Nice

Jack Hayter recently contacted us and has sent photographs of his zither banjo by William Nice  Jack comments: "The thing needs restoring properly,..re-veneering the pot etc, but it plays well and certainly stays in tune better than my mates modern 5 string

One of the earliest of commercial makers in London was teacher and dealer named William Nice. In the early 1870s he had a shop and studio at 2 Eccleston Street, Victoria, from which he sold his own make of unfretted banjo. He had various addresses near Victoria Station before the year when he moved  to 122 Fleet Street, E.C. It is interesting to note that Will Mitchell  (many years later to be in charge of the Clifford Essex workshops) was employed by Nice before he (Mitchell)  went to the workshops of Richard Spencer.
Nice ran a flourishing studio and shop in Fleet Street teaching all the
fretted instruments and selling banjo and zither-banjos he had helped fashion in his workshop. His premises were the meeting place for many professionals of the day.
When he died, Arthur Stanley (the elder) took over his business but did continue the manufacturing side

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