59holden - Posted - 02/02/2016:  19:54:58

I have just bought a 1927 B&D Silver Bell 5 string. It looks like it has been sitting for a long time and is very dirty. What can I use to clean the neck and pot that won't damage the finish? As the photos show it has had some repairs in the past. The 5th string is the one of concern. I am hoping that someone who knows what they are doing (not me) can do a reasonable repair to this area.

Regards

Mike

Dan Drabek - Posted - 02/03/2016:  09:06:19

That's a very cool and fairly rare instrument. It definitely deserves careful handling. A slightly damp rag is safe for most finishes. Otherwise, you would need to test the finish with various solvents to see what you're dealing with. Shellac, lacquer and varnish are the most likely candidates, and all have different requirements. 

The binding is certainly repairable, but will require some skill. A good guitar repair person could certainly handle it, but it would be best if you found a luthier who has experience with banjos to assure best set-up. Someone on this forum will likely be able to suggest a luthier in Austrailia. You might want to indicate what city you live in. 

Best of luck with it. 

DD

banjonz - Posted - 02/03/2016:  11:20:20

I recently cleaned and set up a 70's Gibson RB250 that appears never to have been cleaned. I stripped the whole thing right down. I hand cleaned all metal parts with rag and 'Brasso' which is a mildly abrasive cleaner. I am sure you would have something similar in the US. It came up really well.

59holden - Posted - 02/03/2016:  13:20:43

Thanks for the information. There is almost a sticky feeling to the neck and strings. I bought some brasso yesterday for the plated parts. As for the rest I will just have to try things on a small area that is not seen. I am at Coolum Beach, Queensland, so if there is a luthier in the area please let me know. I am in no real hurry to repair the neck, there is enough glue on it to last my lifetime and it is still playable, but some day I will want it fixed properly. Once again, thanks.

Regards

Mike

Gordy Ohliger - Posted - 02/03/2016:  13:32:20

Well dang! Look what you came up with!....and with the original knee-mute too!

I, Sir, am jealous.

59holden - Posted - 02/03/2016:  13:52:04

I got lucky. How many of these can there be here in Australia.

Dan Drabek - Posted - 02/03/2016:  14:58:45

quote:

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Originally posted by 59holden

 

I got lucky. How many of these can there be here in Australia.

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You probably have at least half of them. :->

I've seen plenty of banjos, and quite a few Silver Bells, but I have yet to see an original five stringer in person. 

DD

59holden - Posted - 02/03/2016:  15:19:33

Is there any way to be sure that it is an original 5 string?

Dan Drabek - Posted - 02/03/2016:  17:15:28

Only by close examination by someone who is knowledgeable and knows what to look for. You might try taking some sharp, closeup pictures of the peghead from different angles, and some closeup shots of the neck inlays and posting it on the collectors corner forum where the banjo historians lurk. The five-string oettenger-style tailpiece is a good sign, but I'm not sure when it was first used on production banjos. The fifth string tuner looks like a replacement to me, and that may or may not point to a conversion. 

DD