2-string banjo

Maker H

Date1930 ca.

Place MadeUnited States, North America

Serial No.none

Signedpainted in gold on bottom of resonator: HMarkingsnoneDescriptionNeck: yellow-poplar [Liriodendron tulipfera; identified microscopically by John Koster]; originally for a 5-string banjo, it has been cut down to fit this instrument; hole for 5th-string tuner
Peghead: yellow-poplar [Liriodendron tulipfera; identified microscopically by John Koster], same piece of wood as neck; face painted black, back lacquered reddish-brown, sides painted gold
Fingerboard: integral with top side of neck, gold-painted
Heel cap: none; heel is lacquered reddish-brown
Head: animal skin
Tone ring: none
Body: Gold-painted metal canister with black-painted triangle pattern; 4 small holes in bottom, one small hole on either side
Bracket hooks: 13 nickel-plated steel
Shoes: 13 nickel-plated brass
Tension hoop: gold-painted nickel-plated steel
Dowel stick: dark-stained yellow-poplar [Liriodendron tulipfera]
Nut: 2 small brass dome-headed slot screws
Tuners: 2 white plastic pegs
Tailpiece: bottom bracket hook also serves as tailpiece, shoe is attached higher on the rim than the others
Finish: mostly unfinished, except remnants of reddish-brown lacquer on re-purposed 5-string banjo neck
DimensionsTotal instrument length: 710 mm (27-15/16”)
Vibrating string length: 583 mm (22-15/16”)
Fingerboard length: 467 mm (18-3/8”)
Fingerboard width at nut: 18 mm (23/32”)
Fingerboard width at body: 27 mm (1-1/16”)
Head diameter: 143 mm (5-5/8”)
Resonator diameter: 118 mm (4-21/32”)
Rim and resonator depth: 130 mm (5-1/8”)

ProvenanceArne B. Larson Collection, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1979.

Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979

Object number04984

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