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Bacon & Day Silver Bell #1 Banjo Reviews
Bacon & Day Silver Bell #1
submitted 2/26/2007
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Submitter |
rasi1808 (see all reviews from this person) |
Where Purchased |
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Year Purchased |
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Price Paid |
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Sound
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Sound Rating |
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Setup
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Setup Rating |
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Appearance
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Appearance Rating |
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Reliability
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Reliability Rating |
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Customer Service
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Customer Service |
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Components
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Components Rating |
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Overall Comments
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Overall Rating |
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Bacon & Day Silver Bell #1
submitted 10/3/2004
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Submitter |
Unknown |
Where Purchased |
Private |
Year Purchased |
2004 |
Price Paid |
1850.00 ($US) (bought USED) |
Sound
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Wonderful melow sound as compared to the sharpness of my B&D Tenor. Still able to cut thru the rest of the band though. |
Sound Rating |
9 |
Setup
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Set up? What's that?? The strings were so rusty you would have cut yourself on them and the head was split!
Changes;
#1 Full Scrubbing of 70 years worth of dust
#2 New Strings
#3 New Bridge
#4 New Head
#5 New Rhinestones |
Setup Rating |
1 |
Appearance
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Neck of holly wood, Peg head, and fingerboard, as well as the resonator,are covered with Ivoried and lots of rhinestones, as is the wood ring and tension ring. Nicely engraved resonator. A bit or polish on the gold plating wil bring it back almost to new condition otherwise maybe a trip to the platers. |
Appearance Rating |
10 |
Reliability
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Well it's lasted all these years so a few more won't seem like much. |
Reliability Rating |
10 |
Customer Service
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Bacon and Day have no local phone number nor do they keep records any better than Gibson. But they sure make a hell of a banjo! |
Customer Service |
not rated |
Components
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Strange that it has Gibson tuners, but apparently they used them occastionally, found out that it has a steel rod in the neck so minimal warpage. No weak or cheap parts on this old Jo. |
Components Rating |
10 |
Overall Comments
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Yes it cost a few dollars but I don't believe that it's a #1 Silver Bell. They were never gold nor did they have any rhinestones. Besides the Montana "Special" tells me that they did something extra to her. If it was stolen? Don't even go there. I love this thing as much as my old Silver Bell Tenor and expect to play them both till they put me in the ground. |
Overall Rating |
10 |
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Bacon & Day Silver Bell #1
submitted 4/19/2004
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Submitter |
Unknown |
Where Purchased |
Elderly |
Year Purchased |
2004 |
Price Paid |
1050 ($US) (bought USED) |
Sound
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Loud, bright, clear. Rich and full even with a 73 year old skin head. I replaced the skin with a 5 star clear mylar as I thought the humidity in Southwest Florida might be a bit much for the skin. I replaced the two footed bridge with a Kat Eyz submerged wood pegged bridge and that helped the sound even more. |
Sound Rating |
10 |
Setup
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Either Elderly or the origional owner set this banjo up very well. It frets like butter. |
Setup Rating |
10 |
Appearance
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There is honestly little if any wear on the banjo, I can't see any wear to the neck or the fretboard. The frets are all even and don't show any signs of grooving. All the inlays are origional and there's not the slightest scratch on the back of the resonator. I did find a bit of rust on two hooks, a bit of plating worn off the flange, and some plating gone off the tension ring but nothing to detract from the look of an 81 year old banjo. |
Appearance Rating |
9 |
Reliability
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I replaced the Tuners, as they were old origional grover friction tuners and after 81 years didn't do much at all. I also put on an origional Ottinger tailpiece which really brightened things up a lot. I'm waiting for a reproduction arm rest as the one that came one the banjo was from an old Ludwig. Most of the parts I got from Renee Karnes in California. She is the undisputed Queen of B&D restorations. The woman knows the book on thsi banjo. She's fantastic. |
Reliability Rating |
10 |
Customer Service
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Elderly shipped quickly but could have packed the banjo better. After UPS got done throwing it around all the packing moved around, the banjo case settled to the bottom of the box and it came thru with a number of split seams. I guess I shouldn't complain as the case is about as old as the banjo. |
Customer Service |
8 |
Components
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See Reliability. |
Components Rating |
9 |
Overall Comments
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Best thing I ever did was buy this |
Overall Rating |
10 |
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Bacon & Day Silver Bell #1
submitted 2/29/2004
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Submitter |
Unknown |
Where Purchased |
e-bay |
Year Purchased |
2002 |
Price Paid |
700 ($US) (bought USED) |
Sound
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No amps needed. For the best bright and penetrating rich sound for use in a trad jazz band I use Phophor bronze wound strings 3 & 4 & thin stainless on 1 & 2. |
Sound Rating |
9 |
Setup
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Not well sorted when bought from Los Angeles.It had non plastic velum, now use Remo smooth white! Tuners were worse than useless..now use German geared variety..perfect and stable. Tailpece was original Grover, now replaced with Californian replica of single sting tuning. Quality not too good, but looks the part! |
Setup Rating |
8 |
Appearance
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Standard B&D inlay.Back of resonator damaged by heat or hot liquid and is stained brown. As its 1938 celluloid I doubt if it can be replaced. I may get someone to make me an American Black Walnut Resonator which I'm led to understand gave out a superb penetrating rich tone. |
Appearance Rating |
8 |
Reliability
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Its been going 65 years now and will probably go on forever! |
Reliability Rating |
8 |
Customer Service
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What customer service? Banjo players find there own reliable suppliers for all their bits and pieces. |
Customer Service |
1 |
Components
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Its an antique but still in regular use.... |
Components Rating |
9 |
Overall Comments
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For trad band work its great. I'd buy another if it was stolen! I also own a Coker Gold Star ( made in GB about 1930) and although I've used it for 46 years I always wanted a B&D plectrum but am happy with the tenor! Its smaller and lighter! |
Overall Rating |
10 |
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Bacon & Day Silver Bell #1
submitted 1/13/2003
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Submitter |
Unknown |
Where Purchased |
Prince edwards Island Canada |
Year Purchased |
2003 |
Price Paid |
767 ($US) (bought USED) |
Sound
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Its a 17 fret banjo with a loud snappy sound that fits my playing. I play in Second Line jazzband from Sweden
http://www.secondlinejazzband.com/band.html
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Sound Rating |
9 |
Setup
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Then:Broken skin head. A bit oxided and dirty, friction tuners. Simple tailpiece and bridge.
