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Stewart Banjo Fans: eBay Alert
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Subject: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 21 Sep 01 - 03:35 PM There's a lovely S.S. Stewart 5-string banjo being auctioned on E-Bay right now, too rich for my blood (over $1100) but check it out. I would guess that it's the Orchestra Model No. 3, about 1894 vintage according to my 1986 reprinted catalogue. Do a search for "Stewart Banjo" and it should come right up. Lovely inlay pattern and mosaic wood pattern inside rim. Drool, drool! |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Steve in Idaho Date: 21 Sep 01 - 04:39 PM I did not know that S.S. Stewart instruments were worth anything! I have an old Banjolin made by this outfit. I figured it was just a wall hanger. Peace - Steve |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: GUEST Date: 21 Sep 01 - 05:06 PM Click here |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Deckman Date: 21 Sep 01 - 05:21 PM I was a teenager (yes, I actually was one once, in another century) when I first ran into S.S. Stewarts. I learned then that they were the open backed (non-bluegrass) banjo of choice. Always a sweet, gentle, mountain sound. I wish I could afford one today. You can always shove a rolled up sock between the head and the brace and produce a muted sound that won't wake the children in the middle of the night ... which is when ALL dedicated banjo players practice ... right? CHEERS, Bob |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 23 Sep 01 - 10:59 AM Guest - thanks for the blue clicky. Stewarts are generally fine instruments. Even there more inexpensive ones are worth looking at, although if the neck is twisted or bowed you're looking at a wall decoration or spare parts. They were generally set up for gut strings and one sould be careful about mounting heavier steel strings. Mine does fine with medium gaugue as should the one listed on E-Bay. Unfortunately, they ones that are fancier are avidly sought by non-player collectors but a few weeks ago a well-made Thoroughbred went for about $750. I'm not sure what the best bidding technique is for E-Bay. There's frequently a flurry of last minute bids and if you're doing that you seldom get a second chance. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 25 Sep 01 - 02:44 PM One more day to go on this auction; bid up to $1125. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Frailin Gill Date: 25 Sep 01 - 03:32 PM I have one thats been in my family since about 1900. When I was learning to play I used to stuff my jumper in the back so I could practise without disturbing my flatmates who were sudying for exams. I'd no idea either that it was worth much, even though I think it sounds lovely. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: GUEST,Les B Date: 25 Sep 01 - 05:30 PM I know that old Stewarts sound good, but I've just got to say this (re - the blue clicky link) that's a really garish headstock & neck !!! I've seen several old banjos lately that a local collector has and it seems that there was a period in the 1870's to 1890's when the inlay work was very, um, well, "busy". The more mother of pearl, or whatever, in whatever shape, that could be stuck on the neck, the better. Circles and squares, like on the above banjo, seemed to be the favorite. It reminds me of the old "find the Popes in the pizza," skits on Saturday Night Live TV ! Has anyone ever done a treatise on the development of the art of inlay patterns or traced them historically ? If so, please reference. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: DonMeixner Date: 25 Sep 01 - 05:59 PM This banjo is of a type that a friend of mine called Confetti banjos. He had at one time six of these old Stewarts in just about new condition. He collected them over the years, usually buying or trading them from students who wanted to play tenor banjo. The last one he had went to a Japanese collector who paid over $1,100 Americain for it about 15 years ago. I played it befoe it left the country. It was nice but not as nice as his Vega Tubaphone. Don |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 26 Sep 01 - 06:22 PM Gone for $1804! Well, it did look sharp but I think it went for much more than it was worth; I think $1200 should have done it. I got my brother a S. S. Steward Thoroughbred (which he still has) with similar inlay pattern, plus an urn on the peghead, for $55 back in 1964; the owner was only interested in 4-string banjoes and the Stewart was taking up space; I was expecting to pay about $500 back then...Sigh! |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 02 Oct 01 - 08:08 AM There's a new Stewart beauty on E-Bay now, even