Fretless carved luthier built folkart minstrel banjo 5 string

  

Fretless carved folkart minstrel banjo 5 string. Up for sale is this beautiful fretless handmade banjo.

I have no clue about the history or maker. The neck appears to be maple, the pot is wood black walnut and maple? , the tension hoops is cast brass and the hooks appear to be brass as well. The headstock is a violin style with a carved face.

It has nylgut strings and sounds nice. Skin head which has an old repair near where the bridge sits.

It looks like a small slit in the hide that a patch was put on the interior. It's still holding and playable as it. Has original bridge and comes in a hardshell case. Really beautiful inlay details around the pot, antler heel cover, carved face on the headstock. While I could find no signature on the banjo, a thread on BHO discussed this may be the work of Edsel Martin, who was known as a carver and dulcimer maker.

Edited the listing to say his family contacted me directly and confirmed it is NOT his work. So it remains a mystery who made this beautiful banjo. If you've seen anything like this, I would love to learn more on the maker! The item "Fretless carved luthier built folkart minstrel banjo 5 string" is in sale since Friday, May 7, 2021.

This item is in the category "Musical Instruments & Gear\String\Folk & World\Banjos". The seller is "luckypennypicker" and is located in Ventura, California. This item can be shipped to United States.

1. Brand: Unbranded
2. Type: fretless
3. Number of Strings: 5
4. Body Style: Open Back