Searcy Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 My great grand dads name was Elisha Columbus Mink. Folks called him "Clum". That's him on the left in this picture taken in Robertson Co Tennessee in 1928. He played an old banjo that had a home made neck and tuning pegs and a cat skin head. After he died his possessions were given away to family. Eventually the banjos whereabouts were forgotten but it remained a prominent icon of the family as almost everyone owns a copy of this picture. After my uncle retired he decided to start traveling around and visiting with family he hadn't seen in a while. While staying with some cousins in Indiana the subject of the old banjo came up. "Yea, I remember that. My sister still has it in a closet if she hasn't tossed it out." So my uncle was able to finally track down the old banjo. He knows I work on stringed things so he asked if I would get it back in playing shape for him. It needs a bridge and a new skin. I'll carve the bridge by hand as my great grand dad would have done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennis Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Woa! oldgasm. Great find! Good luck and have fun restoring it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted October 19, 2012 Author Share Posted October 19, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiz Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 That's a great story! Nice photos too man. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Great story and (half-way) result. I know you'll do all your ancestors (and heirs) proud. I can't help but wonder whose cat gets to be immortalised this time? P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted October 19, 2012 Author Share Posted October 19, 2012 These days goat or calf skin is usually used. My uncle would really like to be more authentic. I'm not so sure about that. After doing a little detective work this morning I have figured out that it's NOT a Civil war banjo. This reads "PAT.JAN.4.87" Patent Jan. 4, 1887, by C.P. Post & G.N. Durkee and assigned to Lyon & Healy. Note that all three types of strings could be used with this design. I believe this banjo rim and string retainer were originally made between 1890 and 1900 on an instrument made by Lyon & Healy and branded "Mystic". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 That's pretty amazing! Would you keep us up to date on the restoration? I for one would be very interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted October 19, 2012 Author Share Posted October 19, 2012 That's pretty amazing! Would you keep us up to date on the restoration? I for one would be very interested. Oh yea. Just like the bass I'm rebuilding I'll posts stuff as it comes along. Lyon and Healy is still in business today. Not making banjos anymore. From the hallowed halls of the New York Philharmonic to the Bolshoi Ballet, Lyon & Healy Harps is acclaimed throughout the world for its remarkable depth and clarity of sound, breathtaking designs, and rich heritage of quality craftsmanship. With more than 120 years of experience, each hand crafted pedal and lever harp is instilled with a legacy of superior woodcrafting and commitment to the development of the instrument. Welcome to our world, a world of magnificent beauty and tradition, where quality is our way of life. http://www.lyonhealy.com/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I know how You feel! :) These things are like emotional time-machines. Here's my greatfather's harmonium (probably already posted a couple of times): Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Lyon and Healy is still in business today. Not making banjos anymore...... http://www.lyonhealy.com/index.htm Have you seen the Louis XV Special/Special Concert Grand (and the price of same)? I'm sure it's one Hell of an instrument but it makes a genuine '59 'Burst seem cheap..... I'm glad I took up the guitar instead of the Harp! P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Have you seen the Louis XV Special/Special Concert Grand (and the price of same)? I'm sure it's one Hell of an instrument but it makes a genuine '59 'Burst seem cheap..... I'm glad I took up the guitar instead of the Harp! P. Oh my God! Beauties, indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 . Great reading. I've seen the pic before sometime ago on another thread - possibly family musicians. From the backside, the homemade neck looks to be modeled after a five string. Very cool. Would love to see pics when your done getting her back into playing shape. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 ...From the backside, the homemade neck looks to be modeled after a five string.... The G-string tuning peg is still there, BK, it's just disguised as a bit of the house in the photo... And it's doubtless the same one as seen in the old snap. Very Cool to have all the original bits after all these years. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 . I'm cleaning my glasses now. . . But now that you mention it, with clean glasses, I see something that appears to be a peg, in the old pic, in the correct spot. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 ...I see something that appears to be a peg, in the old pic, in the correct spot.... The peg half-way along the neck? They DO say that usually a neck's marks the spot..... P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PingPongBob Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 Awesome thread can't wait to see till the end!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxson50 Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 What a treasure! I have two old fiddles that belonged to my grand parents, aren't worth much money wise but I wouldn't sell them for anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted September 5, 2013 Author Share Posted September 5, 2013 Time to get this project done and back to my uncle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Wowee... very very cool man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted September 5, 2013 Author Share Posted September 5, 2013 I figured I'd start with reskinning the head. This is my first time working on a banjo so I'm in very unfamiliar territory here. The original head is cat skin. I decided to order a calf skin head from Stew Mac which came with good instructions. First you take the hook off and then pop the rim off the Tone ring. Then you carefully peal the old head off a part called the "Flesh Hoop". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted September 5, 2013 Author Share Posted September 5, 2013 While it's apart I took a tooth brush and scrubbed the dust off it it. My uncle was clear that he did not want it polished up though so that's all the cleaning I'll be doing to the body. The next step involved soaking the dried calf skin in water for half an hour then draping it over the flesh hoop, sliding the flesh hoop over the tone ring and then attaching the retaining ring with some of the hooks. It's a bit tricky so I don't really have any pictures of that going on. Then I set it in the sun for a while to bake. This shrinks the head so that when you tighten the hooks the skin will become "banjo tight". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 . Well alright. Back to work. Looking forward to following this one. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Awesome man.. I wouldn't even know where to start on such a project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edlo Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 These are amazing pic, good luck with the restoration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 January 4th is my monther's birthday... She'll be 89... :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.