A friend is looking at buying this but is unsure if it is a "proper" banjo or a home-built special. Note the 5th string peg is on the 5th fret, nobody seems to know what it is. No markings other than the "S" on the headstock
Edited by - Mick T on 11/13/2026 18:18:20
It's got some problems. The tailpiece is bent badly (they done that to attach it to the pot), The armrest is too far from the tension hoop. It doesn't have enough tension hooks really to tighten the head like it should be. That's not the type of bridge you would want to use.
Thanks, it looks home made to my eyes but I am no expert but I would expect some sort of branding somewhere if it was made professionally, and the aluminium frame looks a poor casting or fabrication. Tuners are a bit odd too but I can't post more photos.
I'm not certain on this, but try researching Sterling banjos. There is no direct comparison to be sure, but I got there from looking for brands that would've used a gothic style S and came across this Facebook post that is only slightly similar.
facebook.com/groups/4813429752...21406875/
This reverb listing is a lot closer with the binding/purfling.
etsy.com/listing/1203686944/st...=1&gao=1&
Tell your friend to buy a different banjo.
Jackson mentioned the name Sterling. Sterling was a trade name of Tonk Brothers who were a musical distributor in the Midwest. They had instruments made for them by several companies and marked with the Sterling label.
I used to have a Sterling banjo by Slingerland. This banjo looks nothing like the one I had. The peghead shape reminds me of a Harmony banjo. The purfling around the resonator also reminds me of a Harmony, but it's pretty obvious Harmony didn't make the pot.
Since Sterling banjos were made for a distributor which was in the Midwest, it makes good sense that Harmony could have made Sterling banjos as well, since they were in Chicago. My educated guess is that the neck and resonator were taken from a Sterling banjo made by Harmony and added to a homemade pot of dubious origin. Don't take that for Gospel.
Thanks all, will let him know all the above, and hopefully he is able to help me get the beautiful Bacon Symphonie Silver Bell Tenor that his friend is selling
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