Antique Banjo on the Workbench
This post documents my work on a Windsor Popular Model 3, a 5-string open back banjo with a calfskin head made at the Windsor factory in Birmingham some time in the 1920’s. I would hesitate to call this project a ‘restoration’ because I am not trying to keep original features. My focus is on repair and improving some things for my playing. The banjo is pictured to the right. This banjo has a lovely tone and the light weight and narrow neck make it fun to strum. It has a few problems however. The tuning is set with 100 year old ‘friction tuners’, which were probably already awful before they got old and sticky! I will replace these. There is also some damage to the neck which for the most part doesn’t affect playing. At the sixth fret however, a chip to the fingerboard has dislodged the end of the fret (pictured left). It is now raised a little and makes a buzzing noise when the fifth position is fretted. I will try to repair this.