Re: Any clues as to the maker of this banjo-mandolin?
I've never seen a resonator mandolin-banjo with the tailpiece attached to the resonator, rather than to the shell of the banjo itself. Concur with the hypothesis that a probably "trade" instrument has been re-worked, with a re-figured or replaced headstock, and an "after-market," quite possibly home-made, resonator attached. The spacing of the brackets around the shell, makes it impossible to attach the tailpiece to a bracket opposite the neck, which is the standard method. So, maybe this one was designed to have its tailpiece attached to its resonator, but that surely is an unusual configuration -- at least, in my experience.
Allen Hopkins
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