prettier than the last one, sitting at $1200 with the reserve met. The Champion Model was one of their best, and a Number 3 was the best grade of that model. Here's what the seller says: "SS Stewart 5 String Banjo with marquetry and mother of pearl inlay. Also German silver wire inlay in peghead. This is a Champion model grade 3. Serial # 8280. Rim dia. 11". Has original tailpiece, see pics. Original brackets and shoes. No fret wear. Fantastic sound. Fantastic action." Sigh! Just look at the inlay and the marquet work... |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 06 Oct 01 - 09:16 PM The Champion model S.S. Stewart went for $1526. What a beauty...The seller picked it up from Elderly Instruments for much less. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 11 Oct 01 - 02:21 PM Well, now there's another S.S. Stewart worth looking at. It's a 1894 No. 1, unknown model, with nice inlay and pretty much in original condition judging by the ornate friction pegs. The pot is probably around 11 inches in diameter. No. 1 models don't have carving on the neck, and lack the veneer strips under the fingerboard which strengthen the neck (essential if you're planning to use steel strings on these puppies. It's currently bid up to $600 and met its reserve and really shouldn't go for much more. Nice digital images. I'm amazed that people are still digging these instruments up in basically original condition. Are there no other S.S. Stewart banjo watchers out there? |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 23 Feb 02 - 02:49 PM Well, there's another nice S.S.Stewart listed on E-Bay. This one has the highest level inlay pattern on the fingerboard that I've ever seen. It was manufactured in the 1890's for sale by Sears Roebuck under the Acme label but appears to be the real thing. It's currently being bid at about $800 and has met its reserve. It should go for well over $1500. The seller also provides a nice link to a S.S. Stewart website for more information. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 24 Feb 02 - 10:27 AM Bid on the Acme/Stewart is now up to $975. Bet it reaches $2000. Any takers? |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Bill in Alabama Date: 24 Feb 02 - 05:39 PM That's quite similar to the Stewart I play in my shows. I was told that it was the 1893 'Acme University Glee' model. Fingerboard and headstock inlay are the same, but carving on the heel is slightly different. It's a great banjo. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: GUEST,Lynn Koch Date: 24 Feb 02 - 08:42 PM I have a tenor banjo which I purchased second hand at a local dealer (Ithaca Guitar Works). It's not pretty by any means...no inlay, and even the name on the headstock is painted on. It's a Kalamazoo, which I understand (correct me if I'm wrong) is a war-time Gibson made from less than ideal woods. The curious thing about it, though, is that the bridge has SS Stewart stamped on the side. It's possible that the bridge was scarfed from a defunct banjo, though it appears too that Gibson did indeed make some banjos for SS Stewart. The head is natural hide, too, so that's gotta date it back a bit, doesn't it? Any clues here, folks??? |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 25 Feb 02 - 08:20 AM Stewart Banjos began making tenor banjos in the early 1900's. It is possible that the one you have was manufactured by another company based on one of their models. Unless it is one of the more elaborate ones, it's unlikely that it would be worth much money. The composition of the head itself is not necessarily an indication of age, and the bridge may, indeed, have been scarfed from a real Stewart. If you periodically check E-Bay (search for Stewart Banjo) you should see a number of tenor banjos going for relatively modest prices, $100 to $200. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: GUEST,Ernest Date: 26 Feb 02 - 02:08 AM Hello Charlie Noble, can you tell me the source of your information about S.S.Stewart tenor banjos? I am interested in this because I got one too, but it might be older than the one described by Lynn Koch. The looks and the number (according to the information about production numbers on the mugwumps-site) indicates a production before 1900. Until now I have only seen pictures of Stewart tenors similar to Lynn Kochs (if all). Has anyone heard of forgeries or is there information of the Stewart company altering their other models to tenors? Thanks in advance Ernest |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 26 Feb 02 - 08:09 AM Ernest - My base document is a reprint of a 1896 S.S.Stewart catalog reprinted by Mugwumps back in 1973 in which there are no 4-string banjos listed. A variety of 20th century ones do surface on E-Bay