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 ARCHIVED TOPIC: Maker of August Polmann banjo


Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/408785

Mikegivney - Posted - 05/27/2026:  16:40:12

Here’s another one for those in “the know”…
I have an August Polmann Royal Professional banjo as indicated in the ivoroid disc inlaid in the fretboard. It is marked G L Wild and Bro, Washington DC.
We know Polmann was a seller of banjos made by others and, I assume, Wild was a distributor or music store.
I’d love some insight as to who actually made this banjo.
Thanks!
Mike





 

Mikegivney - Posted - 05/27/2026:  16:42:47

Sorry about the thimble under the fifth fret tuner. Didn’t see that before I posted the pic??

Joel Hooks - Posted - 05/28/2026:  05:05:50

I know that there has been blind speculation about private label makers, mainly "Buckbee made everything", but the fact remains that any joiner of that era with a workbench and set of tools would be more than capable of turning out banjos.

So it is not that far of a reach to think that Pollman, Ditson (Haynes) etc, were having them made, (in whole--or also just assembly and finish work) in their own shop.

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