While Killing a little Time This Weekend...

This weekend and while Cathy is away with Margaret and Rose on a take the babies on a world tour expedition I spent some good couch riding time with the guitar and I got out this old banjo, one of at least three Pop has given us over the years and spent some time cleaning it up and affixing new strings. I have strings to begin work on the other two, maybe I'll get to them before next Christmas time.

Sorry about picture quality, Cathy has the good camera. My old grainy cell phone is all I have. What you see is a Ludwig Kingston Tenor banjo. A little look around the Internet revels that most Ludwig banjos were made 1925-1932 probably in Chicago when companies like Ludwig, a drum maker, tried to cash in on the banjo craze. I did find one reference at an online sale now long ended that mention the instrument was a "1956 Kingston."
Headstock photo. From info on the Internet models are identifiable from serial numbers, I don't see one anywhere.
The back, obviously the Eagle model. Many Kingston models seem to have some inlay on the back and from what info I could find, the most sought after is the "Big Chief" with an American Indian.
Side inlay and binding. I think the fretboard inlays are mother of pearl. I tuned her up to what is known as the "Chicago" tuning which allows me do do a bunch of cheater cords.

Thanks Pop, for the banjo, the schooling on Dixieland music and the jam sessions.