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Zither player - Posted - 11/11/2025: 12:08:16
Hi everyone, ive just bought a Clifford essex special that's made from maple and ebony, all the hardware has been recently replaced and the maples been stripped back and recoated with tru oil. The guy I bought it from thought it was 50 or 60 years old but I think irs probably quite a lot older, can anyone give me any advice please? I've just bought a vintage tailpiece so I can put on nylgut strings, there doesn't seem to be any serial numbers or anything, thanks
Joel Hooks - Posted - 11/11/2025: 12:26:31
You have already been given a bunch of random guesses and dubious "facts". One widely held but easily dismissed myth is that a way to date them is by the address on the tag. This is false and has proven in the past to be unreliable.
Does your stretcher hoop have two holes for mounting a "professional" tailpiece? That cannot be seen in your images.
Also, you have a "Wood Hoop Special". There was also a "Metal Hoop Special". While these are stamped with just "Special", those were the full names used by CE in all their printed matter.
There are no records extant. There are only guesses based on construction detail. But you can figure that WW2 pretty much ended all banjo production for CE. After the war they attempted to revive the Regal but that was pretty much it.
If your banjo was fitted with the Professional tailpiece then it was made after that was introduced about January 1922.
Unless there is an original receipt, you are out of luck. The serial numbers are unreliable as CE likely inflated them to look like they were making more than they were.
Anyone claiming to be able to give a better date is full of beans.
Zither player - Posted - 11/11/2025: 13:01:52
Thanks for all the info, much appreciated
Emiel - Posted - 11/12/2025: 08:07:40
I also have a "Wood Hoop C.E. Special". Very fine banjo. Mine may be a bit older than yours, but this is hard to say. Some pictures I published years ago:
Zither player - Posted - 11/12/2025: 10:57:54
Wow it looks really nice, especially with the correct tension hooks etc, is that a different type of wood or is the maple died or stained? I have not seen what mine was like before the previous owner stripped it back and applied numerous coats of tru oil. He's done a nice job of it though, very smooth and easy to move up and down the neck, any idea of what value this type of banjo is approximately? Just so I can get an idea if I paid a fair price or not, im certainly not going to sell it
Joel Hooks - Posted - 11/12/2025: 11:45:27
The wood hoop special was offered by CE in maple and mahogany, same price for either choice.
I have a mahogany wood hoop special of the pre 1922 (likely sometime in the teens but who really knows). Mine has an ebony fingerboard which seems to be an earlier feature that later changed to rosewood.
Zither player , does your WH special have two holes that are tapped for screws in the stretcher hoop near the tailpiece? Your photos do not show that part. If there are two holes, then your banjo had a "professional" tailpiece and post dates 1922.
Zither player - Posted - 11/12/2025: 12:31:05
Hi, yes it dies have two small holes in the stretcher ring by the tailpiece, so i guess its some time after 1922bthen. Thanks fir all the info
