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Joel Hooks - Posted - 10/03/2025: 06:55:18
Recently there has been some revisionist history regarding the "Zither Banjo".
The claim is that William Temlett was the true "inventor of the zither banjo".
This false claim seems to be based on a couple of truths.
Temlett did file a patent for a "closed back" banjo in 1869. The context is that this seems to be inspired (aka knockoff) by Henry Dobson's patent from 1867.
Temlett claimed that he was "the pioneer of the zither banjo". This could also be a true statement as he likely was quick to go into production AFTER Cammeyer arrived in England.
This starts to fall apart when it is considered that there is no mention of the zither banjo prior to Cammeyer's arrival in 1888.
All living at that time were in agreement that this was Cammeyer's development. Cammeyer developed it and put it into the final form before arriving in England.
And here are two images, the first is Cammeyer's original and fully formed zither banjo that he brought with him to England in 1888.
The second photo is of Cammeyer's friend Len Broomfield who inherited the banjo on Cammeyer's passing.
I am also including Cammeyer's own story on how he named the zither banjo.
banjonz - Posted - 10/05/2025: 14:26:30
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
Recently there has been some revisionist history regarding the "Zither Banjo".
The claim is that William Temlett was the true "inventor of the zither banjo".
This false claim seems to be based on a couple of truths.
Temlett did file a patent for a "closed back" banjo in 1869. The context is that this seems to be inspired (aka knockoff) by Henry Dobson's patent from 1867.
Temlett claimed that he was "the pioneer of the zither banjo". This could also be a true statement as he likely was quick to go into production AFTER Cammeyer arrived in England.
This starts to fall apart when it is considered that there is no mention of the zither banjo prior to Cammeyer's arrival in 1888.
All living at that time were in agreement that this was Cammeyer's development. Cammeyer developed it and put it into the final form before arriving in England.
And here are two images, the first is Cammeyer's original and fully formed zither banjo that he brought with him to England in 1888.
The second photo is of Cammeyer's friend Len Broomfield who inherited the banjo on Cammeyer's passing.
I am also including Cammeyer's own story on how he named the zither banjo.
Thanks for that Joel. Most informative.
What would the string gauges be?
I am currently working on one and would like to string it up with the correct type of strings
Joel Hooks - Posted - 10/06/2025: 06:06:37
banjonz , in all honesty, I don't have a zither banjo and have not ever had the opportunity to play one correctly set up.
Everything I have read mentions "sensitive" strings. "Sensitive"= very light.
So I would go with the lightest wire strings you can find for the first, second and 5th. I'd use a standard nylon for the third, .023" and a standard 4th (silver plated copper over nylon floss) at .024".
Were I to ever find one for the right price (basically free) and in excellent condition, this is what I would use.
