1940s Gretsch Bacon "Belmont" Banjo

Banjo Heritage 👉 https://patreon.com/CliftonHicks
When the Great New England Hurricane of 1938 swept up the east coast it wiped out Fred Bacon's state-of-the-art banjo factory in Groton, Connecticut. By 1939 Gretsch was producing Bacon & Day banjos under license, and by the end of 1940 had bought the Bacon name as well.

This Bacon "Belmont" banjo was produced by Gretsch between 1946 and 1950 for Montgomery Ward, who offered it "with pick and instructions" for $75. Seventy-five U.S. dollars in 1949 was worth about $860 in today's money.

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