Pre-Jamieson Four-Footed Bridge

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Long Neck Banjo

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... for those of us who prefer the tuning and singing differences the LN provides. All questions & help welcome!

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Administrators: TonyS (owner) , Gary Blanchard , pastorharry , vega long neck

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From reese158 on 6/3/2025 8:39:36 AM

Hello All--

I thought some of you might be interested in this. I have seen this photo many times before, but when I came across it today, I noticed something new. It's Pete playing his Weavers-era Orpheum banjo with Woody around 1949.

What's interesting is the bridge. It appears to be some kind of a four-footed bridge other than the (in)famous Stu Jamieson PCB bridge. I don't know if this is a common vintage design, but I don't think I've ever seen one before. I'm wondering if Pete made it himself or had it custom-made to remedy the problem of his bridge tipping over while whamming.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/025rJsiXgn9OWyvL4HWlrwwpw

10 Comments
	DublinLongNeck1993 says: 6/3/2025 9:38:36 AM And isn’t that the banjo that he got D’Angelico to put 2 frets on it? I believe that it was stolen from Pete not long after that. It had 24 frets rather than the usual 25. Cool looking bridge all the same
	reese158 says: 6/3/2025 10:02:53 AM The D’Angelico/2-extra-fret/stolen banjo was a Vega. The Orpheum was what he used after. I think that’s the banjo he extended by 3 frets.
	DublinLongNeck1993 says: 6/3/2025 10:33:00 AM Ahh yes it is. Pete played so many I get them mixed up.
	DublinLongNeck1993 says: 6/3/2025 10:37:17 AM As for the bridge I’ve never seen anything similar to it before. It’s a chunky looking thing too.
	DublinLongNeck1993 says: 6/3/2025 11:27:52 AM As for the bridge I’ve never seen anything similar to it before. It’s a chunky looking thing too.
	reese158 says: 6/3/2025 1:22:25 PM Yes—the bridge looks like a rough draft for the Stu Jamieson bridge. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s something Pete made or at least designed himself.
	reese158 says: 6/3/2025 1:23:23 PM The D’Angelico/2-extra-fret/stolen banjo was a Vega. The Orpheum was what he used after. I think that’s the banjo he extended by 3 frets.
	DublinLongNeck1993 says: 6/4/2025 2:41:18 AM It looks to be shaped like a buck saw that you cut logs on. Very innovative… The only other 4 footed bridge I’ve ever seen are the Stu Jaimeson design and the ones the Merlin company manufactured. I purchased the Stu Jaimeson styled one from Pigsah banjos which is 3D printed and wasn’t impressed. On my Vega long neck, it lost its volume and tone altogether.
	reese158 says: 6/4/2025 8:14:48 AM Yes—I got one of the Jamieson bridges that Jerry Rabun made from PCB some years back. It worked and it looked cool, but it gave my banjo kind of a tinny tone.
	reese158 says: 6/4/2025 9:21:40 AM Yes—I got one of the Jamieson bridges that Jerry Rabun made from PCB some years back. It worked and it looked cool, but it gave my banjo kind of a tinny tone.
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