Play: "Sarah Kate" written and performed by Robby Gilbert for Mandoline-Banjo 

The August Pollmann Madoline-Banjo

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​This wonderful instrument is an example of the August Pollmann Royal Mandoline Banjo. It is essentially a 5 string banjo neck with a wooden mandolin or mandola body, and is also sometimes referred to as the banjo lute, or banjola. Mandoline Banjos were distributed by August Pollmann, who also distributed horns, guitars and other band instruments. The sound is sweet and mellow, resembling perhaps the sound of a mountain dulcimer.

The patent date is 1887 and they were probably made between 1885 and 1900, although information as to these dates is speculative, since there is little information available about the details of manufacture. It is generally thought that Pollmann himself was the distributor and was headquartered at 70-72 Franklin Street in New York City. Pollmann seems to have contracted several builders to make these instruments, including Swedish luthier, Pehr Anderberg who appears to have been working in Boston building instruments for the Haynes company. Some sources list the Buckbee factory in NYC as a builder as well, and others have speculated that Lyon and Healy may have also built these for Pollmann. I have seen an instrument with the exact same specs and hardware that seems to have been made by the F.H. Griffith Co. of Philadelphia. My own observation of the few instruments I have handled shows that the materials, workmanship, and details vary widely. However, they are generally a flat backed mandola body with a banjo neck with either mahogany back and sides, or rosewood back and sides. I have only seen spruce tops, but there may have been other materials used, such as maple.

The particular Pollmann pictured  here has a tear-shaped body (some are more pear shaped), is rosewood and spruce with a rosewood fingerboard, MOP inlays, ebony bridge, and  bakelite tuners. The Wm. Gerke tailpiece is typical of the Pollmanns, although some appear to have used a daisy tailpiece. The Patent date on the Gerke tailpiece is 1888. There is a barely legible pencil marking inside the sound hole that appears to read 'June 96', which could indicate this particular instrument was made in June of 1896, but that is again just speculation.  The top has an inlay between the sound hole and bridge, characteristic of European bowl-back mandolins. Some Pollmanns have no inlay, and the inlay patterns vary from instrument to instrument. The top has three transverse braces; the back also has three with one bearing a brand reading ‘PAT MAY 3rd 1887′. The top has maple binding with purfling. It has  the original banjo-style friction tuners marked ‘PAT MAY 1888′. Ebony bridge with fret wire saddle. The tailpiece reads ‘WM. GERKE PROV. R.I’ and ‘PAT’D Jan 31 1888′

All photographs and content copyright 2021 robby gilbert and tangible media center
​2029 spruce