Bacon & Day Montana Silver Bell #1 upgraded 1925 Serial #18585

This Montana Silver Bell #1 was owned by Giraud Ross Edingen, artist name Eddy “Blackface” Ross. For a brief history of his musical life, have a look at click here.

This fairly simple model was upgraded, as the #1 was never gold plated and did not have the colorful side and back. Also the armrest was engraved with Eddy’s artist name and was then gold plated. The head was later replaced with a transparent head. The Serial #18585 dates the banjo to 1925 (according to the late Polle Flanoe’s database a Silver Bell Montana TB#1 later partially upgraded).

Eddy died in 1931, but still recordings exist (though I do not think on this particular TB);


note his pleasant style with probably 5 fingers and no pick.

This is one of my best sounding B&D’s. As the #1 to #5’s hardware is essentially the same, the difference in the higher numbers is mostly the “fancier” looks. There is one recording on Youtube when I sat in with this Montana with the Red Beans Ragtime Band of Cologne.

A very pleasant band with plenty of room for solo’s for everyone, with the result that titles can end up around a quarter of an hour. Feel free to listen to the whole band, banjo solo starts around minute 7 ;-).