bscluthier - Posted - 01/23/2025:  15:16:11

I recently was commissioned to make playable a no3 that had sat in a shed for 50 plus years then was taken apart and put in a box i believe i have everything but some of the parts don't make sense and i was wondering if there is an exploded view possibly for ordering parts when the company was in business and if anyone had the fretboard inlay patterns. i don't have a fret board and I'm not restoring it back to a museum quality I'm going to make a bookmatched flame maple fretboard and would like to include the original inlays but in ebony or wenge. my lazy bone hopes i don't have to render and scale them each individually. I am an accomplished luthier with a full cnc complement of tools but i find my knowledge of banjos lacking and I want to do justice to this remarkably well built instrument that is in shambles. I have spent hours pouring through archived topics but haven't came across what i'm looking for. any help on these issues or just general dos and don'ts surrounding this particular instrument would be greatly appreciated. the tailpiece doesn't seem to have all parts for it but i need a picture of the assembly or exploded view drawing or even better if makers blueprints exist for the instrument.

tdennis - Posted - 01/23/2025:  15:43:29

You might do better to systematically lay out the parts you have. & take an extended pictorial portrait of the items. Experienced tinkerers & builders should be able to help fill in the gaps.

trapdoor2 - Posted - 01/23/2025:  16:47:46

There's an Orpheum #3 Tenor for sale on Reverb at the moment. It has a clear head on it so you can see some of the tone-ring supports thru the head. reverb.com/item/86445209-orphe...KngvD_BwE

Generally, the tone-ring has two (maybe three?) studs that locate into holes in the top of the pot. The supports are like wonky -looking staples that are driven into the top edge of the pot and the ring is supported by them. IIRC, the supports on Orpheums are simply bent pieces of wire. The wire is bent so that one end hangs over the outside of the pot. The "skirt" drops over the wires and is held up by the bracket hooks. The flesh hoop holds the skin to the skirt and the tension hoop drops over that, giving Orpheums (and Paramounts) their characteristic "arch top" look.

If you take pix of your parts, I'm sure we can ID everything.

Re-creating those ornate inlays...no thanks! That's a lot of effort, even CNC.

Edited by - trapdoor2 on 01/23/2025 16:50:30

Banner Blue - Posted - 01/23/2025:  17:20:15

De Paule Supply sells peghead and fingerboard inlays for Orpheum 3 banjo restorations.

A couple of carbon fiber rods in the neck is not a bad idea if the fingerboard is off/missing.

John Yerxa - Posted - 01/23/2025:  21:58:52

I would try to get Ebony for the inlays; Wenge is brittle and has open pores.

bscluthier - Posted - 01/28/2025:  15:04:23

Sorry I’m having issues posting pics I have to try from a computer my serial 10496 would be approximately what year. I can’t find the list that led me to this forum. All the help is appreciated.