This banjo is a typical (and an extremely rare) B&D Silver Bell #7 Ne Plus Ultra. It started its life at the factory as a "standard" SB #6 NPU - ebony neck and dowel stick - rim with "ebony" surface and inlaid MOP flowers - engraved metal parts etc. But as the banjo went into the finishing process, it was decided to give it a look á la a Montana #7 NPU. 

The mute has issues, maybe some missing parts, I will check with Polle Flaunoe, to see if he has a correct picture of one, to view.
 

Perforated inside tone ring

As with the last #6, it appears to have a section carving, as if it is built with two pieces.
You only see this junction, if the finish is very thin, as it is after many years of normal degradation.

Good heel fit to rim

Neck is constructed of Ebony with decorative and functional laminates, along with the use of Pyralin, on the fingerboard.

Wrong washer, I have the correct one to replace it with.

I will disassemble this for plating as well, since it was originally gold.
That is interesting, as if it was done at the same time as the banjo, I have only seen these in nickel..

Taking pics of the position of the rods and "L" brackets for the pickguard

Ready to go

Planets missing one spring, I have the correct one to add to it.
 

These are the functional parts of the mute.
This older version is strange to me, I will consult other BD experts , to see if it is all there.
4/07

Polle sent me a pic of what is all of the correct pieces for this model, so we are missing a main spring, the "cone" shaped one that goes under the soft pedal.
If anyone has an extra. please give me a shout.

I have removed the wood block with the cork stops already, to prepare it for plating.
One of the mute thumbscrews was on the Oettinger, and vice versa, so I corrected that.

All parts ready to go to plater

I am interested in the pencil marks on this rim.
Most BD's have something there, usually the style number
This one, I look at from all angles, I cannot guess what it is!
Can you?
Thanks!

Same on this side

All parts not going to plater, are saved with the other restorations Keith has with me at this time.

And we both have one of these! LOL

Rim sealed and ready to clear coat
I scuff ebony always, with a 100 grit paper, to ensure finish adhesion

Cleaned ivroid back to white, before clear coating

First coats of clear, on a few projects, it is a good day to paint outside.

Cleaned old vellum, and re-installed

Repainting damaged areas, in the resonator details

And adding a clear acrylic over the affected areas, as well as the rest of the detail.

Buffing to a high shine

Now, back to TONE.
90 percent, of all of the 1920-30-40's banjo, that used Pyralin, have issues, that are unseen, unless checks are done, under magnifiers.
The problem is that the Hydrocolluoid effect of moisture drying slowly out of the Pyralin, for many years, causes shrinkage of actual size.
many of you know what I mean, you see it on your banjo.
The effect it has on tone, is that it pulls away from the fret wire, and so does the wood underneath, in this case Ebony, which also has a very high shrinkage rate, as it dries out.
So when this happens, your fret wire is just "Floating" in the fret slot, with no retention, and unless something catches the side of one and you pull it up, then you will not know.
And poor retention in the slot, transfers to loss of tone, BIG TIME.
The way to check it, is to get a good magnifying glass, or glasses, and take a small screwdriver, and push on each fret end, while watching closely,. to see if it has any "Bounce"
If they move, they need re-sealed.
It is not an easy task determining all that can be loose, the ends are EZ to check, but if they are loose, chances are the whole wire is loose.
It took approximately 2 minutes to pull these wires, a task that should take 15 minutes, on a good day.
30 minutes to 2 hours, on ebony  or rosewood fingerboards
4 of the wires I pulled with my fingernails!
The rest, just basically fell out too.
2 were tight, that is it.
This is COMMON, check your banjos, even if you have Ebony or Rosewood boards, they all SHRINK.
Also, the Pyralin fret blocks are usually all loose, and will come off easily, and have to be resealed back to the base fingerboard.
You can feel it when you pull the fret wires, and see the edges rise.
 
 

Now........
We get to see what I am also good at, and that is covering defects.
This Ebony is Very "Sappy", and has a big old knot on the side, that was hidden with stain, as it will be again.
And the whitish areas you see, are the resinous parts of the wood .
So yes, this is a High end Bacon, but this tells me that when wood lots came in, and were sorted, the wood was cut to blanks, and used up any and every way the could.
Ebony is hard to work with, in this capacity, because it can be so blemished, that stains are the only way to blacken it, other than a stringent chemical process.
But no worries, I will make it disappear into the night again

Fingerboard steel wooled, then polished to high shine with buffing wheels.
It is ready for fretting, and detail painting
 

All missing rhinestones have been refitted
 

This Montana 7, in the Tsumara book, is the only banjo listed that has the same "banner" that encloses the "B&D" letters

Also this Montana  #7, the same shape banner
No number 6's shown in this book, have that design around the B&D.
So I will stick to my original "6/7" theory, and the Bacon experts will just have to suffer me that!

There are no examples in the book, of a back that has just B&D on it.
I have seen some in other collections however.
 

My Lion has caught a cold?
No, just stripping the finish in the carving, while protecting the Pyralin

Now it is time for some tedious work.
I will begin to fill the gravings, by first putting the thick gold leaf into the graved lines

The neck is braced in a vise, and I have a comfortable pose, along with magnifiers, and new ultra fine tipped brushes.
You cannot you cheap stuff, and get a good job on this process.

First block highlighted
The gold is much clearer to see now
 

I fill them with the thick pigment, and under lamps, partially dry it, but not so long the surface is hard to clean.
Its a learning curve, with heats and paints.

After wiping off the excess, this shows the gold leaf back in the gravings

Mixing my pigments to get as close of a match as possible , to the original colors.

Adding the maroon.
Lens flash is Hell on white Pyralin

Adding the other base coat
You had better be able to paint between the lines.
Stopping often. and breathing properly helps.

Filling in areas with shading

Ready to put 2 coats of high gloss clear, over my freshly painted gravings

This does not mean the fingerboard gets painted, the gravings only, just as before, with a fine brush, and magnifiers.

Installing frets.
Each fret slot is so loose, that the Glue in method must be used.
I have a method for doing this in Pyralin boards, which I keep as a trade secret.
It is very involved, and not for beginners.

All frets in, and ready to dress

The one bad eye has to come out, and I will pull the other as well, and put 2 new ones in after the refinish
You do not lacquer over the eyes, it fogs them

Adding black aniline dye, to the entire ebony section

After sealing coat added

5 coats of clear, buffed.

Upon removal of masking tape, many rhinestones that were poorly seated, came on out.
This is a blessing, now I know which ones were loose, and would have fallen out soon.
Many have been replaced over time, and some do not match, but that is the way with vintage instruments.

New stones set in Lion head.
These are premium rhinestones, made from glass, with gold backing.

Tuners installed

Frets polished, Ready to assemble

This is more than enough "Spring" the cone spring would be overkill, this has plenty of pedal pressure, and functions normally.
 

No refinish done to inside of resonator

I have some final adjustments to do, but then it can go home to Keith, and be amongst his other fine banjos of the world.
I feel lucky to have been able to work on such a fine Bacon banjo, and it sounds very good already, even before I have done any adjustments, so it is all "Roses" from here on out.
Thanks for viewing, and thanks to Polle Flaunoe, for all of his help with the identification.
Vinnie

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