Any HFC Banjo Experts Here?

[HSB0531]

The only marking on it is on the back pan.

Its an Elton part, but Elton didn't make whole instruments as far as I know.

 

 

[HSB0531]

[G Man]

I don't think 6 string banjos were manufactured much back when this was made, so I would guess a home built job, but I've been wrong before.

[JohnnyB]

First you'll notice that this is a banjo guitar. Here's a summary of the most common banjo types.

I don't know much about Elton, but evidently the main product was the spin-on resonator, which could be fitted to several brands of banjos and could thereby easily add a resonator to an open-back banjo. That center screw would fit into a threaded dowel in the banjo body (part of the conversion?) and you simply spun the resonator into place.

Pictures.

[HSB0531]

14 minutes ago, JohnnyB said:

First you'll notice that this is a banjo guitar. Here's a summary of the most common banjo types.

I don't know much about Elton, but evidently the main product was the spin-on resonator, which could be fitted to several brands of banjos and could thereby easily add a resonator to an open-back banjo. That center screw would fit into a threaded dowel in the banjo body (part of the conversion?) and you simply spun the resonator into place.

Pictures.

So it's a banjo guitar possibly made by a local builder using Elton and other parts.

Interestingly, the headstock looks similar to the Cellar headstock from his plans he gave to D'Angelico.

[JohnnyB]

The Cell-ar has a pretty extreme taper. I can't tell the proportions exactly from screen pictures, but the banjo-guitar's headstock reminds me of slotted head Martins.

[HSB0531]

Yes you're right, it does look like this ^^^^

[JohnnyB]

2 hours ago, HSB0531 said:

Yes you're right, it does look like this ^^^^

 

I didn't think the neck/headstock was an actual Martin, but they're a similar concept. The banjo-tar's headstock has more wood above the slots than the Martin guitar has.

[HSB0531]

Yeah this one is the only mystery instrument I'm looking over.

The other one is a Epiphone Recording Bandmaster.

 

[Teh]

On 7/27/2016 at 2:46 PM, JohnnyB said:

 

I didn't think the neck/headstock was an actual Martin, but they're a similar concept. The banjo-tar's headstock has more wood above the slots than the Martin guitar has.

A little research shows that Martin did make tenor banjos for a short period in the early 1920's.  However, they were more focused on ukuleles at that time and quickly got out of the banjo business.  They acquired Vega Banjos in 1972, but they were sold in 1979.  During that period, they made several 4- and 5-string models, but no banjitars.  (Source: Martin Guitars: A Technical Reference by Dick Boak)

The slotted headstock design on yours is pretty generic.  My guess yours was built during the Great Folk Scare of the 1960's.

[HSB0531]

16 minutes ago, Teh said:

A little research shows that Martin did make tenor banjos for a short period in the early 1920's.  However, they were more focused on ukuleles at that time and quickly got out of the banjo business.  They acquired Vega Banjos in 1972, but they were sold in 1979.  During that period, they made several 4- and 5-string models, but no banjitars.  (Source: Martin Guitars: A Technical Reference by Dick Boak)

The slotted headstock design on yours is pretty generic.  My guess yours was built during the Great Folk Scare of the 1960's.

The Great Folk Scare  I like that.

Thank God The Beatles busted that up and tore a hole in the wall for a British Invasion.

[Steve Haynie]

Go to banjohangout.org and you will get all the info you need.

[HSB0531]

5 minutes ago, Steve Haynie said:

Go to banjohangout.org and you will get all the info you need.

Thanks Steve.

And....where do I send funds to the HFC??

[JohnnyB]

7 hours ago, HSB0531 said:

The Great Folk Scare  I like that.

Thank God The Beatles busted that up and tore a hole in the wall for a British Invasion.

You got that right. In fact, ABC came out with a rock'n'roll variety show called "Shindig!" in the Fall of 1964. The folk movement's popularity was sinking like a stone. As the Wikipedia enttry for Shindig! puts it:

Quote

Shindig! was conceived as a short-notice replacement for Hootenanny, a series that had specialized in folk revival music. The folk revival had fizzled in 1964 as the result of the British Invasion, which damaged the ratings for Hootenanny and prompted that show's cancellation.

ABC dropped Hootenanny like a bad habit and at the beginning of the '64-65 season, ABC replaced it with Shindig! in Hootenanny's old time slot without interruption. 

[HSB0531]

18 minutes ago, JohnnyB said:

You got that right. In fact, ABC came out with a rock'n'roll variety show called "Shindig!" in the Fall of 1964. The folk movement's popularity was sinking like a stone. As the Wikipedia enttry for Shindig! puts it:

ABC dropped Hootenanny like a bad habit and at the beginning of the '64-65 season, ABC replaced it with Shindig! in Hootenanny's old time slot without interruption. 

As a little kid in the late 50's-early 60's, I was listening to Classical (Mozart, Wagner, Berlioz, Bach, Tchaikovsky) Brazilian Jazz (Jobim), and 50's Rock & Roll (Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis). 

And then the malaise I felt that could only be called Folk bands.

The pain and discomfort was like Pat Boone, only less cheery and upbeat.

Then of course, My prayers (and millions of others) were answered in the band and music that aired on Feb. 9 1964.