The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-05-16
rwANoINo THE BANJO.
Chat with a Maker and Master of the Pop
ular Instrument
fsan Francisoo CALL

ulaF Instrument
fSan Francisco CALL
st is said that you are the pioneer
banio-maker and teacher of the city,
said the reporter to jolly, red-faced little
man, with slightly gray hair and stoop
In his shoulders, @and as the banjo Is
coming into use as one of the most popu-
lar instruments of the day, have come to
have a talk with you on the subject
@Quite right quite right. l have been
here since s., but, l declare. the present
craze for banjo music beats anything
ever saw. Not only here, either, but all
over the country they have taken the
thing up, IN some cases to the exclusion Of
pianos and other instruments. especially
accompaniment for ballads that 1t is a
wonder it has not had run like this be
fore The trouble was, though,
that people did not like the idea Of
plaYing on an instrument that was so
strongly associated with darkey life In the
south, and with negro minstrelsy In gen.
eral Time has wrought a great change
in the notions of the people in this regard,
and the humble banjo has been elevated
to the rank Of the guitar. Besides, the
banjo, as it is manufactured, is not an in
strument to be sneezed at or cOughed
down when it is in the hands Of a player
who knows how to get music out of it.
Another thing about the banjo Almost
any one with an ear for melody can pick
up a toIearbly fair knowledge of it in a
few weeks, with any kind of application
That is why SO many people who don't
want to spend two or three years learning
the piano have begun to twang the ban jo
[ have pupils all over the city from Tar
fat to Mob hill / make the banjo for
them after they have taken a few lessons
Shd know what kind of an instrument
they want, Eigh-priced or low, maple
DirLyIn fraV7a f.rc ell
yer hoop
A list of the pupils was shown, and it
was found TO be long, including, as the
teacher remarked. persons of all grades in
life. 1t wasa matter of note that a large
number of well-knOwn young ladies in So
cietY have shown themselves to be
devoted to the art of playing this once
contemptuously treated instrument
Il can teach almost any young gentle
man or lady how to play the banjo in two
courses Of ten lessons EACH which Is doing
better than most banjo teachers. / taught
Lolita how to play in 1861. Well do l re-
member the night she made her first APP
pearance as banjo soloist In Mcguire, $
opera house They made her play until
her fingers were sore and her voice was
hoarse from singing In those days hardly
any one played the ban 10 off the minstrel
stage. Now you hear it everywhere.
They sell them at all the music stores, and
the heavy demand has contributed not a
little to the present boom in the music
trade. wouldn't advise any one to buy
q readY-made banjo, however. It's Just
like buying ready-made clothing or shoes.
The best article is that made to order by a
man who understands what banjo should
be and how to perfectly suit his customer.
Besides, you often have to pay an out
rageously high price-from $50 to $75 for
the ready-made instruments-when $25 to
$50 would be good price for them.
No one viii hesitate about playing on
this simple instrument when it is known
that fashion and culture have placed upon
it the imprint of their approval The
banjo has been a popular instrument in
1rst-class society in England for the past
two or three years. l had the honor OF
selling an elegant concert banjo to mem
Der of the princess royal party during
their visit to this city two years ago, and
giving him a few lessons. From this
gentleman I learned that Lady Randolph
Churchill, Lady Vaudeville, and many
others of equal rank are skillful banjoistS
The earl of Dunraven, it is said, has the
finest collection of banjos in the world, in
Guiding one worth 50, 900, having solid
gold hoop, fine rosewood neck, ivory
frets, and decorated with broad silk rib
bcns, on which are painted ferns and
leaves The English players order all
their banios from America. The idea of
making them does not seem to have struck
the manufacturers of musical instruments
over there, or, what is more likely, they
don't know how. In making a good
banjo you must have the right kind OF
wood, for one thing. My handles and
rims are all given three years to season in
before they are used for making banjos.
I have handles in my shop that were
sawed out fourteen years ago. If a banjo
Is made of wood not thoroughly seasoned
It viii warp and twist out of shape, Many
Of our banjo makers don't seem to under
Stand this -