that do not appear to demonstrate the quality of construction of what I've seen from the 1890's. That's not to say that Stewart didn't produce an occasional 4-string banjo during this period but if they did so it would be an extremely rare banjo. What does your look like? |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: GUEST,Ernest Date: 27 Feb 02 - 02:21 AM Charlie Noble - thanks for the information. My banjo is a "Universal Favourite" model, it looks very much like the pre-1900 Stewarts pictured at Mugwumps or in the book by Gura and Bollmann. It has the shamrock carvings at the base of the neck, which are also shown at Mugwumps, and a few inlays on the neck. Ernest |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: cobber Date: 27 Feb 02 - 06:02 AM I've got a couple of Stewarts here in Australia, both bought from second hand furniture shops. The Orchestra cost me $75 Australian (half that to get the US equivalent) which I thought was a pretty good buy. The carving on the heel was the signature of the maker. We have a guy here who has all the old Stewart information and I checked it out a while back. Apparently the individual craftsmen were given a lot of freedom as long as they met the standard. Mine has a lovely heel carved with a floral design that really shows the maker's art. Apparently, the company that bought the rights to Stewarts (sorry, I can't remember which now)can still be contacted and if you tell them the serial number they will send you the details of the maker etc. Can anyone else add to this. Sorry folks, but the other banjo is a Lady Stewart. I was in a junk shop and saw a carved leather case on a high shelf so I asked how much. "Six dollars" he says so I gave him the money and he got the ladder. I opened the case, and the banjo was inside. "Gee" he says, "I didn't know there was anything in it" but he stuch by his price. Anyone want to offer me $6.50> |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Steve Latimer Date: 27 Feb 02 - 08:05 AM Cobber, That's a great story. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 27 Feb 02 - 08:14 AM Cobber - sorry I missed you when I was in Australia last December. We could have compared Orchestra model Stewarts. Mine is a grade 2 model; 12 inch head; a layer of veneer under the fingerboard; a few stars, moons and diamonds as an inlay pattern, probably built in the early 1890's (serial number 13894). The case got badly trashed in transit but because I had also securely strapped it, there was no damage to the banjo. Your banjo is easily worth more than $750 U.S., and more depending on its grade; you certainly got the buy of a lifetime. Could you describe your Orchestra Stewart in more detail? |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 01 Mar 02 - 08:43 AM Not to be tedious but there's another superb S.S. Stewart Thoroughbred listed on E-Bay today, currently at $750. I've never seen one with such ornate carving on the neck, carving even under the peghead. It was made in the early 1890's (according to its serial number), has a 12-inch head, and appears to be in remarkable condition after spending decades in someone's attic. I'm amazed that such quality instruments are still turning up. This one should go for more than $1500, assuming its neck is still straight. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 02 Mar 02 - 09:39 AM Whoops! The above Stewart is now running at over $1900. Somebody really likes the lion's head carving on the neck, even though there's a small chip out of it. There's also a Canadian-made banjo listed now, modeled after the S.S. Stewarts which is worth a look and probably will not go for too much. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 03 Mar 02 - 04:46 PM Now that fancy carved S.S. Stewart Thoroughbred is being bid at $2425. The sellor is in for one hell of a pleasant surprise; he seems to deal in quite a range of estate antiques and didn't seem very familar with what he was placing on E-Bay. I also notice that someone from Australia has placed a Stewart on E-Bay; could this be Cobber from above? |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 05 Mar 02 - 01:47 PM The Acme Stewart went for $1625. The Stewart Thoroughbred is now up to $2550 with no end in sight. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: GUEST,cobber Date: 06 Mar 02 - 01:04 AM The orchestra model I have has a paticularly large head, if I remember rightly it was about 131/4 inches so I've always used a real pigskin. No it's not the one on E-Bay. Sure, I could use the money but now with a wife and kids to support, I'd never be able to replace it. Anyway, It travelled with me for a lot of years so it would be like selling one of my children. I was in the US a few years back and was surprised then at the size of the offers people were making. Mine is fairly plain except on the heel which has a lovely floral carving. The Lady Stewart is even plainer and has ivory violin style pegs. It had a broken tailpiece when I got it which I haven't been able to replace so when I made one, I incorporated some violin tuners into it as it was a beast to tune. This one is also not for sale as it has been promised to my son when he gets older. