Old Banjo Pot

[Allen L Wall]

Hello Group

Can anyone help me identify this banjo pot? The tension hoop is just laying over the tone ring because I removed the broken calf skin head. It also has a second ring on the inside of the pot. Also there are no identifying marks on the dowel. Any info you can give would be much appreciated.

[Redacted]

Try here:

https://www.banjohangout.org/

[Ray Frank]

Hi Allen.

There are a few clues that are intriguing.  The arch-top tone rim was used by Gibson and other makers but it doesn't look like Gibson.  There's a possibility that it's an Orpheum pot.  The metal insert at the center of the stick was used to hold a resonator in place and is a clue.

How many hook brackets does it have and what's the diameter of the inside of the tension hoop?

Best regards,

Ray

[Allen L Wall]

Thanks for your reply Ray. There are 20 hooks and the diameter is 11 inches. In the meantime I have done some looking around and found that this is probably the pot from a Harmony Supertone tenor banjo. I have been out of town for a few days and failed to post anything recently. Thanks again Ray.

[Ray Frank]

Hi again Allen,

It may be a Harmony Supertone but they tended to use poplar on their older banjos which were sold through Sears Roebuck.  In later years they switched to Bakelite.  Every Supertone banjo I've ever seen had a flat-top ring, not arched as in your case.  It may be that a Harmony neck was grafted onto an older pot.  The wood appears to be mahogany.  If that's the case, it's probably not a Harmony pot.

Best, Ray

[Allen L Wall]

Hi Ray

Thanks for the info. Good to know. Guess I'll keep digging.

Cheers