{"id":15,"date":"2014-02-22T16:27:53","date_gmt":"2014-02-22T16:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gii.hmu.temporary.site\/website_473ea3da\/?page_id=15"},"modified":"2014-12-23T19:09:43","modified_gmt":"2014-12-23T19:09:43","slug":"catalog","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gii.hmu.temporary.site\/website_473ea3da\/catalog\/","title":{"rendered":"Catalog"},"content":{"rendered":"[dropcap]T[\/dropcap]he Arthur E. Smith Banjo Company was founded by Mark Surgies and Kathryn Spencer, two old-time banjo players experienced in the repair and building of banjos and guitars. In 1973, disheartened by the scarcity of good four and five string banjos and appalled by the staggering costs and mediocre workmanship of domestic and imported instruments, we began \u201cArthur Smith\u201d with the philosophy that quality was still desired by the American musician. We felt a need for a fresh concept in instrument building which would combine playability with old-time sound and style. Now in 1978 we feel we have achieved this goal and are known all over the country for our fine banjos.<\/p>\n

Our instruments appeal to that segment of the banjo-playing community which is looking for a well-crafted, fully guaranteed, American-made banjo. Suitable for folk music, old-time string-band music, New England or Southern square-dance music, or any other style where a clean sweet sound at either a soft or loud volume is desired, the Arthur Smith banjo is unique in both workmanship and design. The only direct comparison of our instruments that can be made is to the banjos produced by the A.C. Fairbanks, Vega, S.S. Stewart, and Orpheum banjo companies at the height of the banjo making era from about 1890 to 1920. Arthur Smith banjos are in no way copies of pre-existing instruments. However, the peg head shape, pearl work, marquetries, neck laminations, and neck shape are closer to the elegant late-Victorian masterpieces than anything else made today.
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\n The Neck<\/span><\/p>\n[dropcap]A[\/dropcap]rthur Smith banjo necks are made from the best New England sugar (rock) maple or native black cherry. The wood is cut under our own supervision from the finest logs in the area and is dried to the lowest ideal moisture content. For optimal stability, the necks are all laminated from two pieces of book-matched wood with one, three or five center laminations of natural wood. To further insure straightness we use a two-piece neck rod which is adjustable at the heel. Thus we can carve the necks thinner than in the old days of no rods, for faster, easier playing and reduced hand fatigue.<\/p>\n

To compliment the center laminations in the neck we use at least two contrasting veneers of maple, cherry, walnut, or mahogany under the peghead, fingerboard, and heel cap. Depending on model and customer preference these last three parts are rosewood or ebony. The Maple Leaf and Shelburne banjo fingerboards are bound with either grained white ivoroid or tortoise shell plastic.<\/p>\n

All the banjos are fretted with nickel-silver fret wire. For maximum sound we chose a 27 inch fret scale rather than the shorter scales used by most other modern manufacturers. This allows for a higher tension on the strings, yielding a clear, bright tone. Medium gauge strings are used as they give the best response in the instruments.<\/p>\n

The pearl work is exclusively of our own design and is cut and inlaid to the closest possible tolerances. The Northampton and Maple Leaf models and many of our custom necks bear the symbol of the company, the maple leaf. Pearl dots mark the fingerboards of the simpler instruments and in the more elaborate banjos a variety of pearl patterns are available. Finally, all Arthur Smith banjos are fitted with a solid ivory nut and fifth string pip.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Rim and Tone Systems<\/span><\/h2>\n[dropcap]T[\/dropcap]he Arthur Smith banjo rim is 5\/8 inch thick and laminated from New England sugar (rock) maple. Each is fitted with a heavy brass tension hoop, old-style shoes, hooks and nuts and tension tailpiece, and a Weather King plastic head. All hardware is nickel-plated.<\/p>\n

The Northampton rim is set up with a \u00bc inch round brass tone ring mounted in a specially routed groove in the top of the rim. The upper inside edge is beveled to allow for maximum resonance inside the sound chamber. On the bottom of the rim is a four-piece book-matched rim cap which is bound on the outside with a strip of rosewood and fancy marquetry and on the inside with a strip of rosewood. The wood of the inner and outer laminations forming the walls of the rim matches the wood of the neck. The tapered dowel connecting the neck to the rim is also of the same wood and the neck. So a banjo with a cherry neck would have a cherry dowel and rim wood, and a maple would have maple, though the rim core is maple in either case. This consistency in wood is found in all Arthur Smith banjos.<\/p>\n

The Maple Leaf and Shelburne tone system consist of three separate pieces: a hand-spun bell brass nickel-plated outer shell and two solid brass inner pieces, one \u00bc inch round, the other a 1\/8 by 3\/8 inch rectangle. The two inner pieces serve as seating rings, precision fit to the maple laminated rim to support the bell-like spun part. The three pieces work together in such a way as to produce a full-bodied sound that has power and clarity when played in a group or band with fiddle, mandolin, or guitar but is equally sweet and full when played as a solo instrument.<\/p>\n