Now:New plastic head. Polished and cleaned. New geared tuners (ABM Germany). New Richelieu 4 finger trailpiece. Richelieu bridge with m.o.p. |
Setup Rating |
8 |
Appearance
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Itīs a beaty. I have it as desktop picture on my computer at work.
Nice inlays on the neck. For pics see www.angelfire.com/jazz/atte |
Appearance Rating |
9 |
Reliability
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Asthonishingly good after 80 years. Two nuts that holds flangescrews need to be soldered. Thatīs all.
I can depend on this. |
Reliability Rating |
9 |
Customer Service
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B&D are long since gone. But there are some very good luthiers and B&D friends out there. Vince Mondello for example. |
Customer Service |
8 |
Components
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No cheapīs on a Silverbell. |
Components Rating |
9 |
Overall Comments
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Yes I recomend this. Good Silverbells are hard to find below $1000.
For the time being itīs number one with my other German(see other review) Silverbell.
If stolen I would look for another one.
PS NB the other Silverbell rewiew on the list.
That banjo has the serial number just before mine. 11032. Isnt that a coincident. |
Overall Rating |
10 |
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Bacon & Day Silver Bell #1
submitted 6/14/2002
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Submitter |
Unknown |
Where Purchased |
classified ad Tampa Tribune |
Year Purchased |
1996 |
Price Paid |
600 ($US) (bought USED) |
Sound
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This banjo is perfect for the Irish tenor style that I am currently playing. It is very loud and clear .It has a clear plastic head,11 inch.I have a Fishman banjo pick-up installed,but rarely use it due to ringing overtones that tend to cause icy stares from frustrated soundmen.When I play plugged in with the band I use a Rode mic which is a fantastic alternative considering I can back away when needed,and no cables.Acoustically in the pub sessions this banjo cuts through an army of flutes,fiddles,bodhrans,and bouzoukis.Rivaled only by accordians and bagpipes,this banjo penetrates the pub chatter,cigarette smoke,and seems to get louder when fuelled by Guiness. |
Sound Rating |
8 |
Setup
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It had the 5star clear head when purchased,I tried different tailpieces. Finally settling on the Richleiu Tensionator (oettinger style) finger style tailpiece. It has adjustable fingers for each string,giving the bass strings alot of guts .The tuners are also 5star replacements .I am ready for a fret job soon which I am looking forward to. |
Setup Rating |
7 |
Appearance
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It is typical B&D craftsmanship nice headstock inlays ,the flange has some minor splitting around the original mounts for the resonator.I would like to restore this banjo ,but it sounds great and the money would better spent on adding another banjo to my collection |
Appearance Rating |
6 |
Reliability
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Considering that most of the hardware has been changed ,tuning machines,head,bridge,tailpiece,and bracket hooks,the neck is straight ,resonator intact,tone ring is true .It always stays in tune and is rarely affected by the Florida weather. |
Reliability Rating |
8 |
Customer Service
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Ive been trying to E-mail Bacon and Day but those guys just won't respond,Maybe they adopted this policy from Gibson!! |
Customer Service |
2 |
Components
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My only issue is the attachment of the flange and resonator, the engineering here is so 1930's!
Perforated tone ring,finger-style tailpiece,geared tuners,These guys were really ahead of their time.Too bad they went out of business before WWII.(well at least I can say I have a pre-war B&D) |
Components Rating |
9 |
Overall Comments
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Yes If you can buy one for $600 ,do it....If you don't call me I will !!
STOLEN!!! Man , why would you even bring that up?
I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT
Do you have anymore at this price?
Pale man just pale........ |
Overall Rating |
9 |
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