Banjolin ID

[shunkpenn]

I recently purchased a vintage banjo/mandolin collection from an estate that I know very little about. All of the instruments are vintage probably ranging from the late 19th Century to the early 1930's. My limited expertise is with guitars and violins, I know very little about mandolins. I'm posting some pics of one of the instruments to identify the maker and any other information someone may be able to contribute. I think this instrument may have been made by JG Abott however the tuners are marked France. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

[DavidKOS]

It does look more European than American.

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't think it was made in the US. Are there any markings at all other than those on the tuners? It looks British to me.

[shunkpenn]

The only markings I have found so are on the tuners marked France and what looks likes pq and also on the sterling button on back marked what looks like JG....

[allenhopkins]

Most French banjo-mandolins that I've Googled have had slotted headstocks (by the way, fascinating photo gallery of French banjos (http://www.banjoworld.de/French.htm)). Like Mike E's suggestion of British manufacture.

As to the Abbott hypothesis: well, it was John G. Abbott, so the "JG" on the resonator's center "button" might have a connection. Looked at a bunch of Abbott instruments -- quite a few shown on the web -- and didn't see one like this one, although the headstock shape's not unlike some of the Abbott banjo-ukuleles. The other problem is that Abbott usually marked his instruments pretty clearly, often with stampings into the back of the headstock. This one's unmarked, so...?

Overall design, "top tension" bracket adjustment and single-point resonator attachment would suggest British manufacture. You might take the resonator off and see if there's any internal labeling. Otherwise, pretty much guesswork, unless someone's spotted one that closely resembles it, and is clearly attributable.

[shunkpenn]

The only other marking is a serial number on the back of the headstock.....

[MikeEdgerton]

It's down to using the WAG system. I think it's British because it looks like similar British mandolin banjos but the French tuners suggest it could also be French.

[shunkpenn]

Any thoughts on the age....I was thinking 1930's.....

[MikeEdgerton]

That's probably a good estimate.

[allenhopkins]

Well, Jetel was a French company that sold instruments through a London dealership. (Here's a British Banjo Makers page that talks about them (http://www.whitetreeaz.com/vintage/brit2.htm)). The website says that all their banjo-type instruments were actually built in the UK, but they well could have used French mandolin tuners. And there is that "J" on the resonator "button..."

But we're still guessing.