EEB - Posted - 04/28/2026:  17:34:14

I have a Buckbee 6-string 17 fret English import c.1885 (?). The perch pole carries the maker’s stamp ‘JHB’ and ‘J. Wallis & Son' the Euston Road, London musical instrument dealer who sold the banjo. Also stamped is the number ‘738’.



Did Buckbee use sequential production numbering throughout, or is this likely to be a batch number?

Edited by - EEB on 04/28/2026 18:00:00

Buckbee 6-string English import

 

Stephen John Prior - Posted - 04/29/2026:  00:09:29

quote:

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Originally posted by EEB

I have a Buckbee 6-string 17 fret English import c.1885 (?). The perch pole carries the maker’s stamp ‘JHB’ and ‘J. Wallis & Son' the Euston Road, London musical instrument dealer who sold the banjo. Also stamped is the number ‘738’.



Did Buckbee use sequential production numbering throughout, or is this likely to be a batch number?

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Could be a Wallis stamp ?

EEB - Posted - 04/29/2026:  00:51:51

quote:

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Originally posted by Stephen John Prior

quote:

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Originally posted by EEB

I have a Buckbee 6-string 17 fret English import c.1885 (?). The perch pole carries the maker’s stamp ‘JHB’ and ‘J. Wallis & Son' the Euston Road, London musical instrument dealer who sold the banjo. Also stamped is the number ‘738’.



Did Buckbee use sequential production numbering throughout, or is this likely to be a batch number?

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Could be a Wallis stamp ?

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Possibly. Just looking at the positioning of the various stamps, 'JHB' and '738' are adjacent and align at a right angle to the perch pole. Whereas the other stamps read along the perch pole. My instinct is that if it were a Wallis serial it would be aligned with their name in the space at the oppposite end. Hopefully  Buckbee comparisons will provide an answer. 

Edited by - EEB on 04/29/2026 00:52:42

Stephen John Prior - Posted - 04/29/2026:  01:08:53

quote:

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Originally posted by EEB

quote:

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Originally posted by Stephen John Prior

quote:

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Originally posted by EEB

I have a Buckbee 6-string 17 fret English import c.1885 (?). The perch pole carries the maker’s stamp ‘JHB’ and ‘J. Wallis & Son' the Euston Road, London musical instrument dealer who sold the banjo. Also stamped is the number ‘738’.



Did Buckbee use sequential production numbering throughout, or is this likely to be a batch number?

---

Could be a Wallis stamp ?

---

Possibly. Just looking at the positioning of the various stamps, 'JHB' and '738' are adjacent and align at a right angle to the perch pole. Whereas the other stamps read along the perch pole. My instinct is that if it were a Wallis serial it would be aligned with their name in the space at the oppposite end. Hopefully  Buckbee comparisons will provide an answer. 

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To my eye it was just the difference in font size, and depth, plus the number stamp is slightly off centre.  Maybe I'm just over thinking it. 

EEB - Posted - 04/29/2026:  01:30:46

Walnut neck with Dobson heel, friction pegs, a fraction under 11” head, and 38 hooks.

Here are the stamps in full:

Edited by - EEB on 04/29/2026 01:40:59

Buckbee 6-string English import

 

EEB - Posted - 04/30/2026:  02:05:54

This banjo was originally 7-string. The original 4th and 2nd string tuning peg holes were very neatly dowelled and veneered to match the peghead. A new 3rd string peg hole then drilled and reamed centrally in typical 6-string peg layout. Almost invisible.

Curious that someone would take this trouble rather than simply making a replacement 6-string nut and stringing the 7 as a 6, leaving one peg unused.

Edited by - EEB on 04/30/2026 02:07:37

Andy FitzGibbon - Posted - 04/30/2026:  08:51:15

A lot of Buckbee products have a number stamped on them, which is probably a batch/lot number as they're often only one or two digits and don't seem to follow any consecutive pattern.