.. of The Bowery, near Grand Street, New York City, is said to have been (1850) the first "professional" banjo Maker.  George Bauer, writing in Stewart's "Journal" mentions another Dave Jacobs of Chatham Street, New York City, who made especially fine banjos.  It is possible, of course, that it was one and the same person.

It is recorded that Dave Jacobs set up as a banjo manufacturer and teacher a little later than Charles Morrell" (pre 1840-1849) but the banjos he sold as his own were made for him by the firm Luben L. Lewis & Co (Ruby Brooks Grandfather and uncle).  The Jacobs Banjos were of maple ; the necks being "scooped out" where they joined the hoops.

It was in Jacob's store that in the middle 1850's Jerry, Dan and Neil Bryant, Eph Horn, James Unsworth and other prominent professionals of the day used to meet to hear the latest news and tunes of the banjo world.

Jacobs (often described as "an industrious German ") eventually returned to his native land with, it is recorded, a small fortune made with "hard work and frugal living."