E. J. Cubley 5-string fretless banjo, Circa 1880
Edwin J. Cubley was an innovative maker from Illinois who made banjos from about 1880-1893. Most of his banjos are unmarked, but they are identifiable by certain features found on all Cubley banjos. In addition to his patented rim hardware (note the novel nuts on the bracket hooks and the bracket band) and his signature lyre tailpice, this banjo has beautiful inlaid wood marquetry on the fingerboard and peghead. The pinwheel inlay on the peghead is another signature of a Cubley banjo.
