RARE Early English Banjo (1870s?)
Added 2018-12-13 21:45:29 +0000 UTCThis is one of the coolest banjos I've seen. The wooden, top-tension design and the fact that it was converted from 6- to 5-string suggest the instrument was made in Britain. The label on the back side of the apparently original head reads: "A. & N. C.S.L." This stands for "Army & Navy Store Co-Operative Society Limited," a British manufacturing company founded in 1871. 
The carvings in the peg head and at the base of the fingerboard are what I would consider "folk" carvings, however, it is not known whether these were done by the maker or a later owner of the banjo. 
A beautiful sounding instrument and easy to play. Definitely one of the most fascinating banjos I have handled! 
Approximately 25.5" scale
11.5" pot
2.5" rim depth
16.75" from rim to nut
22.5" total neck length
1.5" across the nut, .75" depth
2 and 5/16" at the rim
5.5" x 2.25" peg head
10/16" thick peg head
"A. & N. C.S.L." apparently refers to the "Army & Navy Store Co-Operative Society Limited," a British manufacturing company founded in 1871.
Comments
That'd be great. I'll buy em.
Clifton Hicks
2019-01-08 13:37:47 +0000 UTCIf it works out maybe I can send you a set of hoops.
Ken Taylor
2019-01-08 12:58:29 +0000 UTCThanks for the info! Hope to see you build one of these. I'd like to make one myself, besides the three steam bent hoops it would be very simple.
Clifton Hicks
2019-01-08 01:59:43 +0000 UTC
