rozc - Posted - 02/01/2021:  01:00:03

Greetings!



Noob to the hangout (after being a forever lurker) as I've just recently come by a Dobson (Silver Bell?) banjo and have a question and would appreciate your learned opinions. After trying to read all things Dobson in these forums before posing questions, it lead me to the Dobson patent info which leads me to my question. I'll preface it with pointing out in the photos the plier/vise/hammer marks on the tailpiece where some prior owner felt it necessary to bend the string-holes flange up flat and even with the tailpiece body. I found the banjo with steel strings on it (they seem like light weight, neck-set looks fine), read here in the forums the opinions that nylon/gut strings are better for the stress on the neck over time (that they were originally strung with gut) of these older instruments. I see the patent describes the tailpiece flange as having been bent around a piece of wood:



"The tail-piece G is of metal with a strip of wood, h, confined in its string end. The metal is bent around this strip in such manner as to hold it securely in place, as best shown in Fig. 6, and the string-holes are formed through both wood and metal. Thus the strings bear against wood instead of metal, as heretofore, which is liable to cut and injure them."



and ...



"8. The tail-piece G formed of sheet metal, and its string end bent around and confining a wooden strip, h, through which the strings pass, substantially as set forth."



I wanna restring it with nylon or nylgut strings without cutting or injuring them!



So, re my subject line/title ... dare I bend that metal back? And what kind of wood was originally used, do you think? I didn't see that specified. And if someone has a Dobson with the same tailpiece style, could you kindly let me know the width of said bit of wood or dimensions of the bend. I'm I sure can reason out the measurements for rebending, myself, but having exact specs reportedly directly would be a plus.



Another minor question of interest pertains to the fretboard. At one time it must have had a full-length scale/chord diagram pasted to it of which some remains are in evidence as the rest appears played/scraped away over the years. It was a white silhouette of the strings on a black background with the notes in black letters on white bubbles/spaces. Perhaps pre-pasted on Dobson learner banjos or included with Dobson Method banjo instruction books?



And, heck, one last question, too: any hint as to the maker/origin of the bullet-shaped tail nut?



I look forward to learning to play banjo on this old number (yes, I've read the opinions on beginning on old instruments, too). Sure coulda used that old faded scale/chord diagram!



Oh, it's Henry C. Dobson stamped #6063. Yes, I've also read how the serial numbers paint no great historical record for Dobson stamped instruments. Let me know if further photos are of interest other than as pertaining to my questions. I haven't quite figured out the photo upload tool as of this post, yet.



Thanks for any input, at all!



- rozc

Edited by - Texasbanjo on 02/07/2021 12:02:09

flattened tailpiece

pasted fretboard scale

Stephen John Prior - Posted - 02/01/2021:  02:29:52

I would think this would be better posted in the Collectors Corner forum.

35planar - Posted - 02/01/2021:  04:53:37

Loosen the tailpiece bolt enough to where the tailpiece clears the head. You don't need to bend it. This is how Presto tailpieces are adjusted. The tailpiece doesn't need to be cranked down to sit on the top of the tension hoop.

Joel Hooks - Posted - 02/01/2021:  05:37:38

The tailpiece appears to be cast and not stamped and folded thin sheet brass. I don't think it was ever folded like the version in the patent. I would just leave it as is.

RE the fingerboard chart. This was a thing that was offered by more than one publisher and sometimes included with instruction books. I'd be surprised if any member of the Dobson family even touched this banjo, there were a few jobbers distributing them. It is not that uncommon to see the remains of these. I'm not sure of the best way to remove what is left.

If your banjo is a "silver bell" it will have the ring or "bell" and fingerboard extension. Post more photos showing full front and back, peg head (front back side), inside rim, hardware, etc..

rozc - Posted - 02/01/2021:  22:17:48

Okay ...

First, thx for all replies so far.

to Steve Prior:
Good idea. How do I move this post/thread to Collector's Corner?

to 35planar:
Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear in my description. I'm not talking about the tail nut end of the tailpiece but the string-holes end.

to Joel Hooks:
Thx for the info on fretboard diagrams. I certainly don't presume any Dobson to have ever handled this instrument in the manufacturing/distribution process. How do I post more than 3 photos at a time? In all online Dobson photos I've found so far, I've seen no tailpieces like this one. The plier marks is what leads me to believe it was modified. If it wasn't, still, how would I string up nylons in such a string-hole design? I hope the next 3 photos post properly to show the full instrument. I can add further close-ups of all patent marks tho' the dowel marks can be zoomed in on. No patent marks are later than 1882. The fretboard plat and tailpiece are dated 1881. The tone ring is '78, '81, '82 as is the dowel. no markings on the wood neck, itself.

Thx for all of your replies!

-rozc

peghead

full frontal

backside of banjo