Van Eps Recording Banjo

Made by Gariepey Banjo Company. Length: 99cm. The diameter of the skin head is 12" in and the diameter of the rim is 12.5" in.

Fred Van Eps (December 30, 1878 -- November 22, 1960) was an American banjoist and banjo maker. Fred Van Eps was one of the earliest banjo players to record extensively, and his recordings are sought after by collectors. Van Eps recording banjos were developed in part to enable better recordings to be made by using a bowl-shaped reflector under the head of the banjo with a hole in the head for the sound to come out of. Presumably a microphone would be placed immediately in front of the hole when recording. The "Van Eps Recording Banjo" was a well-known model until 1930. He was the father of jazz guitarist George Van Eps.

The Meisel Collection. This instrument is being sold from The Meisel Collection assembled over a period of forty years by an accomplished attorney from Princeton, New Jersey. The owner traveled the world in search of rare, interesting, and handsome instruments to fill a collection that until now was displayed in his beautiful Princeton home.

Please note: The items in the Meisel Collection are being sold F.O.B. Princeton, New Jersey. The recommended shipper is the U.P.S. Store, 174 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ 08542 which has extensive experience shipping fragile auction items. The Store can be emailed at store2026@theupsstore.com or called at 609-924-0759. The auction house makes no commission on shipping; payment for shipping is made by the buyer directly to the shipper. Although buyers are free to use any shipper they choose, we have found this shipper to be fair and reliable.

Condition: More detailed condition reports and additional photographs are available by request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is in very fine condition. Please message us through the online bidding platform or email Guernsey's at auctions@guernseys.com to request a more thorough condition report.