Re: Anyone who can identify this banjolin?
Guessing: European made, 1930's or so. These small-bodied, resonator mandolin banjos are often found in England, but I've not seen an English one with a slotted headstock -- a feature more commonly found on instruments made in Germany or France. Clifford Essex in England made slotted-headstock mandolin banjos, but the Essex ones I've seen have had larger bodies. The "zero fret" just above the nut is also a very common feature on German-made instruments.
I've done a bit of Google searching for French and German mandolin banjo pics, but haven't found one that resembles this one. The French ones depicted all have larger bodies, and the Marcelli and Walliostro German-made ones have similar bodies, but non-slotted headstocks.
You might try removing the resonator and looking for maker ID inside. Other than that, well, perhaps another Cafe member will recognize it.
Allen Hopkins
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