This page contains text excerpts and
photographs that are copyrighted and that are used herein by special
permission of the D.C. Ramey Piano Company. Be it further noted
that the author of this site is not affiliated with the D.C. Ramey Piano
Company, nor shall any person or entity associated with this web site assume
any responsibility or liability for any of the materials or products
mentioned on this page, and that may be produced, sold, and/or distributed
by the aforementioned Ramey Piano Company.
Part
of the information below is excerpted from the booklet entitled "Encore
-- The Tale of the Automatic Banjo," authored and copyrighted by the D.
C. Ramey Piano Company (see inset at right). The booklet can be
purchased for $5.00, plus tax (for Illinois residents) and shipping.
Please send any inquiries or orders regarding the booklet or the new
Encore Automatic Banjo to:
D. C. Ramey Piano Company
17768 Woodview Drive
Marysville, Ohio 43040-9711
(708) 602-3961
The Original Encore Automatic Banjo
For most automatic musical instruments manufactured here in the United
States of America there was a European made counterpart, which is what
generally inspired either the importation and/or the manufacturing of
similar machines here in the U.S. An obvious exception to this rule was the
unique Encore Automatic Banjo, and later, a very much related innovation,
the Banjorchestra.
The first U.S. patent that dealt specifically with automating a banjo was
granted on December 20, 1892, to Willard Gilman. The patent was for an
electromagnetic device that could operate stringed musical instruments, such
as a banjo, mandolin, or harp. The picking was done by a star-wheel
positioned over each string that, when activated, would pluck the string.
The closing of an individual circuit would advance the desired star-wheel,
thus plucking the appropriate string once, playing the note. This model used
a five-string banjo, with all five pickers controlled by electromagnets,
with the perforated music roll being read electrically.
Patents granted to Gilman in October of 1893 and 1895 respectively, dealt
with the perforated roll and a coin slot mechanism that differentiated
between coins. The same attorneys that assisted Gilman achieve his patents
helped William S. Reed attain a patent for pneumatic rather than
electromagnetic picking and fretting of a five string banjo, granted on
April 14, 1896, applied for in June of 1893. Gilman filed yet another patent
on July 21, 1894, for certain improvements on the electromagnetic banjo, and
this is the first patent to be assigned to the American Automatic Banjo
Company, one of the firms set up to manufacture and distribute the Encore
Automatic Banjo.
The
first automatic banjo was introduced in 1896, before the name "Encore" was
used. It operated by means of an electromagnetic system, of which none are
known to survive today. It is theorized that many of the these prototype
machines were converted to the later pneumatic system. The magnets used in
the electromagnetic version were of the telegraphic type, too jerky and
noisy to be practical. Moreover, the only electricity then available was
taken from street lights, which caused so much sparking that the paper rolls
tended to ignite and endanger the premises. One attempted solution for this
problem was to house the automatic banjo in a non-flammable cast iron case,
of which at least one of these units was reportedly made, although no trace
of it exists today. The cast-iron encased automatic banjo, however, proved
impractical, as it was extremely heavy and difficult to move. Another hard
to remedy problem was that many prospective customers had no access to
electricity at all, and since no practical battery had yet been invented the
electrical system was abandoned, in favor of the safer and far more feasible
pneumatic system.
In 1897, the name "Encore" was trademarked, appearing in both the top
crest casting and on the lower portion of the neck of the banjo, which was
inlaid in mother-of-pearl. The banjo that the Encore uses is most like a
plectrum banjo; the four strings are tuned to the notes C, G, B, and D.
Unlike a plectrum banjo, the Encore banjo has only ten frets. While this
gives the Encore forty fret positions, it is capable of producing only 25
different notes, due to the overlapping positions (G# of the same octave can
be played on the C or G string) of many notes.
Soon after the Encore name was trademarked, Charles B. Kendall, who was
the force behind the New England operation and who held the patents on the
automatic banjo, sold them to W. Scott O'Connor. Kendall then established
the New England Automatic Banjo Company, while O'Connor went on to establish
his own company in New York. The New England company, located in Boston,
held the rights to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts, with
nonexclusive rights to foreign countries. The manufacturing rights were
granted to the Eastern Specialty Company, another one of Kendall's
interests.