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 06 Mar 02 - 07:48 AM Cobber - your Orchestra Stewart sounds similar to mine, except mine has a 12-inch head. Mine also has a layer of veneer under the fingerboard to strengthen the neck, which generally indicates a better grade model. The absence or presence of a neck adjuster appliance generally indicates whether the Stewart was made before or after 1896; mine is pre-1896. I'm very comfortable playing mine and wouldn't sell it either but I do like to admire other Stewart banjos, and recently purchased a Special Thoroughbred Stewart on E-Bay which I'm refurbushing for resale; it should sound as good as my Orchestra but was set up for bluegrass. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Steve Latimer Date: 06 Mar 02 - 08:14 AM You guys might find this interesting. You will have to scroll down to a 1920's Lady Stewart. It seems to be well priced based on the above. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 07 Mar 02 - 07:45 AM My guess is that the "Lady Stewart" is an earlier 1890's model produced for some other distributor such as Sears Roebuck. The high serial number does not correlate with the regular Stewart serial numbers; there's a gap mentioned in the Mudwumps Website where a new set of serial numbers started at 50,000. I think this banjo is way over-priced and shouldn't sel for for than $500, if that. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Steve Latimer Date: 07 Mar 02 - 08:26 AM Don't know much about them Charley, I just thought I'd post it for you guys. It does convert to $629 U.S.
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 08 Mar 02 - 03:21 PM Well, the bidding on the Stewart Thoroughbred with the lion's head heal went up to a breath-taking $4326. The happy buyer won his first auction in a last minute flurry of bids. I wonder if he'd be willing to pay another thousand or so to have it properly tuned. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 13 Apr 02 - 05:21 PM Hmmm. Time to refresh this thread. There's a very nice S.S. Stewart Special Thoroughbred, No. 2, listed on E-Bay, well worth a look. Not the most ornate model but good enough to make any oldtime picker very happy. I would expect this one to go for somewhere between $750 and $1200, Additional details I've gotten from the seller confirm that there are 3 layers of veneer under the fingerboard reinforcing the neck, the neck is straight, and the head itself is about 11". The peghead is very nicely rendered in mother of perl and copper; the neck inlays are either simple dots or diamonds. The heel of the neck is nicely carved. There's a Stewart banjo website run by Mudwumps (see above) that will provide you more details about these fine banjos. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 10 May 02 - 07:26 PM There's a clone of my current favorite banjo on E-Bay, an S.S. Stewart Orchestra #2 model with a 12" head and reinforced veneer neck. It even has the same inlay pattern and heel carving and a similar serial number. My banjo, which I've had for 20 years, has a rich mellow tone and I would reasonably expect the one of EBay to be similar. The bid is currently around $650 but it should go over $1000 and still be a good buy. Search for "Stewart Banjo" when you reach Ebay. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 15 May 02 - 05:41 PM The Orchestra Stewart is now up to $762, has made its reserve, and bidding will close 5/19. If you're serious about old time banjo take a look at this one. It's very well made. There's also a very nice early Stewart Solo Banjeaurine, circa 1880's, which has been bid up to $400 but hasn't made its reserve. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Jeri Date: 15 May 02 - 06:45 PM Charley, the only thing I get (other than a catalog) when I search for "stewart banjo" is this. (Not that I'm looking for another banjo. Just nosey.) |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 15 May 02 - 07:39 PM I'm sorry, Jeri. Go to e-Bay and then search for "stewart banjo", don't use the quotation marks. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Jeri Date: 15 May 02 - 07:56 PM I didn't use the quotation marks. This is what I get. No big deal. