Serial Number 6023

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H. C. Dobson Banjos

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For all things related to banjos by Henry C. Dobson.

113 Members, Created 11/28/2011 -

Administrators: jbalch (owner)

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From jbalch on 11/28/2011 7:57:02 PM

I owned this banjo for a few years. It found it on ebaY. It was sold to me by a gentleman who salvaged it from an old house in Massachusetts. I used it in the recording of my ~HOT~ Biscuit Jam cd. I sold it a couple of years ago.

Photos are here:

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhangout/photos.asp?id=1896&albumid=2873

4 Comments
	David McLaughlin says: 11/28/2011 7:30:30 PM Hey, John. What kind of work did your banjo need when it was salvaged from the old house? Or...How much restoration was done to it?
	jbalch says: 11/28/2011 7:50:56 PM David: It was missing the tailpiece and bridge. I gave it a light cleaning, found a period tailpiece, installed a Morris bridge & nylgut strings. I played it that way as long as I had it. I left the old head and patina in place. The action was a bit high by modern standards. but the heel fit the rim perfectly and the neck was dead-on straight. I'm convinced it was originally set-up for gut strings and high action. The photos I linked to this group are exactly as-found. One interesting thing, the ebaY seller was a total novice. This was his first auction. He had ZERO feedback. But I wanted the banjo so I took a chance and bought it. He told me the story about finding it as he was salvaging an old house.
	jbalch says: 11/28/2011 7:56:04 PM I just posted and linked a tune called Rattletrap from my cd: ~HOT~ Biscuit Jam. It was recorded using the Dobson set-up as described above.
	David McLaughlin says: 12/4/2011 7:41:54 AM Your Silver Bell looks like very nice example. I like that you kept the old patina.
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