together quite nicely.
I do not own a Model T, but I would like to.
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 | banjopaul100 says:
8/29/2012 3:28:22 PM
hi there when i was putting a new clear remo head on my A style paramount i noticed the pot was made birds eye maple could anyone tell me if this is a solid pot or a veneered pot please ? and was this common on style A paramounts.
Thanks
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| wuzapicker says:
8/29/2012 3:34:30 PM
Hi Paul,
Lange used birds eye maple inner and outer veneers around the rim. Not all Style A's were so treated. The rim is not solid but laminated of three plies with tapered joints.
I've never seen a Style A with other than a rim of maple laminations. But some other Styles have rims laminated from beech with decorative wood outer veneers.
I hope that helps,
Michael
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| banjopaul100 says:
8/29/2012 3:53:15 PM
yes thanks michael,
i`m very interested in finding information out about all the paramount banjos, what wonderfuly built instruments they are and i can understand how people could specialise in buying them !! i`ve just bought a gibson mastertone but i should have waited and bought a paramount leader !
well i can always sell the gibson ha !!
thanks for your help !!
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| banjopaul100 says:
8/29/2012 5:13:56 PM
is it normal for the tension hoop to sit lower than the end of the fretboard on a style A paramount ? just wondering if anyone can help !
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| wuzapicker says:
8/29/2012 5:35:49 PM
Yes. That is true for all Paramounts I've seen when a medium collar plastic head is used.
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| wuzapicker says:
8/29/2012 5:36:02 PM
Yes. That is true for all Paramounts I've seen when a medium collar plastic head is used.
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| banjopaul100 says:
8/29/2012 5:57:00 PM
hi wuzapicker could you also help me with this , when i bought the clear head the bloke said that the top of the tension hoop should be level with the top of the head ! but as the hoop sits lower than the end of the fretboard the top of the clear head is not level with the top of the hoop ! is this normal ?
thanks for the help
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| wuzapicker says:
8/29/2012 9:28:41 PM
Paul,
Please call me Michael.
It doesn't matter and I wouldn't worry about it.
I don't like the tension hoop to be so low as to expose the edge of the head where it bends down over the tone chamber.
But Paramount banjos were made with really deep notches where the neck meets the tension hoop to accommodate any variation in head depth. That was important in the day of hide heads. Compare the dimensions and you will see any crown depth is okay as long as the tension hoop isn't so high as to interfere with the strings.
Michaael
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| banjopaul100 says:
8/29/2012 11:53:44 PM
thanks very much michael your information is priceless !!
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| banjopaul100 says:
8/30/2012 2:27:07 AM
hi michael
just one other thing if you don`t mind !
i`ve changed the head to a clear one and for some reason the E string on the 5th fret has started to buzz it wasn`t happening when the other head was on it`s just started, i`m wondering if the head tension is to loose, or the action has lowered somehow, just wondering if you have had this before on your paramount A`s ?
thanks for the help
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| wuzapicker says:
8/30/2012 6:25:14 AM
Paul,
The head too loose may be the fault. I would try tightening the head first to see it that solves the trouble.
There is also a bit if slop between the rim and dowel stick. Perhaps when you re-installed the neck, it aligned a little bit higher in relation to the rim. That would also produce a slightly lower action.
Another point. That bracket at the end of the dowel stick under the tailpiece was conceived as an action adjustment. I've never really got satisfactory adjustment results with it. It seems to bend the dowel stick, before making much change to the action. But you might look at that.
---
My Style A was a custom order 17 fret model. The end of the fingerboard has a short extension that overlaps the tension hoop like some Orpheum banjos. In fact, while the neck on my Style A is clearly a Paramount, the wood lamination pattern strongly resembles Orpheum No. 1 styling.
I think Lange's guys used a neck blank intended from an Orpheum No. 1 to fill the special order for this 17 fret Paramount Style A. There are other anomalies entailed with that banjo that indicate it was slightly exceptional to standard production.
Lange introduced the Paramount line in mid 1921 aimed directly at the Jazz music market. It was the first quintessential Jazz banjo. There was nothing else quite like it at the time. The Paramount sent Lange's competitors scrambling to redesign their products.
I think Lange's team had issues meeting production demands in 1922. I've seen other 1922 model Paramounts exhibiting oddities which would indicate this.
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| banjopaul100 says:
8/31/2012 2:52:57 PM
michael
i`ve just bought a paramount style C tenor banjo and was wondering if they have the same head size as a style A i think they are but just checking 11 1/8 medium crown ?
kind regards paul
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| wuzapicker says:
8/31/2012 3:21:22 PM
Yep! The only deviation in head size among Paramount banjos is the Guitar Banjo which could be made up in any Style model on custom order. Those are really, really rare.
The Guitar Banjo had a 16 head. All others had an 11-1/8" dia. A medium crown works best for me.
Incidentally, you new Style C has the early style inlay pattern. Can you please tell me the serial number and I will enter it into my database. I may have other questions afterward.
Michael
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