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 15 May 02 - 08:01 PM It does take some time to navigate to the "e-Bay Auction Site" from scratch and then search for stewart banjo on the e-Bay Auction website. I can't do a reliable blue clicky (maybe some kind soul would do that for those interested in a quick banjo fix)but here's what I copied from my most recent search: search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&query=stewart+banjo Since I'm always interested in a few particular goodies, I have each search bookmarked as a favorite. Although sometimes I do a search for "acme banjo" since Stewart Banjo were sold by Sears under that brand name and many appear to be quality instruments. I'm not interested in the 1920's and 1930's Stewart banjo mandolines, which are generally poor quality mass produced instruments. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 19 May 02 - 10:12 AM Only 11 hours to go on this auction; high bid is holding at $811, which would be a steal for a banjo of this quality. I do have a question of how deeply the pot is tarnished; the images provided are suspiciously underexposed and the seller refuses to provide me additional information. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 20 May 02 - 08:17 AM The Orchestra S.S. Stewart went for $1376; the details of the bidding can be found by doing the usual search for Stewart Banjo, then clicking "completed items" and "bid history." I think that's a fair price for a high quality antique banjo. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 02 Jun 02 - 10:23 AM NEW FLASH! Someone has dug up another stunning Stewart banjo; check out image showing the mozaic of inlayed woods on the inside rim: "Just uncovered from the back of the attic an S. S. Stewart Banjeaurine Banjo with Mother of Pearl inlays in ebony, hand carved body, fantastic wood inlay around the inside rim. Made in Philadelphia, Pat'd Jan 11, 1887. Of course it needs a new skin, 3 pieces of the MOP are missing, there is an old repair (seen in photo of carved body), needs new strings. All of the parts are present and accounted. Comes with original case in fair condition. Measures 28" long, 13" diam., 15" neck." Too bad about the crude repair in the heel. Bidding up to only $787. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 03 Jun 02 - 08:57 PM Refresh! Hey, it can't hurt to look! |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 12 Jun 02 - 10:48 AM Just checked the "completed items" and the S. S. Stewart Banjeaurine Banjo went for a tidy $1201. It really looked nice. |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 27 Jun 02 - 09:44 AM Here's a new dazzling eBay listing, one of those stealth Stewarts mascarading under the "Acme" label: "THE ITEM You are bidding on a late 1800's (1890's) S.S. Stewart Acme Professional Banjo. It is an openback 5 string. With a beautiful mother of pearl Vine Inlay that runs the length of the neck. With an ivroid serrated button on the tailpiece tailpiece. This is a full scale five string neck, with a fiberskin head on the rim, and the strings are in fine order. The detail and craftsmanship of this banjo is beautiful. ITEM CONDITION This item plays wonderfully. With a nice tone. It frets true, the strings are a little high near the rim as would be expected in a piece this age. It still frets true the whole length of the neck. The vine inlay is all there, and in beautiful condition. The rim is all sound and in good condition. Only minimal dings and dents on the peg head . A small piece of ebony has been replaced near the fifth nut, bottom fret, and last piece of fret board. These pieces are very tiny., and the replacement job was perfect. The small white iveried or plastic serrated button is in good condition with some slight dings. I will include a chipboard case, it is not the original case, but it is almost new. This is a beautiful and sound instrument. Would be nice for a collector or a player. Bid with confidence." Current bid is $1500 and I would expect the bids to run up to at least $2500. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Steve Latimer Date: 27 Jun 02 - 10:41 AM Charley, What a gorgeous looking instrument. Steve |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 27 Jun 02 - 04:16 PM Steve, That's what this thread is all about...DROOL! The S.S. Stewart "Acme Professional Banjo" was retailed by Sears & Roebuck and sometimes you can find great bargains from sellers who list a "Vintage Acme Banjo" but have no idea that it is associated with S. S. Stewart. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Stewart Banjo Fans: E-Bay Alert From: Charley Noble Date: 29 Jun 02 - 09:18 PM The S.S. Stewart "Acme Professional Banjo" went to a novice bidder for $1900; I think he got a great deal! |
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