I was just gifted this old banjo by my aunt. She stated it was my uncles Dad’s, making it around 100 years old.
Beyond that, I don’t know anything about it. What can anyone here tell me about it?
Is it worth restoring or just junk?
Edited by - wilburburns on 08/02/2026 16:45:24
Welcome to the Hangout.
Photos?
Won’t let me post pics.
I had a similar banjo that I restored not so long ago that was made by Rettberg and Lange in New York. Yours looks similar enough that I would venture a guess that they made yours. It's not really a collector's item, but it's not junk either. It would be worth restoring if you want to try playing it. Measure the rim across the bottom to find the diameter. You may have to measure several places; old rims are notorious for being out of round. It definitely needs a new head. That's why you need the diameter of the rim. If you want to make it playable, I would suggest using nylon strings. The nut and the original tuning pegs work well for nylon, not for steel. The missing frets are at the high end. If you get to where you need to use them, you will probably be ready for another banjo anyway.
Check out Bob Smakula's website. He sells heads and lots of other parts, new and used, to restore old banjos. I got some parts from him to restore my R & L banjo. He has heads in any size you need.
Pictures are on his home page under Media.
I'd say it's a pretty basic mail-order banjo, likely vintage 1st quarter of the 20th c.
If you aren't interested in playing it yourself, I'd say your choices are to either sell it as-is, or to clean it up a bit with a damp rag and hang it up as a decorative piece. It isn't junk, but the cost of competent repair work would definitely exceed what you could expect to sell it for, maybe by a lot.
If you're into DIY, though, go ahead and take a crack at it. If you have the patience and discernment, there's plenty of good info in that regard to be found here on the BHO. Others here may disagree, but IMO, it hasn't got near enough collectible value or historical significance that you need to worry about spoiling its originality.
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