c.1918 Weymann Style 30 Banjo Mando

[Jake Wildwood]

I love Weymanns!!!

Here's a style 30 banjo-mando I just finished up today. Replacement tailpiece, bridge, nut, fretboard and head -- the rest is original. In real good shape otherwise and I'm quite happy with how it turned out. These are great, rugged instruments and perfect for a road-going banjo-mando player who wants something that's near impossible to break.

Anyhow... blog post & more photos can be found here (click!). (http://antebelluminstruments.blogspot.com/2011/11/c1918-weymann-style-30-banjo-mandolin.html)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WnljO8r9PPU/TshWVJBKcuI/AAAAAAAAQCk/NKY4yzV_OYI/s1600/wey1.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tOqKuWw2gzQ/TshV2Oz-SOI/AAAAAAAAQCE/85xAhi5yICg/s1600/wey4.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uDXMH-rlN2U/TshV17FL0KI/AAAAAAAAQB0/S0J1VplitSM/s1600/wey5.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jc9ZVrVbb_o/TshVptPy_uI/AAAAAAAAQBE/6_cVVJw2JLc/s1600/wey9.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7IU1c1uKxw/TshVpHHRR8I/AAAAAAAAQA4/i1-EIc79gh0/s1600/wey10.jpg

[TDMpicker]

Very nice. Did you refinish the wood parts?

[JEStanek]

Looks great. Another instrument saved!

Jamie

[Jake Wildwood]

Terry: No refinishing there... everything was in great shape aside from the board. Just cleaned it up with a few dots of orange oil on an old sock. :)

[Jim Garber]

As usual a nice job, Jake. I have the smaller head Weymann b-m and they are sweet. mine came with what i think is the original bridge but it warped over time. I would love to repro it.

[TDMpicker]

I would like to find one to restore myself.. Now I have an incentive.

[TDMpicker]

Jake,

Have you ever seen a "Waymann" that looked like this? Currently listed on eBay..
I was going to bid on it but I think it's a compilation. The metal pot and bolt on neck
don't match with what Weymann made. Seller says there no serial number, no case.
As says "Style A" yet the lable on the back of the headstock says "style 4".

link (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Weymann-Resonator-Banjo-Mandolin-Calf-Skin-Head-1920s-Banjolin-/220899716772?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item336ea62ea4#ht_700wt_1052)

7861378614

[Jake Wildwood]

Terry: It's the real deal but a very strange one due to the neck. Style A Orchestra model banjo mando is listed in the Weymann 1930 catalog (and it looks like this, and the flange is definitely a Weymann) but those tuner plates recall more of the teens, early '20s Weymanns. It's entirely possible someone sent their neck back to be converted ooooooor they happened to have some extra banjo-mando necks around.

[TDMpicker]

Jake: I thought all the Weymann's had the megaphonic wood rim, not metal?
Due to the fact that is is "odd" make it worth more or would a person be better off looking for a more common,
more original model like the Keystone?

[Jim Garber]

The only banjo-mandolin I own is my little 7 inch top Weymann. I find most others -- including a fancy B&D I played recently much too percussive. The little Weymann had some actually notes in it. I would stick with the smaller heads. By necessity mine also has a skin head which may also make some difference. Anyway this is my opinion and YMMV.

[Jake Wildwood]

Terry: I think the lip of that rim is just painted. They did that on a few models. If it's metal then I would guess it was some sort of weird one-off. I personally like the simpler (old-style) models like the one in this post a lot better. Like Jim says, YMMV with banjo mandos. I find I like the sound of the 10" to 10.75" heads better than the smaller heads, but I also do a lot of muting at the tailpiece, under the fretboard extension, and/or dowel/head area to remove ugly overtones and woof -- as well as use heavier bridges if I'm not getting the tone I want. I've found the smaller heads (especially when skin) are much more stable and generally provide a more crisp and ringing sound... where I like the slightly warmer, horse-hoof-clopping sound of a bigger-headed banjo mando with some muting. It all depends on what you want to do!

[Jim Garber]

Here is the original bridge for my little Weymann B-M. As you can see, it is more than slightly warped. it is an interesting design and compensated to boot.

Warpage was prob due to my letting the ski head get a little too loose. I will try to straighten it out since I do like the way it sounded.

Also: a few more examples of B-M bridges (including a Weymann at top) from mugwumps.com