Well, I have been monitoring the internet for months but have not yet come across one of these magical, mythical beasts for sale in the UK/Europe.  I guess this is because they were made by US makers (SS Stewart, Cole...) and in small numbers.  However, if I could I would like to avoid those nasty import costs if at all possible.  If anyone has a rare sighting, please get in touch...thanks!

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I have seen the occasional zither-banjeaurine on ebay. You might contact David Wade (owner of the Z-B website), he attends many conventions, etc. and may know of one lurking about, ZB or not.

Yes, good idea - thanks Marc.  

Carrie, from one of your comments, looks like you found an SSS Banjeaurine. I acquired one (an SSS Banjo-Banjeurine) a few months ago. Be happy to share photos. I'd love to see what you found!

Pat

Hello Patrick - I have uploaded some photos of my SSS banjeaurine.  It is the 'Imperial' model with a 12.5" head, 13 frets to the rim (+ 6 on extension).  As you can see it's got the heavy metal brace attached to the dowel.  It's got a few odd hooks but otherwise is in good original condition (without heel damage, which I think is unusual).  I look forward to seeing your pics.

 

Why would you expect heel damage?

Hi Carrie..that is a great sounding and looking banjeaurine too!

Jody, I think that Carrie is confused over the SSS neck "adjusters".  Yours, Carrie, is a fixed neck brace to prevent it bending upwards or distorting the hoop over time due to the tension of the strings.

SSS also used adjustable neck braces but people often turned the adjusting barrel in an attempt to alter the neck/string action. Unfortunately it does not work but just snaps the heel off instead!

The adjustable type should only be turned enough to brace the neck like the fixed one does, so are a bit of a waste of time really!

...but they do stop the neck moving up and down as much as they would without one. I guess they were brought in to attempt to compensate for the easily deformed, thin hoops maybe?

I'll post some images of my banjeaurine later today. On the run at present. Mine has the adjustable type that's shown in Ian's last photo.

Stewart's strap-iron brace as shown in the top photo is actually adjustable, Ian. Just not to the degree that the later "turnbuckle" brace is.

The dowelstick on the earlier model (iron strap brace) is not integral with the neck, it actually stays with the pot assy. The neck is held in place by the brace and string tension...and has two tiny screws that adjust the neck angle so that the fretboard extension doesn't bow down and touch the head of the banjo. It is an oddity that Stewart only used on his large-format banjeaurines (that I'm aware of) and pretty much went by the boards when the turnbuckle was introduced in '94-'95.

The turnbuckle brace is indeed responsible for many broken/cracked heels. I set them up with very light tension...just enough to keep it from rattling. It can be used to make minute adjustments to the neck angle (and it was designed so) but cumulative adjustments over time can simply snap the neck.

Very interesting info from our SSS expert Marc. I was always under the impression that the braces of both kinds were used to stop the neck moving from the original set up position, not for altering it.

I think the word "adjuster" was the cause of all the broken heels... people just have to "adjust" and make a bugg*r of it!

As you say, I just twist the turnbuckle to a very light tension that will effectively "brace" and stop the neck moving either up or down.

Good ol' SSS understood that banjo necks move around. I think the biggest thing that drove him to devise some sort of adjustment was the cantilever fretboards on his big-pot banjeaurines. There is very little clearance (between the head and the end of the fretboard) and when the neck would pull forward (eventually), the end of the fretboard would touch the head.

Here are a couple shots of mine... This is the SSS Banjo-banjeaurine, with a 10" pot and 22 frets. In reality, it's simply a slightly short banjo. Mr Stewart was, in addition to being a fine instrument maker, a marketing whiz.

Back of the pot shot...

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