Vintage Banjo Mandolin Banjolin - L@@K

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Vintage Banjo Mandolin Banjolin - L@@K:
$300.00

This 8-string Mandolin Banjo was made by the fabulous Favilla Brothers in the 1920\'s.

A Brief History of The Company by Thomas Favilla:

The Favilla Brothers started building string instruments in the United States in 1890. Four years later my Grandfather John (Giovanni) and his brother Joseph, a
violin builder, formed a company in 1894. (A generation earlier the family was building string instruments in Italy under my Great-grandfather Francesco).

In the United States, in 1890, they started in a combination music store and instrument shop located at 161 Bowery, and at one point 200 & 201 Grand Street
in New York City. In the early 1920\'s they employed 55 people, building thousands of ukuleles as well as mandolins, banjos, guitars and some violins (built by
Joseph). If it had strings on it the Favilla brothers built it.

About 1930 they moved the shop briefly to 552 Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn, NY, then to 4 W. 16th Streeet in New York City where the shop remained until 1959
when it was taken over by my father Hercules (known as Herk) after a tumultuous ten year internal struggle with his brother Frank (a brilliant builder but not a
businessman).

In 1959, Herk received full control from the family and changed the name to Favilla Guitars, Inc. He quickly moved the shop to larger quarters at 57 Front
Street, Brooklyn, where he remained until 1962. I joined the firm full time in 1962 (I had been working after school and in the summers for my Grandfather
since 1957). In late 1963 Herk made a major move to 60 Smith Street in E. Farmingdale, Long Island, quadrupling the size of the shop.

Production hit a peak of about 3,500 guitars a year. Then by 1967 the rapid rise in popularity of the electric guitar financially strapped the company and it had
to retrench. Not having the financial backing to produce an electric guitar line in volume, the company began to down- size. By 1973 commercial production
ceased.

In 1975, I opened a guitar store in Huntington, NY. My father and I built a few custom guitars a year until 1980 when Herk retired. I continued building a few
guitars a year until 1985 when other business matters took up more of my time. In January 1986 I sold the retail operation and ceased all building.

I contacted Thomas Favilla to verify the age of this instrument, this was his reply:

The \"FAB\" designation was used in the 1920\'s which also corresponds to the popularity
of that type of instrument. There are no production figures available. The skin on the
instrument is most likely a replacement skin.

Thomas Favilla

This mandolin banjo is in very good condition, but could use some work. The experts at Sam Ash Music in New York gave me an estimate of $120 to make
everything right. Since some collectors would prefer the instrument be untouched I have chosen to leave it untouched and just lower the price.
This way you get a good deal and can either leave the banjo as is, or invest a little money and greatly increase the value. Everything is original except for
maybe the skin. Thomas Favilla said the current \'Jos B. Rogers Jr. Union Brand Warranted\' skin may not be the original skin.

Overall the instrument measures roughly 23 1/2\" X 10 3/8\". (The neck is 13 5/16\" and the body is 10\" in diameter.) Please see the attached pictures.

Please let me know if you have any questions, or would like any additional pictures sent.
No returns/refunds. Sold as is. Thanks for looking.