1929 Bacon Style C Resonator Tenor Banjo

September 16, 2019

1929 Bacon Style C Resonator Tenor Banjo

This Groton-made Bacon Style C was a downmarket instrument in the Bacon line when it was made, but it still punches-above your average mid-plus-grade Chicagoland tenor banjo of the time. That's how it goes when you're a fancier brand, eh? It's in for consignment and it came to me in good shape, needing only glorified setup work to get it spitting fire again.

It has a somewhat-woody, punchy, zingy tone and the longer 23" scale makes it very suitable to "vintage jazz" and chord-smacking work. Melody players will like its fast neck, though.

Work included: a fret level/dress, side dots install, a new 1/2" bridge install, neck angle adjustment, and setup. The neck is straight (with hair-under 1/16" relief tune to pitch on the treble side), it plays with bang-on 1/16" action at the 12th fret, and string gauges are 32w, 20w, 13, 9 for CGDA standard tuning.

Scale length: 23"

Nut width: 1 1/8"

String spacing at nut: 15/16"

String spacing at bridge: 1 3/16"

Head diameter: 11"

Rim diameter w/hardware: 11 3/4"

Resonator diameter: 13"

Rim depth: 3 1/2"

Rim & resonator wood: ply maple w/mahogany veneer

Neck wood: mahogany

Fretboard: ebonized maple, bone nut

Bridge: maple/ebony

Neck feel: medium C/V-shape, flat board

Condition notes: it's all-original save a newer head and replacement bridge. The finish on the back of the neck, headstock, rim exterior, and resonator exterior, however, has been sprayed-over with a more-modern gloss coat. The color is correct so I'm pretty sure it isn't refinished, but the finish style looks like it could've been shot in the '70s or '80s at Gibson or Guild...!

It comes with: an original case in OK condition.