Mystery Banjolin - Slingerland??

[john70]

Just wondering if anyone can offer a hint as to vintage and maker of the depicted banjolin. I suspect 1920s-ish, and possibly a Slingerland. Note the unusual diamond fretboard and peghead inlay...

[allenhopkins]

Good guess on the Singerland; Jake Wildwood's example has a very similar headstock profile, though it's obviously not as ornamented.

[David L]

My Banjolin looks exactly like yours. The headstock inlay is a little different, but very similar. The pin-striping is the same. Fret markers are dots like Jake Wildwood's. Mine doesn't have "Slingerland" anywhere, but I've long thought that it might be, as it is similar to my Slingerland Maybelle Queen tenor banjo.

I made an armrest for my banjolin a while ago, and just finished a trap-door resonator for it. Now it's REALLY loud.

[Tom C]

Here is mine. I do believe the bridge is original. Note the optional resonator for only $3.89.

[dustyamps]

Here is my Wurlitzer tenor banjo with the same headstock and fingerboard inlays.

[dustyamps]

Wurlizter nameplate.

[Jim Garber]

Bear in mind that often these pearl inlays were supplied by pearl suppliers and may not be the final indicator as to the manufacturer. They often are found on multiple makers who buy from the same supplier. Of course it is also possible that the Wurlitzer was made by the same maker as the others.

[MikeEdgerton]

Wurlitzer didn't make their stringed instruments they outsourced and bought from multiple suppliers including Martin.

[allenhopkins]

If inlays don't include a maker's logo, similar ones can often be found on instruments from different companies. Obviously, some makers used distinctive inlays (e.g. Bacon Banjos' "chubby dragon") but others just bought inlays from pearl cutters.

The little "scoop" at the top of the headstock is what indicates to me that the instrument in question could be a Slingerland product.

[Jim Garber]

I think there may be an echo in here (echo in here).

[dustyamps]

The manufacturer probably made my The Vernon also since it has a matching headstock shape.

[dustyamps]

A SS Stewart Student model mandolin banjo with a similar headstock shape.

[mandroid]

I have a May Belle Banjo uke , by Slingerland , the Slingerland brand is wood burned into the rim-stick.

The headstock shape seems Similar to #12

[dkolars]

Definitely a Slingerland, probably in their 200 series, maybe 2000 series, as it's awfully nice maple... impossible to tell if there is no number branded into the dowel stick... 1920's, yes, more than likely, but could be later. NO WAY to tell as they did not use serial numbers on any instruments except their electric lap steels (1936-1941). They bought out SS Stewart, and made a TON of instruments for other companies, Wurlitzer, Vernon, and a LOT of Concertones... May Bell was a brand name under the Slingerland banner... In about 1926 they were the largest banjo maker in the country, pretty much putting Ludwig and Leedy out of business for banjos, all because of drums....

FYI, ANY banjo family instrument you see that has a 1,2,2,1 dot inlay pattern from nut to head IS a Slingerland-made instrument. No exceptions that I've ever seen or heard of.

Here's one that is pretty much the same, with an Elton nickel-plated brass resonator...


My web pages don't show any banjo-family instruments, but I have dozens that haven't made it there yet...
http://www.slingerlandguitar.com

Hope this helps... DK

"We're all so caught up in wanting to sound different, wanting to sound
original-- but we should stop trying so hard. We're all
unique at birth. We'll come out sounding original without giving
it a thought." (Feet Rogers)

[Tom C]

So far mine is the only one with the Slingerland label.

[MikeEdgerton]

Most of the larger manufacturers of stringed instruments built instruments "for the trade" as well as their branded instruments. These could be sold through retailers as well as schools and individual teachers as their own brand. Even Gibson and Martin did some of this. It was a huge part of Harmony, Kay, Regal, L&H, and Oscar Schmidt's business. Many of these have brand known brand names but I'd hazard a guess that there are many more that were manufactured with no brand name at all. Every now and then you get something with no brand on the headstock and a manufacturers name inside someplace. What really gets confusing is when a distributor markets the same model name on instruments built by multiple builders. Bruno was famous for that.

[john70]

Definitely a Slingerland, probably in their 200 series, maybe 2000 series, as it's awfully nice maple... impossible to tell if there is no number branded into the dowel stick... 1920's, yes, more than likely, but could be later.... Here's one that is pretty much the same, with an Elton nickel-plated brass resonator...

Hope this helps... DK

That's it - a perfect match but for the resonator. Thanks!!