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Hi Scott
If tuning the Tenor banjo to GDAE then that should be one octave below
the pitch for mandolin using strings of appropriate gauge. As stated above , the banjo's longer scale length will...

It looks like the Martin is no longer available. I owned one just like it also from the 1940s in excellent condition and it was pretty underwhelming as a mandolin. Personally the simple Martin A...

I think it sounds better open stringed but to tell the truth I tend not to play it if I can help it.

That said here is a refreshing version from a Mandolin Monday session where both approaches are...

I'd go with the Kentucky KM-850. I've played around with all the old Martin's and Gibson's I've ever wanted to.

I can't help you with a definitive answer to your question but I would like to point out something that I have touched on many times. Buy from a Cafe sponsor! Cafe sponsors not only provide an...

A Martin 2-15 might be hard to sell later.

Depends on what kind of music you're gonna play. The Martin is a quality instrument, and has value on the vintage market. The Kentucky probably would work better for bluegrass playing. It's true...

The Martin appears to be pretty competitively priced assuming it is in good all-round condition- and it also has an original hard case, which of itself is worth a reasonable sum. However, it is not a...

The Martin is a style 2-15. That particular model mandolin is not considered to be desirable by either players or collectors. Martin's oval hole mandolins will be better instruments-- they never...

Irish banjo is GDAE like an octave mandolin yes?

How about Daddario EJ63i to start with?

They are made for a 4-string GDAE tuned 22-23" scale length Irish tenor banjo, seems like a match there....

Here is what I would have said if you didn't already find the answer :-)

From what I can tell it has a 23" scale (modern banjos are commonly 26.25" scale), so you could use octave or mandola...

there is a link on servicing tuning machines rather than scrapping them, *

your Internet search may find.

(Lubricating and wearing them in) you could do some of that with each tuner
...

You should first remove them from the instrument and inspect them thoroughly for smooth operation and lubricate them. Often there can be binding issues with the ferrules or misalignment of the...

You may have seen this from the Vintage Levin listing site. I sent a seller in Sweden some information on an old Harmony guitar in his shop and he told me he was the guy behind this site. Another of...

Those are worm over, and by the cut of the gear they appear to turn the right way. The only problem I see is that they are showing as 23.0 spacing and that may or may not cause you issues. You have...

I can't tell you whether the Schallers would just drop right in or if you'd have to do some drilling. You'd have to measure the spacing on your Kentucky and compare.

But if you're interested in...

I have played a Kentucky KM 756 and KM 505. I thought both had excellent tuners - better than the ones on my Eastman MD-605.

Everything you always wanted to know about the differences between worm over and worm under tuners can be found on the late Paul Hostetter's gear page. It is here.

Those are Saga's own brand tuning machines. You're looking for worm over tuners. To my knowledge Schaller no longer makes a worm over tuner in their Grand Tune line. If they have I haven't seen...

Just to add to Mike's observation, losing the original tuners makes it just a little harder to date the mandolin. However, the headstock shape and the logo and case date the mandolin to the late...

Your mandolin has replacement tuners. That takes it out of that mint category. I think you're dating it a few decades earlier than it was made. The instrument itself was made by Kay in Chicago for...

It is unlikely to be from 1939 because the Silvertone brand- the new name for Supertone did not come into existence until 1940. The commonest mandolins with the Silvertone brand were made after WW2...