Bacon & Day Roy Smeck #4 Silver Bell Tenor Banjo 1930's Vintage

This is an item from my father's estate. He played music his entire life and even jammed with Johnny Cash, Byron Berline, Vince Gill, Mark O'Connor and many others. Though he could not read one note of music, playing all by ear and memory, he was an Old Time Fiddle Judge and avid participant at music events and festivals. He maintained a music recording studio within his home for most of his adult life. This item came from a working environment. Below is everything we either personally know or have been told about the item from experts.

Here is the appraisal report from George Gruhn, of Gruhn's Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee. George Gruhn is America's foremost authority on guitars. Inurance agents, the U.S. Legal & Court System, and even manufacturers use George Gruhn as the final word in establishing the market value of a guitars. This is the report we received from Mr. Gruhn.

May 11, 2015
" I have examined the attached photos of the instrument described below, but have not seen the instrument itself. Below is my estimate, based on these photos, of the instrument's value; however, it is not possible to judge from photos alone the exact state of originality and need of repair, so my appraisal is only accurate insofar as the photos are representative of the actual condition of the instrument.
We certify the tenor banjo described below is, in our opinion, a Roy Smeck style number 4 Silver Bell made by Bacon & Day of Groton, Connecticut during the early 1930s.

Description: This banjo is missing some of the inlaid rhinestones in the peghead and the gold plating of the metal hardware shows significant wear, but this instrument appears otherwise to be in good original condition. It features typical Silver Bell construction, resonator flange with F holes, engraved gold plated metal hardware, Planet brand tuners with genuine mother of pearl buttons inlaid with rhinestones, pearloid plastic painted and engraved veneers on the peghead, fingerboard, heel cap, and resonator, solid rosewood neck, knee mute, and four finger Oettinger tailpiece.

Current market value: $3,500 (three thousand five hundred dollars)