We offer this system with either a four-piece book-matched rim cap as in the Northampton, or with a Bacon-style F.F. internal resonator. The resonator is made of a double-laminated wood inner ring and a wood back plate with five cut-outs in the design of maple tree spinner seeds. The tone system and resonator work together, partially confining a volume of air directly under the head, producing overtones and harmonics much like a bell in a tower. The choice of the combination reflects not only our great admiration of the Bacon banjo but presents our customers and friends with a unique and exceptional structure and sound. Arthur Smith is the only instrument company in existence today making an internal resonator banjo.<\/p>\n

FINISH<\/span><\/h2>\n

All models are finished with a minimum of six coats of high quality lacquer. The finish is hand-sanded between coats, then hand-rubbed to a brilliant sheen. A non-gloss finish is available upon request.<\/p>\n

ORDERING INFORMATION<\/span><\/h2>\n[dropcap]A[\/dropcap]rthur Smith banjos can be purchased directly from us. We custom make many banjos and are happy to make any banjo you want. In addition we usually have a small number of new and used instruments, as shown in this catalog, and various old banjos for sale at the shop. Feel free to write, call, or stop in and visit. We are available most of the time, including weekends, but it is advisable to make an appointment in advance.<\/p>\n

Custom orders can usually be delivered in one to three months, depending on the production schedule when the order is placed. Good work takes time and care; we have found through experience that patience on the part of the customer produces the best banjo.<\/p>\n

For prices, please see the enclosed price list. We reserve the right to change prices at any time; a 25% deposit on all orders and full payment is required before the banjo is delivered.<\/p>\n

We can extend a full return policy on any standard instrument, realizing that buying an instrument sight unseen involves a risk on the part of the customer. If you order a banjo from us and are for any reason dissatisfied, send it back undamaged and unaltered within 10 days of receiving it. Contact us first for shipping instructions and authorization. We cannot extend this policy to highly personalized or left-handed banjos; they would be just too difficult to resell.<\/p>\n

LIMITED WARRANTY<\/span><\/h2>\n

The warranty covers any defects in workmanship and\/or materials the original owner for an unlimited time. This warranty is not transferable to subsequent owners. It does not apply to \u201cexpendable parts\u201d including the head, bridge, or strings. It does not covert normal wear the tear or damage or misuse. We assume no liability other than the repair of defects in materials of workmanship, and all repairs must be done by us or by an authorized repair person.<\/p>\n

CARE OF THE BANJO<\/span><\/h2>\n

Because of the nature of the banjo, it needs care to maintain its integrity and sound. Banjos should have new strings every three months, or more often if played a lot. The plastic head may need tightening a few times when it is new, then it should stabilize and need only occasional tightening. To ensure that great Arthur Smith sound the head must be tight. So if your banjo sounds dull, tighten each nut 1\/4 turn; if that\u2019s not enough do it again but remember that a head can break if you tighten it too much. Heads can be cleaned with mild soap and water on a cloth. Bridges wear out and sag over the years; just keep an eye on it and replace when needed.<\/p>\n

The metal parts can be taken off and polished clean with silver polish, fine grade automobile polish, or 0000 steel wool. We strongly discourage the removal of the Maple Leaf or Shelburne tone system from the rim. They are very tightly fit and it takes a special method to remove it without damage to both either rim and tone system. Also getting it back on properly can be difficult.<\/p>\n

The fingerboard can be cleaned with 0000 steel wool and should be oiled regularly with light mineral oil or lemon oil furniture polish to prevent drying and cracking.<\/p>\n

For the best care of any fine instrument, keep it in a hard shell case at all times when not being played. Do not expose it to extremes in temperature as this will cause the lacquer finish to crack or craze. Finally, keep the fingernails on the left hand short; even moderately long nails will dig the wood out of a hard ebony board in a surprisingly short time. If these simple suggestions are followed, a banjo will last a lifetime and beyond.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[dropcap]T[\/dropcap]he Arthur E. Smith Banjo Company was founded by Mark Surgies and Kathryn Spencer, two old-time banjo players experienced in the repair and building of banjos and guitars. In 1973, disheartened by the scarcity of good four and five string banjos and appalled by the staggering costs and mediocre workmanship of domestic and imported instruments, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"template-biz.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-15","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gii.hmu.temporary.site\/website_473ea3da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gii.hmu.temporary.site\/website_473ea3da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gii.hmu.temporary.site\/website_473ea3da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gii.hmu.temporary.site\/website_473ea3da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gii.hmu.temporary.site\/website_473ea3da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/gii.hmu.temporary.site\/website_473ea3da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":579,"href":"https:\/\/gii.hmu.temporary.site\/website_473ea3da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15\/revisions\/579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gii.hmu.temporary.site\/website_473ea3da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}