Bacon & Day Style C Mandolin Banjo (1928), ser. #26343, original black hard shell case.

Bacon & Day Style C Model Mandolin Banjo (1928), made in Groton CT, serial # 26343, sunburst lacquer finish, laminated maple rim, mahogany neck with ebonized fingerboard, original black hard shell case.

This Bacon Style C 8-string banjo is a very solidly made if rather modest instrument (for a Bacon) designed for amateur players or pros on a budget, still with some similar construction details to the celebrated B&D Silver Bell. The 8-string mandolin/banjo is one of the rarer B & D formats, this is one of the more obscure members of their budget line only made for a fairly limited time in the 1920s.

The materials and general construction are similar to the Silver Bell but with a simple tone ring, flat low-mounted flange and a pretty basic level of decoration. The heavy laminated maple rim mounts a plain sheathed tone ring, while the resonator has a raised-edge (not arched) flange with bell-shaped holes. The mahogany neck has an unbound dyed-maple fingerboard with pearl dot inlay. The headstock is plain with just a "Bacon" script inlay and mounts typical 1920s strip tuners. The finish is a brownish sunburst overall, internally finished in silver paint with typical Bacon markings on the dowel.

By the time this instrument was made the 8-string banjo was seriously in eclipse, with even the tenor about to become an endangered species. Nevertheless it stands as a monument to the quality achieved by the Bacon & Day operation even on their more inexpensive instruments. Although lacking the celebrated B&D flash this is an excellent value in a vintage man-jo, a fine player and fully capable of holding its own in any jug or ragtime band with a less obnoxious sound than some!

Overall length is 24 in. (61 cm.), 10 in. (25.4 cm.) diameter head, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth at side. Scale length is 13 3/4 in. (349 mm.). Width of nut is 1 7/32 in. (31 mm.).

This 8-string banjo shows some general wear but remains nicely original overall, fitted with a modern plastic head and a newer bridge. There is some wear to the finish overall most heavily scratching and scuffing to the resonator back and rim. The plating shows some corrosion most notably to the lower side of the hoop, which also has some rather inexplicable scarring to the metal on the top rim. All original hook and nuts along with the original tailpiece and oft-missing tailpiece cover are intact.

The frets show only very minor wear and as mandolin-banjos go this is an excellent player; solider than most in its price class and did we mention loud? It is VERY loud, and if that is what's wanted is a simply a splendid example of a rare banjo-mandolin, a modest but nice player's example of this eccentric stringed hybrid from one of the best banjo makers. Very Good + Condition.