Barnett Samuel

A bracketless Banjolele is a kind of Banjolele body where the banjo head is entirely inside the drum of the body and there are no external tensioning rods. Instead of a rim and resonator it has a one-piece cylindrical round body with a number of Z-brackets screwed to the upper edge and reaching down an inch or two, with tapped holes in the horizontal part. The "banjo" bit consists of a flanged, cast-metal "tone-ring" and a cast-metal "bezel", which acts as the tension hoop. Flange and bezel have matching holes, through which screws are passed to screw into the bracket feet. The flange of the tone ring sits on the brackets, and the tension of the screws draws the bezel down over it, tightening the head, which has a normal flesh-hoop and is considerably smaller than on a regular banjo and mounted onto z-brackets across the opening of the body. The neck and the body are glued together, like on a guitar. (there will be a test later!)

This is one of my examples. There isn't any makers mark on it so it is difficult to know who made it or when? (I know the tuners which can sometime be used for dating, have been replaced recently; the chap who sold it to me replaced them). The closest things I have seen to it are the John Grey on the far right and two Banjo Mandolins dating from the late 20's or early 1930's, about the time Rose Morris took over all of the Barnet Samuel, (by this time renamed Decca), instrument making interests including the John Grey, (which they continued to use), and BS Dulcet, (which they discontinued, along with their own Savanna brand), Banjo brands and factories. There is a possibility this is from after the takeover so it's a Rose Morris but on balance I think it is before the takeover so it's a Barnett Samuel, (or maybe Decca?). The headstock size and design with the offset pegs show this could have been an 8 string mandolin, and with 4 strings, this was probably designed to be either as a Banjolele or a Banjolin.

Truth to tell I'm not 100% sure the veneer was not done at the same time the tuners were replaced and the other referb work was done? (If they were, it's a better job than the re-skinning!)