"The Olly Oakley Model"

This instrument, named "The Olly Oakley Model", is from 1903 and clearly corresponds to Windsor’s range of Deluxe hollow-neck zither-banjos. However, in its details it does not exactly match any of the four Deluxe models. Thus, it is only nickel-plated and has no metal engraving on the bezel. However, it does have tulip wood borders around the fingerboard and hoop. Whether this was a precursor of the Deluxe range (which was certainly up and running by 1906) or a one-off instrument I don’t know. Likewise, I can only speculate as to whether it was made for Oakley himself - as Jack McNaughten claimed when he sold it to us in 1974 - or was merely one of a number made with that name. However it fits into the Windsor output, it has a rich and powerful tone well suited for playing the faster pieces which zither-banjos are not supposed to be able to play.

 

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