For years, I remembered that my grandmother played banjo; my grandfather played fiddle. I was lucky to have been brought up in a musical family—large family gatherings were often accompanied by banjo, fiddle, harmonica, guitar, piano, accordion, jugs, and spoons. We were a regular family jug band.
But back to that banjo. A old photo of my grandmother playing recently turned up, and strangely enough, she was not playing a banjo. It was a banjolin. As a kid, I’m sure I didn’t know the difference, or didn’t know there was such a thing as a banjolin.
Although I know now what a banjolin is, I didn’t know much about them, so being the nerdy sort, looked up some information. Here are bits and pieces of what I found.
- It was patented April 7, 1885 (US Patent No. 315,135) by John Farris. In his original patent application, Farris states: “This is a stringed instrument having some points of similarity to the banjo, and some other points of similarity to the mandolin, and some other points entirely new and widely differing as a whole from every prior instrument known to me.” You can see the original patent application, including a detailed illustration of the proposed instrument.
- Some argue that banjolins are notable for having only four strings. The original technical drawing for the banjolin shows eight, just like a mandolin. However, it seems that modern banjolins sport just four. And, people continue to argue about the differences between mandolin-banjos and banjolins accordingly.
- Like a lot of hybrid instruments, such as the little banjolele I own, it became popular in the 1920s, the heyday of mandolin orchestras and banjo bands. Farris’s banjolin came in soprano, alto, tenor, and bass versions, so it could fit into an array of spaces in an orchestra.
- There are some good banjolin demos available on Youtube, including a strange green screen rendition of “Whiskey before Breakfast” or an extreme close-up of “Wildwood Flower.”
- Today, there are still manufacturers of banjolins, notably GoldTone, but new ones are hard to find in music shops. There are currently some vintage instruments for sale on eBay, including one made by Gibson for $2,600 or a more budget-friendly one by Oliver Ditson for $149.
- The folk-rock group Mumford and Sons recorded a song called “The Banjolin Song.” Not a single banjolin was used in its recording.
- If you look up banjolin on pinterest.com, it shows you a bunch of handmade guitars, mandolins, mandolin bridges, bazoukis, lute rosettes, and a woman’s wool suit. Why a woman’s wool suit? I have no explanation for that one.
Just as I have more books than I can read, I also own more instruments than I can play, including a banjolele. But, I don’t own a banjolin–which brings me back to my grandmother (and my grandfather, too). My grandfather died in the 1970s, my grandmother in the 1980s. No one knows where the banjolin went, or what happened to my grandfather’s fiddle. I have no idea what the quality of either of these instruments was—my grandparents were poor, rural folks, so I am fairly certain these weren’t fine instruments. But, it doesn’t matter. I wish I had them both. I would play my grandfather’s fiddle with pride, and might even learn some tunes on the banjolin if I had it.
After this little foray into the life of banjolins, here is my request. Make plans for your instruments, even if they aren’t fine specimens. Give them a history and let them be played. I would love to know whose great-great-grandmother or great-grandfather played my fiddle. I hope someone is playing my grandparents’ instruments.
