"It did originally have a pretty rough label inside in Italian, but it fell off and i lost it. So i guessed it was Italian. These things are pretty common in junk shops and auctions. Pick them up for £30, never very playable... perfect for…"

"Yup, it's a mandolin. It looks like it may be Czech. Why Italy?"

"Thanks Trapdoor. Yes i cut off the original neck and made a banjo beck for it. I also made the brass tailpiece, copied from picture online Hi Jody. It was definitely a mandolin. An lower quality italian job, probably made in the 1960s or maybe…"

"Are you sure it was a mandolin you started with? The size and shape of the body does not resemble  any of the mandolin types  I've seen or played.  What instrument did you actually use? (Maker , country, and approximate date).…"

"Well, I think you hit that one out of the park. I've played several "banjola" types, including Pollmans, but never with nylon strings. Much better. Softer, and indeed less 'tinny'. So this was a mandolin body re-necked into…"

"Hi Tony, thanks. Well ive only had it finished a week or so but i cant put it down. Ive not played any other banjolas so i dont really know how it compares. I was very pleasantly surprised by its tone and volume although not as loud as a real banjo…"

"John, well played - and well made!  Can you tell us something about your experience with the banjola?  I know they are available both commercially and from independent luthiers, so I was wondering if you had any views on their comparative…"

"not not sure if this counts as classic banjo... maybe a bit early? Im playing it on an copy of an August Pollman banjol ive just made."

"Nice job! My advice to better reading is to get a lot of music and just read and play, read and play. Basically what thereallyniceman said :)"

"Absolutely shocked. I had literally just been chatting to him on messenger this afternoon when i heard this! I was hoping to meet him at last May's banjo meet but covid put a stop to that. He was so encouraging. RIP David, my condolences to his…"

"Really great."