A banjolin is an instrument which is nothing but a special mandolin popularized in the 1920's. It is tuned, and played just the same as a Mandolin. The only difference it has from a Mandolin is it has a skin head like a banjo. This is done to make the sound of the banjolin louder than that of a regular mandolin. The 1920s was a time before amplifiers, so instrument makers were willing to sacrifice quality in order to produce louder instruments, and this was a result. The examples and perspective in this article do not represent a worldwide view. ...
It is not used often in modern times while it was used in a number of jug bands, though it was hard to find one even during this period. They are very rare to come buy and their prices can range from about 200 to 700 of U.S. dollars. A jug band is a band employing a jug player and other traditional and homemade instruments, such as rhythm guitar, washtub bass, washboard, jug, mandolin, and kazoo. ...
Contrary to what many believe, the banjolin is a separate instrument altogether from the mandolin-banjo. The Mandolin Banjo is a crossover. ...
A banjolin hoop is about 10 1/2 to 11 inches in diameter.
The Banjolin has 4 strings, while a Mandolin Banjo has 4 courses (double strings - like a mandolin). The scale length and tuning are identical (GDAE). They were developed for the Banjo Orchestras in the early years of the 20th Century.
A Banjolin is an instrument similar to a banjo except using the tuning and size of a mandolin or a ukelele.
It is not used often in modern times, though it was slightly popularized during the 1920s while it was used in a number of jug bands, though it was hard to find one even during this period.
Banjolins have never been used widely and they are very valuable to some musicians as well as collectors.
Irish Banjo: The instruments: The mandolin-banjo and the banjolin
Strictly speaking the mandolin-banjo and the banjolin are two different instruments.
In reality the only difference between the two is that the mandolin-banjo has double and the banjolin has single strings (just like the difference between an ordinary acoustic and a twelvestring guitar), and the two names are in fact often used interchangeably for the same instrument today.
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