View Full Version : Soverign banjo mandolin
Brad Nicholas
Aug-13-2008, 4:01pm
Here's a banjo mandolin I'm thinking about picking up. #It'll need a new head and some setup. #I'll do that myself. #The price is $65. #I'm not sure what I'll use it for, but it looks like a fun instrument project. #Are these fairly well built instruments?
MikeEdgerton
Aug-13-2008, 4:03pm
You might want to post a link or a picture.
Brad Nicholas
Aug-13-2008, 4:04pm
Let's try again on the image.
edit: Your're too quick. I was working on it while you posted.
Brad Nicholas
Aug-13-2008, 5:31pm
blarg... nevermind. It's sold.
MikeEdgerton
Aug-13-2008, 8:32pm
Well, just so you know next time. Sovereign was a brand name used buy the Oscar Schmidt Company of Jersey City, NJ up until 1935. Harmony used it on some of their guitars in the 60's (maybe earlier as well). I'd be pretty sure that this was an Oscar Schmidt built instrument.
Brad Nicholas
Aug-13-2008, 11:13pm
Yeah, I had found this (http://banjo.nager.se/Banjos/OscarSchmidt/Catalog/pages/03_banjomando_jpg.htm) earlier in the day.
mandroid
Aug-17-2008, 10:20am
In General, the Rim-stick to neck joint is more often needing to be reglued, steaming the joint apart and re doing it, with some glued in shims to adjust the neck angle was just done on a BM I got off the classifieds, here.
another technique is to re machine the mortise socket in the neck, and make a new tenon end for the rim stick, saw off the old end , at an angle for a good glue joint, and glue on new end.
either technique can solidify the loose joint. Good Instrument repair people will do that for you.
Ken Berner
Aug-17-2008, 11:14am
Do you know of anyone trying a single co-ordinator rod set in a mandolin banjo (as in a "big-boy" banjo)? This would be far more stable than the dowel stick approach.
mandroid
Aug-17-2008, 5:28pm
Gibson mando-banjos do, they use the coordinator rod to hold the 'trapdoor' open with a latch , and also rotating the latch keeps it closed, too..
8ch(pl)
Aug-19-2008, 10:23am
This instrument probably came out of the Buckbee plant in NYC, at the time it was owned by Rhettburg and Lange, it produced lots of trade banjos with various names. Those hexagonal J-hook shoes are an indication of this. I have seen Bruno Banjo Mandolin-banjos (and Tenors)as well as non labelled examples that are attributed to this plant. It was the largest banjo manufactury in the world in the 1910's.