Help: Jedson Banjo

Subject: Jedson Banjo
From: timeflies
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 11:17 AM

I've come into posession of a 4 string jedson banjo which I know nothing about, it looks like it was probably made in the 30's or 40's. It's maple with a screw on baffle behind the vellum. I've searched in vain for related sites without success... as you can probably tell I'm not a player, can anyone help point me in the right direction?? Thanks guys! J

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: Sorcha
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 11:22 AM

I don't know banjos, but Jon Freeman might help here, this is all I could find, and it's from the Banjo-L list. Several memebers here are also members of it, and may know more.....

My brother has got one of these - 5 string version. They're English, Made by John E Dallas and son. (J.E.D.son - geddit ?). The pre-war birdseye maple ones with a spin off resonator are not bad instruments. When these were made the company office (don't know about the factory) was in Clifton Street in central London where I currently work. The 5 strings have a zither style 5th string that goes down a tunnel to the peghead.

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: timeflies
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 11:48 AM

Hey thanks, Sorcha! Yeah, you're right - it is birdseye maple. The main problem is the machine heads which wobble all over the place aking it stay in tune right up until you take your fingers off the peg...... I'll check out the banjo-L list - do you think there's any chance of getting 'pattern' peg replacements to keep the style? I've no idea if it's worth going for something that migh bpricier than normal or not.... Is it worth anything? Thanks again J

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 01:06 PM

I'm afraid I can't help with info on the banjo - I know very little about makers (or anything else really).

Another source for info could be the alt.banjo newsgroup.

Re the tuning pegs, I believe Sully stocks some pegs that are suitable for older instuments. I would guess that Elderly would be worth a try in the US.

Jon

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: Deeps
Date: 30 Jun 08 - 03:44 AM

There's some info on Dallas banjos here clicky

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: Leadfingers
Date: 30 Jun 08 - 07:21 AM

Timeflies - If you are in UK , try a call to John Alvey Turner in Ware , Herts - Doug Parry does banjo repair and buys and sells - Also plays ! IF replacement pega are available he should know ! Land line is 01920 466924

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: theleveller
Date: 30 Jun 08 - 07:52 AM

A quick Google brought this up:

Born in 1856 John E. Dallas started to make banjos with J E. Brewster in a small workshop in London's Oxford Street in 1873 and two years later set up as a publisher and banjo maker at 415 Strand, from which address it is said he made banjos for the Moore & Burgess Minstrels and the Mohawk Minstrels. Dallas was a fine wood craftsman who fashioned some exceptionally high-class banjos and zither-banjos.
By 1893 the demand for his instruments made it necessary for him to take over the entire premises at 415 Strand; enlarge. his workshops; and employ men to make the large range of instruments he had put on the market. For some years he advertised that he personally tested every banjo and zither-banjo before it left his workshops.
At the height of the banjo boom he was making banjos and zither-banjos for other firms and teachers and some of the latter whose "branded" instruments were made for them by Dallas included W.H Plumbridge (Brighton), J. E. Brewster (London) and Norton Greenop (London). In 1905-6 the three sons of John E. Dallas were rewarded for their work with the firm and were given directorships and the firm's title changed to John E. Dallas & Sons.
In February 1914 the firm moved to 202 High Holborn and by the late 1920's the banjos and zither-banjos bearing the company's name were truly mass-produced instruments and started to bear the trade name of "Jedson." John E. Dallas died in 1921 and in August of that year the firm became a private limited company. Soon the activities of the company had spread far beyond the fretted instruments and with it came growth. In 1926 the firm moved to larger premises , at 6-10 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London, W.C.2 and there started to lay the foundation for the large wholesale distribution of everything musical for which the firm is today known. In 1937 the house of Dallas moved to Ridgmount Street and finally to Clifton Street, E.C.2. In June 1947 John E. Dallas & Sons Ltd. became a public company with an issued share capital of £500,000.
With the outbreak of World War II, Dallas ceased to make banjos but in 1947 they started to produce in small quantities the inexpensive banjos which have been sold by music shops throughout the country. These -bear the "Jedson" trade mark but are in no way comparable to the pre-war instruments bearing the same name. It was in 1963 that the Houghton works in Birmingham were closed down and George Houghton set up workshops for the Dallas company at Bexleyheath, Kent and it was from here that most of the post-war banjos bearing the Dallas name have been made.


Played a couple many years ago - it was quite a well-known make, along with Clifford Essex etc. I own a Lund 5-string from around the same period (1920s - 30s).

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Aug 10 - 03:14 PM

dude, they are worth over $20,000

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 Aug 10 - 07:57 PM

I woiuld suggest that 'Anon GUEST' 's comment should be TOTALLY ignored !

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 13 Aug 10 - 05:34 AM

LF - I Did!
Quack!
Geoff.

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: Bernard
Date: 13 Aug 10 - 06:01 AM

There was a lot of rather cheap guitar stuff in the 1970s with the Jedson name on, though it was generic Japanese/Taiwanese stuff, evidenced by identical stuff with other badges, such as 'Impact'. Probably a last ditch attempt to keep the company afloat?

20 grand for a banjo? What's so daft about that? Okay, don't tell me!!

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: Leadfingers
Date: 13 Aug 10 - 06:39 AM

A Clifford Essex Imperial would be a lot less than that - And the Long Neck Vega with Pete Seegers Signature only drew $400O

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: Bernard
Date: 13 Aug 10 - 08:05 AM

Wot's yer point?!!

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: GUEST,uk guest
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 08:47 AM

i once owned Jedson 5 string.   i believe it was made in about 1930. The resonator was Maple and the 5th G string was normally strung and not tunnelled to the bridge. The finger board was covered in mother of pearl and it was an extremely well made instrument with the original skin which i tightened. I played it finger style and the tone was fantastic. It was lost in a house fire 30 years ago and I miss it very much. I do not play banjo now only guitar

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: GUEST,f#dead
Date: 22 Apr 12 - 11:45 AM

I have one of these Jedson banjos. It's from the 30's best I can tell. It's the birdseye maple pot w/ a White Ladye tone ring. I believe mine was originally a tenor or plectrum. My 5 string neck, though well enough crafted is not original. The 5th string on mine is tunnelled. You can see pics of it here
http://www.banjohangout.org/myhangout/photos.asp?id=27941
Somewhere online I had seen some digitized Jedson vintage catalog pages. The original 4 string necks were 7 or 9 plys including some w/ bright red laminations for color.
I bought mine from someone in the UK. I paid about $500 plus s&h to the US. Sorry, no $20K.
It's a beautiful banjo w/ some unique features that differ from US made banjos.

Subject: RE: Help: Jedson Banjo
From: GUEST,f. Quann.
Date: 28 Mar 15 - 06:59 PM

Here's one than may make you go looking for this record album,.
About 20 yrs ago I was at a festival in VA and met Eric Weissberg, and while talking to him mentioned, of course "New Demention in Banjo and Bluegrass Album he made with Marshall Brickman Two things of interest here, the young boy standing in the park with them is Judy Collins son, and Brickman is playing a, you guessed it, a Jedson banjo.


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