The American Automatic Banjo Company of New Jersey was established with
W. Scott O'Connor, the major stock holder, as president. This company
retained the rights to New York, where it was located, and the rest of the
United States outside of New England. It must have been intended to be the
parent company, since all of the patents were assigned to this company. The
American Automatic Banjo Company licensed or partially owned several Encore
distributors, and it was the sole producer of music rolls for the machine.
In 1898, seven patents were granted, two of which named Charles B.
Kendall as the inventor. One of these patents dealt with engineering
improvements in the pneumatic action. This led to the improvements of
William S. Reed's pneumatic picking device. William A. Lorenz and C. Edwin
Delue are the inventors named in the patent granted on June 28, 1898, the
same date on Kendall's patent. These two men, Lorenz and Delue, were
probably employed by the New England Automatic Banjo Company. Lorenz was
from Hartford, Connecticut, while Delue was from Boston, where the New
England Company was located. Lorenz was named as a witness for Kendall's
patent. Lorenz's and Delue's patent was for improvements on the pneumatic
picking device; this patent however, is for a four-string banjo rather than
a five-string banjo like in the Reed patent.
Another
patent that was granted on June 28, 1898 was that of Walfrid Gustafson. His
patent included yet another improvement in the pneumatic picking device,
which is the picking device that most closely resembles the style of pickers
that survive today. The device forces the picker to travel in an elliptical
path around the string. The picker picks the string once and then returns to
its original position, without hitting the string on the backstroke, ready
to be activated again. All this is done by a pneumatic hinge two springs,
and a guide template, which the picker follows. It is guessed that Gustafson
was employed by the American Automatic Banjo Company and contributed to a
divergence in design between the two factories manufacturing the banjo.
The list of patents goes on, indicating a wide range of experimentation,
most of which were engineering improvements. The New England Automatic Banjo
Company produced perhaps 200 machines between 1897 and 1900, of what might
be considered a somewhat primitive machine, when compared to the New York
version. The cabinet had an early style crest, which featured the Encore
name in script. The paper music roll was loaded from the rear of the
machine, and controlled a valve chest that used heavy 5/16-inch diameter
steel balls for valves, which caused many problems. Kendall recounted the
problem aptly when he wrote: "The pneumatic system did not continue as
satisfactory as was expected, on account of the great power requirements to
operate it, as well as its complications and the many troubles arising
therefrom, and the limited area of territory that could be occupied, even in
the large cities, because of the unavailable necessity of using the
street-light electric current for a native power to operate the pneumatics."
Clearly, being able to operate an instrument only while the electric
street lighting was turned on was a serious impediment to placing the banjo
in any commercial location, let alone being able to collect much revenue
from it. And just as troublesome was Kendall's stubbornness in refusing to
give up the use of heavy steel ball-valves, which caused the power source
and pump bellows to strain in order to create enough of a vacuum to "lift"
the heavy valve-balls. Thus, it was not long, with all the technical
problems and limitations imposed by the frequent lack of electrical power,
that the two companies ran into severe financial trouble. As a last resort,
Kendall and O'Connor decided to re-form the two companies and start over.
The American Automatic Banjo /
American Automusic Company
In April of 1899, the American Automatic Banjo Company began to break-up,
splitting into two companies. It had been the sole producer of music rolls
for the Encore, but it also made rolls for other companies' products, too.
The name of the company was changed to a less descriptive American Automusic
Company. A year later, the music roll manufacturing part of the company
split off to form the Connorized Music Company, with James O'Connor
(presumably W. Scott's son) as president and treasurer.
The American Automusic Company, with W. Scott O'Connor remaining as
president, continued to manufacture the Encore Banjo, while sharing their
factory with the Connorized Music Company. A new style Encore was produced
that remained unique to the New York factory. The valves were improved by
using a small pneumatic, which moved a flat lead valve. The roll frame was
moved from the rear to the front of the machine, which was much more
accessible. The cast metal plate on the top crest kept the original company
name, the Automatic Banjo Company of New Jersey, and listed many of the
patents that led to the current machine. Sometime after 1900, the name
"Encore" was no longer inlaid in the neck of the banjo but rather the script
was cut from 3/32-inch German-Silver stock and attached in its place.
Sometime later, the lower front door panel design of the case changed from
an arched raised panel to a simpler rectangular pattern.
