joined BHO a few days ago and started on the "collector's corner" forum...i began there to find out just what i'd bought as a project banjo...well, restoration, anyway....the title is "baldwin bride of frankenstein model"....i knew i had a banjo that was a collection of parts and the peg head grain had a yellow streak in the center, full length--hence, the "bride of frankenstein"....just didn't know exactly what parts i had ......got a lot of good info and learned a lot....many photos on that thread....
i figured it would make sense to move my restoration progress to this forum, in case anybody might be interested....this will be my first banjo restoration, so plan to get ideas from y'all and my other resource, vinnie mondello....if he wasn't so backed up with work, i'd just send the neck and resonator off to him to refinish it right....don't have that easy way out, so will have to figure it out myself and hope i don't mess it up....lol
am only including 3 photos from my first forum, then a photo of my first round of metal polishing (last nite)...will be stripping off all old lacquer from wood and refinishing...also, a strip of ivoroid on one side of the fretboard is pulling off in a few places, so will re-glue that....nearly all the metal was very oxidized nickel and the strings were pretty rusty....easy fix....will post photos and explanations of my progress over course of project....
list of parts as i believe 'em to be:
**baldwin model 'c' neck, **schaller tuners, **ODE 4-string tailpiece, **aria resonator, **nickel plated brass one piece flange (gibson type--possibly steve ryan ...no markings), **archtop tone ring (possibly steve ryan or stewmac..no markings), **tension hoop either steve ryan or stewmac (am pretty sure it's nickel plated brass, too)....** hooksets look like replica (?)vintage gibson, **garden variety armrest--one like it at elderly....last and the most curious is the cast/machined rim....not like any aluminum rim i could find....well made....whoever built this, did a great job...it appears it was probably built in the 70's....old, well used everest (canadian) case....judging by the fret and fingerboard wear, it was played a lot by a good banjo player....
cap'n scottybob banjopants arrrrrr