Robinson (by Fairbanks) 5-string banjo, Circa 1900

Gad Robinson was a prominent banjo player and teacher in Boston in the 1890's and early 1900's, and he filed a patent in 1891 for an all metal banjo rim with an inverted scalloped tone ring similar to the Fairbanks inverted "Special Electric" tone ring.  Early Robinson banjos (or at least the necks) were made by O.R. Chase and later by Gatcomb, but Robinson quickly turned to Fairbanks for the manufacture of his banjos, and many of the examples still extant are quite nice.  This banjo has beautiful inlays in the Fairbanks style, and a boat heel similar to those found on Fairbanks & Cole and Cole banjos from the same period.

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