A.C. Fairbanks & Co. Banjo

"White Laydie." No. 7. Pre-fire instrument. Original factory installed tubaphone ring, replacing an electric tone ring. Tubaphone came out in 1909. Serial #: 22765. Valuable, use in promotion. Length: 95cm. The diameter of the skin head is 11.75" and the rim is 12.25".

Albert Conant Fairbanks was born in 1852 in Sterling, Massachusetts. He was a banjo player with a desire to build his own instruments. In 1875, he started by building simple inexpensive 5-string banjos and within 5 years he had established himself as a credible luthier. In 1890, Fairbanks formed his own company-- A.C. Fairbanks and Co.-- and introduced his revolutionary new "Electric" model, which offered a bright and exciting future. The Electric tone ring added a pronounced brilliance and sustain to the tone of the banjo. In this version the entire metal assembly is contained in a thin metal sheath which is then spun over the outside of the pot. The renowned Electric tone ring consists of a scalloped metal truss which rests on the top of the wooden pot and supports a round metal ring. Fairbanks inventive designs paved the way for his successful brand and iconic banjos.

The Fairbanks company continued to produce a "Fairbanks & Cole" model until around 1897. It was similar in appearance to the early Electrics, but it had only a simple full-spun pot. It was identified by the Fairbanks & Cole model stamp as well as the Fairbanks stamp. An interesting variant of the Electric model was the Curtis Electric, named after Fairbanks' son Curtis who was a child prodigy on the banjo.

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.