Martinet Banjo

[Blue8204]

I have a 4 sting 29 inch neck 12 inch drum in original alligator case I would say made in 50s was my great uncles from Tennessee would like know what it's worth

[MikeEdgerton]

I'll say the same thing on this thread I said on the other, please post some pictures.

[Jim Garber]

Until the OP actually posts photos of his instrument...

I see this Martinet on this page (http://www.randolin.com/banjo/Pages/martinet.html). According to that site it was made by Slingerland.

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[MikeEdgerton]

I saw that too, that isn't from the 50's :)

I actually had that same pickguard on a 20's tenor. The braces were actually made out of bicycle spokes.

I have a Supertone tenor with that same pot setup.

[Jim Garber]

I saw that too, that isn't from the 50's :)

I am not sure if the OP knows what era his is from either.

[MikeEdgerton]

I am not sure if the OP knows what era his is from either.

Yup, that's why I asked for pictures :)

[Blue8204]

I'm lost can't find the way to post oil

[Blue8204]

I've tried just can't find a way to post pics

[MikeEdgerton]

There are a few ways to do it. I click on the Go Advanced button below the reply message box, then select Manage Attachments, Then Add Files, browse and upload them. Then submit the reply.

[Blue8204]

Hope this helps!

[Blue8204]

Did you have a chance to look at the pics?

[allenhopkins]

Yeah, and they don't give much additional information, other than it looks like a 20th-century 19-fret tenor, decent but not top-end quality, in good condition as far as the pix reveal.

The super-comprehensive Mugwumps Index of American Fretted Musical Instrument Makers (http://www.mugwumps.com/AmerInstMkr.html) has no listing for "Martinet," and I'm not sure how the site Jim G links came up with the info that Slingerland made Martinet banjos. Very slim pickin's on the internet for "Martinet" in any musical instrument context.

Since your tenor banjo's a 19-fret, I'd say it's probably after 1925; before that point, most tenors were 17-fret. I tried to search images of banjo resonator flanges to find another with those round holes, and did find some Slingerlands that had similar flange hole patterns.

As to "what it's worth," it's not a well-known brand -- Gibson, Vega, Paramount, Bacon etc. -- and the tenor banjo market is a fairly limited one. Slingerland tenor banjos of mid-20th-century vintage, are listed for perhaps $300 or so, and Martinet's not even as well known a name as Slingerland. Trying to sell an obscure brand vintage instrument isn't easy, even though yours may be of good quality.

[MikeEdgerton]

It looks circa 1930's to me, might be a few years earlier. It's not from the 50's. It looks like it was setup left handed by the position of the armrest. The nut might have to be recut for right hand use if you are right handed. That faux flange with the holes was common on many instruments built for different retailers. Slingerland is as good a guess as any as to the builder and if it was playable and setup Allen's price is right about where it should be. The case looks decent.