c.1920s? British Banjo Mandolin
Another customer instrument, this is a made-in-the-UK banjo mandolin (probably c.1920 or at earliest c.1900s) with a zither banjo style tension assembly. The head rests on a ring that's suspended over a one-piece side and resonator, which gives these old UK (and for that matter, their nearly identical German and French brethren) a poppy, hollow, breathy sort of tone. I like it. It's loud, too!
This particular banjo-mandolin needed a new head (so I installed one) along with a good setup. I'm pleased to report that it came out just dandy and gives that "clop-clop" banjo-mando sound that's great as a recording or stage presence.
This instrument is all-original except for the new head and strings. The strings I'm using are a custom GHS banjo-mando set that runs 024 or 028w to 008. This removes a lot of the tension normal mando strings would put on the head and gives the mandolin a less piercing, more banjo tone. It also makes it crazy easy to play.
Nickel-silver frets, MOP dots.
Rim. Cool "shield" style tailpiece. Bridge is maple with a fret saddle.
Side.
Detail.
Back.
Original brass-plate and bone knob tuners.
Tailpiece.
Comments
Mine has more labeling on the head but otherwise it is a match.
Here is a link to help with the history side .. http://www.whitetreeaz.com/vintage/brit2.htm
George Houghton established his Reliance Works in Heaton Street, Birmingham in 1888 and the range of banjos and zither-banjos he made were branded "Reliance." His well made inexpensive range of instruments quickly found favour with dealers and players alike and before long his factory was extended, his staff increased and the name changed to G. Houghton & Sons and production almost wholly devoted to making instruments for other firms to be branded with the vendor's name and/or trademark. Houghton's maintained a stock catalogue of instruments (usually marked with a gold-embossed lion with the initials G. H. & S. underneath) with which many retailers and most of the wholesale houses made up their own catalogues. One of the most popular selling lines of their banjos was the inexpensive instruments labelled "Melody Jo." Besides making, their own stock instruments they would also copy other firms' prototypes for them, to be branded with the latter's name as "makers".
In 1962, town-planning development in Birmingham plus staff difficulties finally decided George Houghton (son of the founder) to close down and he moved to London to become associated with John E. Dallas & Sons Ltd. The plant and materials and a few of his key workers he brought from Birmingham was established in a factory-at 12 Gravel Hill, Bexleyheath, Kent, and from that time until he retired in 1965 he made the inexpensive banjos sold under the Dallas label
Cheers ... JMorriOz
I had a lost tuning cog, and no bridge. Otherwise in good condition except for flaky varnish on the neck.
Had a guitar cog that we ground down to the right diameter and filed the cog teeth to make it turn the (not original) tuning post.
Put 2 strings on, look like the skin needs to be a bit tighter.
From the research Ive done this week on the GH&S brand I see JimOz has also been there before me. It looks like JimOz lives within 50klm of me.
I got my GH&S from an op shop (charity shop) in Lismore Australia about 4 or 5 years ago.
It had lived in Bendigo Australia from the name in the case..
Amazing these things are still giving people amusement 80 or 90 years after they were made !!!
GregM
How did you replace the head?
I can't find any suitable:(
Thanks for your blog,it is very helpful and exciting!
Here's a good article -- the Brit-style tension hoops work a little differently but it's the same idea, essentially:
http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Building,_general/Assembly/i-0522.html
Thankyou any extra information would be appreciated. Also I was wondering if these type of instrument were made for the army at all.
I had much better success with a goat skin from a broken djembe drum. My experience skinning djembe drums stood in my favour.
I am happy to say, "so far so good".
I do have to tune-up before each sitting, but for the most part it stays in tune.
I'm interested to see how it fares with a wet Cape Town winter.
Thanks Ian