The New England Automatic Banjo /
Auto-Manufacturing Company
It was not until March of 1901, that the Eastern Specialty Company and
the New England Automatic Banjo Company were re-incorporated to form the
Auto-Manufacturing Company, backed financially by the investment group of
Davis and Soule of Waterville, Maine. From then on the company went
downhill, while the New York Company prospered until around 1903. Although
Kendall was not president, he remained forceful and creative with the
Auto-Manufacturing Company. The Auto-Manufacturing Company produced its
banjos in Boston, unsuccessfully experimenting with it mechanically. For
example, instead of discarding the cumbersome steel ball-valve system,
aluminum balls were sought to replace the steel balls, because aluminum is
lighter, therefore requiring less electrical power to operate the
instrument.
The New York based American Automusic Company was the sole producer of
the paper rolls for the Encore Banjo. This single source of music caused
some problems, because the New York and Boston made machines were slightly
different. The holes of the tracker bar in the New York machine started from
the left and the roll traveled downward in front of the roll mechanism,
while the roll frame of the Boston made Encore was kept in the rear and the
tracker holes started from the right and the roll traveled upward. This was
not an insurmountable problem, however, since all that was needed was to
turn the roll around for the Boston machines.
Both companies used the same parts and the outside appearance was
identical, and they both used the same custom made banjo (made by the J. F.
Luscomb Company of Boston). The furniture casework was made of quarter-sawn
oak, except for a half-dozen units supplied with mahogany cases. All had the
same cast-brass decorative corners, of which there were two distinct
designs, and all used the same coin slide and counter device. Some of the
oak-cased machines were made without coin mechanisms and designated as home
models, the first of which was exhibited at the Paris Exposition of 1900.
The "King of Slot Machines"
The American Automusic Company issued a four-page leaflet to promote the
Encore called "The King of Slot Machines." A variety of information about
the Banjo was given, as follows:
"The Company is offering "The Encore," a nickel-in-the-slot automatic
banjo for operation in public places after the well-established method of
the coin controlled devices already in use. These instruments are furnished
with a music roll containing five popular selections, one of which is
rendered by the insertion of a nickel in the slot provided for that
purpose.... The average time for the rendition of a tune is about a minute
and a half, and, therefore, the earning capacity of the instrument is about
two dollars for each hour of actual work."
The leaflet goes on to explain that by changing the rolls, a varied
program is provided to keep the public's interest. The company claimed that,
by arrangement with all the music publishers in the United States, it was
provided with advance copies of all new music, which was then immediately
transcribed to the Encore music roll. The company provided a catalog of
about 2,000 available musical numbers and was kept as current as possible to
offer the very latest musical selection of the day, such as "My Old Kentucky
Home," "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "On the Banks of the Wabash," and "The Maple
Leaf Rag." In truth, however, the company had trouble living up to its
promise and received numerous complaints regarding the lack of music rolls.
The Auto-Manufacturing Company rented the Encore Banjos to such public
places as taverns, theatres, lodges, restaurants, and drug stores. The
American Automusic Company sold, as well as leased, their machine through
several dozen sales agents, primarily music stores and arcades operators.
One distributor was the Automatic Musical Company of Binghamton, New York,
which later re-organized as the Link Piano Company. The Encore sold mostly
in the $350 to $500 range.
Fleeting Fame
Unfortunately, the novelty of an automatic banjo quickly wore off as
automatic pianos and elaborate orchestrions were introduced to the American
scene. The so-called "nickelodeon's" popularity soon made the Encore
obsolete. In 1906, W. Scott O'Connor had abandoned the automatic banjo
business for the much more lucrative music roll business. The Connorized
Music Company became a major manufacturer /distributor of player piano rolls
and moved to a larger factory (up until 1906, it had shared the factory at
227 Bleecker Street with the American Automusic Company). James O'Connor
didn't give up entirely on the automatic banjo, however, in 1914 he
introduced the Banjorchestra, an orchestrion that featured an automatic
banjo identical to the Encore, along with drums, tambourine, castanets,
triangle, and piano.
The Banjorchestra was never as successful as the Encore. But even as
successful as the Encore was, by 1916, used models sold for as little as
$25. The actual number of Encore Banjos produced is uncertain, since there
are many conflicting statements from various sources. Richard Crandall, an
Encore Banjo aficionado, has estimated the number of machines produced by
relying on financial statements, production papers, and serial numbers of
extant machines, and believes about 2,500 Encore Banjos were built.
According to the "one percent survival rule," twenty-five Encores should
remain in existence today. There are at least 20 known to be extant.
