In 1936 he suffered from serious internal trouble from which he never fully recovered. He died on February 11, 1938 after a brief illness. John (Jack) Abbott - son of the above learned the craft of instrument making in his father's workshops. When his father joined Besson & Co. in 1932, he established his own one room work-shops at various addresses in London for the making of, mostly, guitars. He did make a few banjos which were branded 'Abbott-Victor'. He gave up the business in 1957.

When John G Abbott grew ill in 1936 and gave up the business, Jack started on his own producing guitars, occasional banjos and banjo ukuleles. Around this time, Besson's acquired J G Abbott & Co.

Jack Abbott (Abbott-Victor)
As John junior, or Jack as he became known to distinguish him from his father, grew up, he learnt the trade of instrument making and for a period of time in the late 1920s and during the 1930s both men worked together producing guitars, banjos and banjo ukuleles at their workshop in London which had moved in 1928 to Chalton Street. During this era, it is possible to confuse the attribution of a particular Abbott instrument but those in the trade can spot the tell-tale differences in workmanship between father and son.

Jack Abbott was the very first British Luthier who built archtops. It seems he become a real expert and made very good instruments. He mainly built banjos but a few guitars as well. His production was not very big so Abbott guitars are really hard to find. At some point after the war he was associated with someone called Victor and designed and supervised a series of guitars branded Abbott-Victor.

Jack continued making instruments until the mid 1950s when he retired and returned to the stock exchange which suggests that he initially trained for and worked there before becoming an instrument maker. He also moved out of London to Cambridgeshire where he was persuaded out of retirement in 1970 to make around 200 banjo ukuleles for the George Formby Society over the next 8 years. Jack died in February 1994 and is survived by his wife Barbara.

Trade Names of Abbott & Co

Besson guitars were produced in the 1950s. They were badged as Besson Aristone. These guitars were imported and often rebranded. Many of them were made by Framus. There was also a model made by Framus in the Besson name designed by jazz guitarist Jack Durante.

The Aristone guitars are reportedly made by Framus, however this one isn't. It may have been made by Abbott before demand outstripped supply in the early 60s and the explosion of pop and they started to sub-contract to Framus. It's very much like a Gibson L7, tobacco sunburst, 21 fret. Rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay (unbound), solid spruce (not ply ) top with single cream binding, sycamore neck with a V profile, and sycamore back and sides again solid not ply, Sycamore being the English maple; and in plentiful supply at the time. Nickel plated trapeze tailpiece, and floating rosewood bridge. It has very early open back Grover machines with cream buttons. The headstock has a small rectangular ivory label at the top with the THE Aristone (aristone in copper plate). It does not appear to have  a truss rod, but tolerates 11's ok. It really is a stunning guitar, definitely not Framus or East German. The build quality is far too good for a factory mass produced model. It used to belong to a Newcastle session guitarist from the 50s/60s Charlie Smith, who owned it in the mid 80s.  Graham Heath

The German brand Framus has its base in Shonbach (present Czech Republic).  Fred Wilfer born 1917 had already in 1945 heard about the Allied plans to move the Sudeten German element of the population to Bavaria, and therefore he sought permission to establish a factory there.  When seen by the Czech Authorities as an ‘anti-fascist’ he was allowed through in 1946 along with the first transportation of violin makers from Schonbach.  The first factory was housed in a barrack camp (also a home to the workers) in Moehrendorf in 1946.  In 1948 it was moved to Baiersdorf and in 1954 they moved into a new factory in Bubenreuth.  Production rose gradually from violin to guitar construction, especially during the Beatles era.  During the 1970s, the otherwise quite far-sighted Framus received so much competition from cheaper Japanese instruments that by the late seventies they found themselves outmatched and bankruptcy was inevitable.

The German brand Höfner founded in 1887 in Schönbach (present Czech Republic) by Karl Hofner.  Already before the First World War the Company had a good reputation, even outside Germany's borders, because of artisans great skill and probably also because Karl Hofner was a clever businessman.  His sons Josef and Walter joined the company in 1919 and 1921, and it gave further impetus to exports.  After WWII, it was hard times, when the German population in Schönbach was forced to move.  The Höfner family went, with other Sudeten Germans, to Bavaria, where, with the help of their export earnings they could build a new factory in Bubenreuth in 1950.  In 1997 they shifted production to Hagenau, and in recent years have also been produced Höfner in China.

Vintage guitars made by master luthier J.G.Abbott senior in London 1930's.
At least as good as a top line Gibson of the period.  Many people only know about the later 1950's low end plywood guitars built by Besson using the Aristone brand name, which they co owned with Abbott from the 1920's. The 1950's guitars are very poor in comparison and more like a Framus or Hofner. 
These 1930's Aristone Crown models are the very best of J.G.Abbott senior's production, from the mid 1930's. The build is similar to a D'Angellico, hand carved spruce top, hand carved one piece back, one piece neck (no wings added for the headstock, just a single billet of the best quality mahogany available), gold hardware, 7/9 ply top binding, mother of pearl inlays, bound neck and F holes. 

They sound as good as a D'angellico too! Not to be confused with the guitars of J.G.Abbott Junior who also made very good guitars, but not quite as good as these. Abbott Victor Burlington by J.G.Abbott junior made in 1940 which is very good but not a patch on the Aristone.  A very rare guitar with huge tone and volume eats L-5's and Super 400's for breakfast!

Abbott Victor Burlington III

Abbott-Victor Archtop 1930

Made around 1930 by Jack Abbott Junior, son of English Banjo maker J D Abbott. Little is known about this guitar.
It was a basket case after the original 'Cowboy' owner painted cows on the front and cut an extra round sound hole. Chris Finch from Maton refinish the guitar in Black about 20 years ago and several years before that Rama guitars installed a low-output humbucker. During the refit all the metal parts were 24k Gold plated and replaced the tuners with sealed Schallers. So much for originality.

It is one of the sweetest playing guitars from the early 1930's. The neck is medium (not too fat, not too thin - and the frets are original. The neck is dead straight and the action is faster that one would expect on a guitar from the '30's. 

Bert Weedon was a proud owner of an Abbott-Victor Archtop which he used on many broadcasts.

In 1945 Bert was honoured to succeed Django Reinhardt - one of his own idols - in a partnership with jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli that lasted for several years.

This Abbott Victor Archtop Guitar played by southpaw Al Ferdman has an added pickup masked by his left hand, with the volume control and Jack socket on the F hole and an Abbott Victor engraved Y trapeze.  Block inlays to the fretboard and a scratch-plate with binding.  Could be a Music Master edition.