Re: String distance and identify my banjolin
Have you pulled off the resonator to determine how the neck's attached to the shell -- is there a "dowel stick" that goes through the body, are there bolts through the shell into the neck, or is the neck simply glued to the shell? Of course you should immediately take the string tension off the instrument, and attempt to reattach the neck. Most banjo-type instruments have a neck attachment that's more than just an unpinned glue joint, since the neck-shell attachment is an obvious weak spot.
You must have had the resonator off to install a new head. Some pics of the "inside" of the banjo body would be helpful.
Most mandolin banjos found in Australia appear to be British-made; common brands were Houghton and Windsor, but this one doesn't look quite like either. The overall design, with the small head and the top-facing bracket nuts, is quite British, so I'd be pretty safe to attribute it to an English exporter. If there's no label inside the shell, it may be hard to get specific as to manufacturer and date.
Allen Hopkins
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