1920s Slingerland Troubadour (Regal-made?) Resonator Tenor Banjo

This banjo is simply outrageous. It bears the Slingerland brand at the headstock but has the Regal "Prince" inlay at the headstock. Slingerland appears to have not made any of their fretted instruments (every single one I've seen has been either a Regal, Harmony, Kay, or Oscar Schmidt make for the most part with some rebranding work done) and this one was likely a high-end, custom-shop built done by one of their many "jobber" sources. Considering the headstock inlay, it's likely it's a Regal-made instrument. The inlay on the fretboard and the celluloid "pirate ship" inlay around the resonator certainly is very similar to some of the high-end Regal-made archtop inlay styles from the early and mid '30s.

Collective online wisdom places this instrument in the mid-'20s but I think it's probably closer to 1930. It's got fascinating high-seas details mixed with more-familiar "bell" motifs and diamond inlay. There's so much of this banjo in terms of multicolored purfling/trim that screams "Lange" but the rim design, tonering design, and neck brace style feel wrong for that direction. I think we can all agree that it's over-the-top, truly lovely, and makes us all covet it just by being in its presence.

It's got all the bells and whistles. too! -- an Oettinger tailpiece, a painful amount of volume and a crisp, poppy tone, long scale, fancy tuner buttons, and engraving everywhere. Let's also not forgot the ding-dong lion carved on the back of the heel or its "glowing eyes."