-40%

Antique 1890 Buckbee 5 String Banjo, Very well setup and ready to play.

$ 792

Availability: 100 in stock
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
  • Era: 1890
  • Modified Item: No
  • Condition: Antique Buckbee 1880 banjo. Wonderful sound and appearance. Includes: Gold-plated replica bronze wrench key, custom new signed black canvas case, velvet lined. This banjo comes with my two book set: "Miss Theresa Vaughn", "Theresa Vaughn, the Broadway years" and a Gold-plated Buckbee replica bronze wrench key (see images). After 1900, banjos (even the most expensive ones ) used plywood laminated ( dead acoustically) rims with metal tone rings/chambers to artificially enhance their poor sound. This made those banjos sound cold and metallic ...Buckbee's steam bent single ply wood banjo rims have an amazing, variable voice. They are magical and romantic. See Mark Twain's comment on my Theresa Vaughn web site: www.TheresaVaughn.com
  • Exact Year: 1890
  • Banjo Type: 1890 Buckbee
  • California Prop 65 Warning: NA
  • Number of Strings: 5
  • Non-Domestic Product: No
  • All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
  • Model: Buckbee rim sheath spun over (top & bottom edges)
  • Custom Bundle: No
  • Brand: 1890 Buckbee 5 string banjo

    Description

    Please visit my
    very informative web page about Theresa Vaughn,
    Buckbee banjos and early Broadway.
    This banjo is an antique 1890 Buckbee.  World wide shipping available. Banjo comes with a custom beautiful black canvas case lined in red velvet and closes with 4 large brass snaps. This is how Buckbee cases where made. Our cases have the exact signatures of Theresa Vaughn and John H. Buckbee Jr. embroidered on top with glossy white thread. This banjo comes with my two book set: "Miss Theresa Vaughn", "Theresa Vaughn, the Broadway years" and a Gold-plated Buckbee replica bronze wrench key (see images).
    Some free online teaching available. 19th Century banjo, as Theresa likely played, is VERY easy and enjoyable to learn. I believe in just one hour you can easily learn to play songs from her time and also Rogers and Hammerstein tunes that came after her.. even if you are a beginner!  I see those R+H tunes to be direct descendants of Theresa's influence on Broadway in the 1890's.
    Theresa transformed Broadway and theater paving the way to R+H from the earlier Appalachian and minstrel music.
    Theresa introduced Broadway to the banjo ( Buckbee).
    A wonderful retired surgeon and lover of banjos helped me to reproduce Buckbee Gold-plated bronze wench keys. He carved a wood copy from photos I had and donated it to this project for casting in bronze.
    The wrench key has an opening to accept a chain if you want to use it as a necklace or bracelet pendant.