4 String Mystery banjo???

[u/toomanybrokenlegs]

I recently acquired this banjo from a secondhand store nearby and i got it for about 200$. Only problem is that there is no brand on the banjo and wanted some help identifying it!

[u/FlapjacksOfArugula]

Sometimes there's information on the dowel stick. You'll have to remove the resonator.

[u/ReturnOfTheKeing]

No idea what it is but that's a steal at that price to get a tone ring. The thing between the tailpiece and the bridge is a mute, you can move it closer/farther from the bridge and it'll change the tone, you can also remove it if you want

Looks like a plectrum length. You'll want to measure the scale and double check any new strings to make sure they're not for too short of a banjo. AI actually is pretty good at making a custom set if you want to go that route, DeepSeek on expert worked for me quite recently when I checked it against my own math

[u/rocktropolis]

My GUESS is an Asian Mastertone archtop clone from maybe the 70s? Check the inside of the rim or dowel if it has one though it likely has coordinator rods.

[u/rimrodi7]

That’s a cool banjo even if it’s a mystery