Vintage banjo drum, neck, 2 keys, hooks and brackets. Probably 1890’s, maybe earlier judging from the style of the hooks and brackets and number. It was thought by one individual to possibly be civil war era though I haven’t come across hard evidence of this. It is unnamed. The neck has 20 raised frets and inlaid designs. The material of the inlay is undetermined. The star and the peanut shaped peghead might suggest SS Stewart or perhaps even Fairbanks in style, but the maker is unknown and likely neither. My guess is that this is a Riverboat style of banjo.
The banjo was loved and played as evidenced by the finger grooves in the fingerboard and the staining on the skin. The skin is likely original but it is tight and, despite the worn appearance, has no apparent weakness or thinning. The head is solidly held by 36 tight and solidly intact hooks. There are no missing hooks.
The drum is 11” wide and 2 3/8” deep. The steel ring is molded over a wooden frame. The skin trap ring is ½” with rolled skin edge below. The hooks are 2 ¼” long. The neck to the nut is 18 ½” Part of the nut is missing as seen in the photos. The peghead is 5 3/8” long. The brace is 10 ½” and is a screw in style.
While I can in no way authenticate the exact age or maker of the banjo, I can state that it has been in my family since at least my great-grandparents which would allow for a history as far back as the 1860’s.
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