Can you get pictures of the side of the pot? It looks like a Saga kit banjo. They had aluminum rims with an integral tone ring cast into the top of the rim. It won't sound like a banjo with a wood rim and a Mastertone ring, but still, $200 is a good price even for a kit banjo.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Culloden

Can you get pictures of the side of the pot? It looks like a Saga kit banjo. They had aluminum rims with an integral tone ring cast into the top of the rim. It won't sound like a banjo with a wood rim and a Mastertone ring, but still, $200 is a good price even for a kit banjo.

---

Those are the only pics he posted of it. I have never seen an archtop that didn't have a wood rim?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moonshiner Mark

quote:

---

Originally posted by Culloden

Can you get pictures of the side of the pot? It looks like a Saga kit banjo. They had aluminum rims with an integral tone ring cast into the top of the rim. It won't sound like a banjo with a wood rim and a Mastertone ring, but still, $200 is a good price even for a kit banjo.

---

Those are the only pics he posted of it. I have never seen an archtop that didn't have a wood rim?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 You haven't seen very many banjos then ! 

Here's an aluminum Saga arch top pot that I sold a few years ago.....

https://www.banjohangout.org/classified/84163

Saga and Stewart MacDonald both made banjo kits that had aluminum rims with the arch top ring made into them.
ODE made some of their banjos the same way. One of the founders of Stewart MacDonald had worked for ODE, so he was instrumental in the development of the kit banjos with the same type of rim. Saga came out with their own version a few years later.

for under 200 bucks its worth that just as a wall hanger.... can't buy fine art for that price.

Make sure those tuners work smoothly! And be sure the banjo is "playable" -- that it doesn't have a boogered up neck fit or anything like that. If nothing's broken, loose or wobbly -- in other words it is PLAYABLE -- that seems like a bargain price.

But what is "M I J"?

StuMac also made kits with wood pots and various tone rings available, starting sometime in the '70s, I think. This looks a lot like a StuMac kit to me, especially the headstock, but the tuners are a bit funky looking, like older or Japanese made. I will guess that MIJ is a previous owner's initials, or maybe MADE IN JAPAN? As others have said, you need to know more and show more for good advice.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lew H

StuMac also made kits with wood pots and various tone rings available, starting sometime in the '70s, I think. This looks a lot like a StuMac kit to me, especially the headstock, but the tuners are a bit funky looking, like older or Japanese made. I will guess that MIJ is a previous owner's initials, or maybe MADE IN JAPAN? As others have said, you need to know more and show more for good advice.

---

The bracket shoes, flange plates, and three hole truss rod cover are all wrong for Stewart MacDonald. The double cut peghead was used by Saga quite a but on their kits. 

I would say the MIJ stands for Made in Japan. I have seen that abbreviation before.

i do believe it is a japan saga banjo... back in the 70s saga did use the lumitome signature on the heads of some of their asian banjos... so maybe this is a left over from that era.

but to my eye it favors the old recording king banjos from the 30s ... looks a lot like one...

I bought it, it's a great player and it looks practically new. I would guess it's about 50 years old it's not flashy at all but a great player. Neck is fast. Holds tune. Bright but not harsh. I would assume the old Lumitone head has something to do with that.

As it turns out it's not a Made In Japan (MIJ) banjo. It's a Stewart McDonald kit/Parts banjo from the 70s. The Rosewood veneer on the front of the unbranded headstock was the clincher, I found a matching picture. The flange is different however, it has 24 separate flange plates, 1 for each hook, that's why I say possibly Parts banjo.

You did great at $200.