Inquiry Re Historical Gear and accessories

[Ronald D Haines]

I am intrested in perriod accessories. For instance:

What did the minstrel Era Banjoist (term?) use

to protect and carry his banjo? did they have cases as we know them?

 

did the instruments with wooden friction pegs have any sort of

fine tuner like the fiddle players use?  Did they have any type

of compound for the pegs to help sticking or slipping?

 

Enough questions for now. I'd like to assemble a historiclly

correct Banjo "kit"

 

Thanks for any answers you'd care to share

 

R H

 

 

[Joel Hooks]

You won't see "fine tuners"  commonly on banjos or violins until the turn of the century.  Luckly, violin history is very well documented to almost the day when wire firsts became common and acceptable.  Violin pegs with gut (or nylon) need no improvement.  That is why they lasted untill WW1 when gut strings became difficult to get and wire was all that could be had.  I will point out one thing that absolutely was not used or see, the ugly and now ever-present clip on tuner.  

[John Masciale]

I've reverted to using a tuning fork, although I do have one of the clip ons.  I clip it on to the drum when I use it, and immediately hide it when done.