bargrasspicker - Posted - 05/16/2013:  10:10:45

I had the pleasure of seeing Bela's first solo show yesterday evening at the musical insturment museum. That man is genius. Anyway he played a suite of african songs on a cello banjo. Unfortunatly I didnt get pictures, but it had a very large pot (of course) fancy inlay work on the headstock that reminded me of white ladies from the early 1900s. It looked vintage and I'm wondering if anyone here knows anything about the insturment.

if you get a chance to see this solo show, dont turn it up, best 90 minutes of esoteric banjo music you will ever hear.

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 05/16/2013:  11:35:02

quote:

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Originally posted by bargrasspicker

 

I had the pleasure of seeing Bela's first solo show yesterday evening at the musical insturment museum. That man is genius. Anyway he played a suite of african songs on a cello banjo. Unfortunatly I didnt get pictures, but it had a very large pot (of course) fancy inlay work on the headstock that reminded me of white ladies from the early 1900s. It looked vintage and I'm wondering if anyone here knows anything about the insturment.

if you get a chance to see this solo show, dont turn it up, best 90 minutes of esoteric banjo music you will ever hear.

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When I saw him play his cello banjo four years ago ( youtube.com/watch?v=J4knD-T5ubc ) it was a Gold Tone CEB-5.   Is that the banjo you saw?

Gold Tone's cello banjo headstock and inlays are based on prewar Gibson and Weymann instruments: 

Marcy sent Wayne a 6-string banjo-guitar sporting the same 14” rim that propelled her Gibson cello.  She didn’t feel comfortable sending Mike’s Gibson Cello so she traced the scale length and headstock shape, the location of the nut along with critical measurements in crayon, and sent it all along with the banjo-guitar.  Wayne looked everything over and decided for his model, he could use a ½” rim instead of the ¾” hollow rim in the original, and that he could contour the neck since he would use truss rods for strength and stability.  He decided to keep the snakehead shape for the peghead, and after studying hundreds of inlay designs, chose a traditional floral pattern that had been used on vintage Weymann instruments.  (From Gold Tone's website)

Edited by - EggerRidgeBoy on 05/16/2013 11:41:23

bargrasspicker - Posted - 05/16/2013:  11:54:15

hah, thats it! a gold tone. wow i can afford the banjo bela plays.

Turnabout945 - Posted - 05/16/2013:  11:56:27

I'm really hoping the solo thing comes to Boston, I'm dying to see it....anyway, there's a little clip of the cello banjo up close in this video. youtube.com/watch?v=B_k9V6jjQ3c  The rest of the video is pretty awesome, too.

bargrasspicker - Posted - 05/16/2013:  15:20:43

I guess last night was his first solo ever, really amazing performance

jims38134 - Posted - 05/16/2013:  15:43:34

I've been fortunate enough to see him play 3 times.  He is an amazing artist.  I bet the cello banjo was interesting. jim

bargrasspicker - Posted - 05/16/2013:  15:46:22

he ended the show with an encore, played entirely with the tuners. 

Turnabout945 - Posted - 05/16/2013:  18:52:33

quote:

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Originally posted by bargrasspicker

 

I guess last night was his first solo ever, really amazing performance

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He's done solo shows before, not many, but he has done them.  Here's one that's on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=gXrwPdQUhUQ  It's a real classic with Q&A throughout the show.   He played Katmandu (the tuner song)  towards the end of that one, too.  No cello banjo, though.  I hope someone has video or audio of at least one of these shows that makes it to the 'net!

RockyLane - Posted - 05/19/2013:  21:33:59

Bela Could put strings on a Broomstick and be awesome ! ! !