The New Encore Automatic Banjo
In
1975, David Ramey, a well known and respected restorer of automatic musical
instruments, as well as founder of the D. C. Ramey Piano Company, had the
good fortune to purchase the remains of a horde of original Encore Banjos. A
supply of parts, along with complete machines, had been stored in an old
barn on the East Coast. Unfortunately, the barn had been subjected to
several floods and a fire; subsequently all the Banjo machines were badly
water and fire damaged. The forlorned contents of the barn were eventually
discovered by an interested party and purchased as the junk they were, only
to later be offered to Dave Ramey. For most collectors and restorers what
remained of the once beautiful Encore Banjos probably seemed to be little
more than useless rubble, but Dave Ramey could clearly see the
possibilities, and use the parts and dilapidated machines to construct new
Encore Banjos, replacing what was missing or unusable.
From these original parts and remnant machines copies were made, which led to the remanufacture of the Encore Automatic Banjo. Mr. Ramey made some engineering improvements that enabled his new model to out-perform its predecessor, while keeping the outward appearance exactly the same. Primary valves were used with the picker valves, enabling the new Encore to pick the banjo strings very quickly and accurately. The new model also featured a custom crafted banjo, utilizing the superior "Whyte Laydie" tone ring and a synthetic-skin head to produce a rich, clear tone. The original Encores used a popular, but inexpensive banjo, manufactured by the J. F. Luscomb Company of Boston. The temperature/humidity sensitive animal-skin head of the original instruments made frequent tuning a necessity.
To create a supply of music for the new Encore Banjo, copies of original music
rolls were made. In addition, Art Reblitz, a restorer and music roll
arranger, arranged two new five- tune music rolls, which included tunes such
as: "The Battle of New Orleans," "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee," "Ain't She
Sweet," "Dueling Banjos" and "Your Cheating Heart." These were the first new
music arrangements for the Encore Banjo since the closing of the American
Automusic Company nearly a century ago.
To date, the D. C. Ramey Piano Company has built over 40 new Encore
Banjos, which have found loving homes in all parts of the world. It features
a custom crafted four-string banjo that is inlaid with abalone and
mother-of-pearl, and just like the original Encore banjo, it is capable of
producing a scale of 25 notes (C to C), two octaves. Unlike the original,
however, the new banjo uses a synthetic-skin head to minimize the necessity
of tuning and picker adjustment, ensuring that the banjo is always ready to
perform.
Hardware components are nickel-plated. The interior mechanisms are pneumatically
operated from a five-tune endless loop music roll, and are throughout
meticulously handcrafted using traditional techniques and materials. Minor
internal improvements to the valve chest, over the original Encore Banjo,
provide exceptionally quick and accurate tracking of the music roll,
providing not only many years of trouble free use, but also allowing the new
Encore to outperform the original instruments by a healthy margin.
The selection of music consists of popular tunes from the late 1890s
through the early 1900s. These recut's, made from original Encore music
rolls, are durable and accurately made. And two new five-tune music rolls
expertly arranged by Art Reblitz are available, too. The instrument is
activated by a single drop nickel coin slide, unless otherwise special
ordered. An electric lamp illuminates the interior when the instrument is
playing.
The cabinetry is of solid quarter-sawn oak, with glass panels in the
front and on the sides. Cast brass corner grills on the front access door
decorate the casework. The dimensions of the new Ramey Encore Automatic
Banjo are approximately 26 inches wide by 26 inches deep by 80 inches high,
and it weights approximately 280 pounds.
Each instrument is individually manufactured on a made to order basis.
Included with each instrument are five recut five-tune music rolls, and
delivery within 200 miles of the factory is free. The purchase price is
$22,000.00. A deposit is required to initiate manufacturing, with the
balance due on completion. Manufacturing time varies depending upon other
work in progress, so inquiries are invited in regards to a projected
completion date.
The company has also built several Double Encore Banjos, one of Mr. Ramey's
own inventions. It consists of two banjos mounted side by side in a custom
made "stretched-out" Encore Banjo cabinet. The D. C. Ramey Piano Company
also manufactures their version of the Banjorchestra, known as the Ramey
Banjo-Orchestra, to differentiate it from the original Banjorchestra. Click here to visit the Banjorchestra page containing information and
photographs on the original and new Banjorchestra.
Please direct any inquiries regarding the new Ramey Encore Automatic
Banjo to the company, as follows:
D. C. Ramey Piano Company
17768 Woodview Drive
Marysville, Ohio 43040-9711
(708) 602-3961
