Author: Beckwith Gaylord

I’ve been the proud owner of the Northampton #AES-255 since the mid 70’s. I purchased it from David Shepherd Guitar shop in Raleigh NC and it has been with me all of these years. I’ve had many other banjos over the years but this one has always been one of my favorites. I’d love to hear any information you have about it.

I picked up AES #336 at a pawn shop many years ago where the seller had no idea what he was selling. I also had no idea what I was buying. Just today I was able to figure out that it Must be a A.E. Smith Northampton. I love this banjo and play it every day. Two drum heads, new pegs and about a thousand sets of strings and it still sounds sweet.

I’m the original owner of an AES Northampton, serial #131. I purchased her from a small folk music shop across from Old Dominion University by the name of ‘Ramblin Conrads’, in Norfolk VA. I could ill afford this seeming extravagance at the time but have never regretted doing so. I have not been as diligent in playing it as I’ve been in the last year but it has accompanied me through my life and always called to me. I recently had her refretted and new tuning pegs put on. We spend a lot more time together now and hardly a day goes by without a session in my workshop. Truly a timeless beauty with a sweet voice. Thanks.

My memory was spotty, but Kate’s record system filled in some of the gaps. Apparently it was 1977, and I’d negotiated my first real job for the following Fall. The anticipated bump in income meant that I could consider replacing the banjo I made for myself while still in high school (1965) by one made by someone who knew what they were doing. A small store (Sandy’s) on Mass Ave in Cambridge, MA had a selection of Arthur E. Smith banjos. Of the three basic designs, the Maple Leaf called to me. It rang out as I imagined it should. (The subtlety of the internal resonator was lost on me then. It also cost quite a bit more — a bargain for the work involved but a big step for someone still counting pennies.) Kate notes that on my warranty card it notes I said that the one I purchased was “absolutely delightful.”

That was the only banjo I played for many, many years, only in recent times falling prey to a fascination with how banjos work and how they develop their individual voices. But the Maple Leaf remains absolutely delightful.

I had never heard of A.E. Smith banjos, having only gotten into playing in 2013. I bought a Goodtime and once I was good enough to play a few tunes I started looking for another open back (not that the Goodtime is not a good banjo, it is!). I came to a realization that for the banjo of my dreams I was looking at at around $2k…which recently divorced and with three little girls…I did not have. Then one day on the BHO classifieds I noticed this ad from a man at a well known Banjo manufacturer selling an A.E. Smith banjo…thats not a their brand! Anyway the price was very, very reasonable and was sold as-is. I jumped on it within an hour of the posting. The seller finally got back with me a couple days later, I had thought by this point I had missed out. He said he was surprised by the number of people who responded to that ad so quickly offering full price…but I was first and if I would pay the full price (again…VERY reasonable) it was mine. I jumped on it. Now, since he worked at a well known banjo manufacturer he said he would have one of their guys set it up for me. I almost told him to not bother and just send it but it was very generous of him so I just accepted. Unfortunately the next time I heard from him it was to let me know it had shipped, but also that there was a problem with the neck and that their technician (he did not say luthier) had had to restet the neck..my heart sank…that just did not sound right, in the pictures it looked fine. Oh well, nothing could be done about it now. When the banjo arrived the neck rest was a bit of a hack job and the neck was wiggling, after taking it apart the issue was (and I believe was from the start) a loose dowel. In the mean time the Tech had not fixed this issue but had instead shaved a bit of the heel at pot attachment! The good news is that after removing the dowel (though loose it did not want to come out of the neck) and a little TLC and Titebond the dowel was aligned and solid with the neck. Remounting it to the pot showed it was a tiny bit off at a side angle….very, very minor and not worth shimming (pretty sure this is due to the small amount the “tech” shaved off the neck is the cause). I was a little concerned, but I needn’t have been the banjo plays like a dream. I was (and am) so exited and privileged to be able to play such a premium instrument. My Northampton by the way is serial #496 and I cannot imagine parting with it. I forgot to mention it also came with the original case and still had the warranty card (unfilled out) and neck tag. By the way, I was offered $1200.00 by one of the people who were a little slower in responding to the BHO ad…I said “Thanks, but no thanks”! Thanks for making such a wonderful banjo!

“The appointed thing comes at the appointed time in the appointed way.”
–Myrtle Reed (1910)

I’m relatively new to the banjo. I started about 18 months ago, but it’s only after retiring last October that I’ve had the chance to devote substantial time to it.

When I started out, I made a number of trips to the local music store only to be overwhelmed by the possibilities (tone ring, head, …). I also found that most of the instruments sounded very brittle to my ears. I ended up with one but the search continued.

While I’m new to banjo, I’ve been playing (at) guitar for 50 years, so I know how it works for me. I buy, I sell, I buy, I sell, I buy, I buy, I sell…until eventually, if I get very lucky, the instrument that was meant for me lands in my hands.

I’ve known Kate for about 10 years but heard about this blog only a few months ago. I’d known about AE Smith banjos, but they were always on the periphery since I didn’t play banjo. Now, reading the blog made me eager to try one. When I mentioned to Kate my regret that they were no longer being made, she told me that a used Shelbourne model (AES 265) just came into Maple Leaf Music and was in the process of being set up. I called the shop and was told that it would be back by next week. I thought we’d left things so that they would contact me when it was ready, but I decided to follow up just before the close of business on Friday of the following week.

Good news: The banjo had come into the shop only an hour earlier.
Bad news: There were two people coming to see it the next morning. Good news: Neither had placed a deposit on the banjo, so my Visa card was all it took to get the banjo shipped to me.

I’ve discovered over the last 18 months that if I had to pick a banjo sight unseen (or, rather, tone unheard), I’d choose one with a Bacon tone ring. The Shelbourne has not only a Bacon tone ring but also an internal resonator. This should have been the happy ending to the story, except…

Bad news: it didn’t win me over immediately. It didn’t sound particularly warm to me ears.

I mentioned this to Kate who suggested swapping the Renaissance head for Fiberskyn and…

Great news: That made all the difference!

Like all hand crafted instruments, AES 265 has its own unique personality. The neck is on the narrow side (1-3/16” at the nut; 15/16” from the middle of the first string to the middle of the fourth string at the nut). However, my fingers find it to be the most intuitive of any neck I’ve played. My fingers are right where they need to be when they need to be there.

The neck and pot are dark. I’ve been told that most AES banjos are blond. I know nothing about wood, so I can’t say if it’s the wood itself (mahogany?) or due to staining.

It’s on the heavy side (just shy of 8 pounds), but one nice thing about old time music is that it’s invariably played sitting down!

I wrote earlier that if I were to get very lucky, the instrument that was meant for me would land in my hands. Well, it did. It’s AES 265.

Here’s a youtube of Christian at Maple Leaf Music in Brattleboro, Vermont. He is playing AES 265, just before it went home with Jerry.

https://youtu.be/48MABvN_bEw