1907 F. W. Bacon Professional FF Chubby Dragon Banjo (SOLD)

Here's a beautiful, very rare and wonderful piece - from 1907, an F. W. Bacon Professional FF 'Chubby Dragon' 5 string banjo, likely built by the Vega company just before Bacon hired David Day. Soon after that, F. W. Bacon became Bacon and Day. Bacon and Day produced many of the finest banjos available for some time, and were eventually bought by Gretsch in 1940.

 

This is a very well preserved, fully playable instrument with its original leather 'trap door' case. It shows all the characteristics of top range instruments of the time - carved heel, lots of engraved mother of pearl inlays, marquetry purfling. Unusually, the nut is a chunk of mother of pearl. The tailpiece is a No Knot, patent 1901, and the arm rest is stamped 'Elton'.

 

The engraving on the inlays, in particular the 'Chubby Dragon' on the headstock is nothing short of spectacular.

 

This banjo has been in Canada for some time, and the maple leaf tooling on the strap is a hint of this.