Earnest-

The Universal Favorite Model A being offered from Elderly Music appears to be in excellent shape. My only concern would be that the neck is not strong enough for steel strings, which may not be a concern if one is happy with nylon strings. The Model B or C have a reinforced neck that holds up much better. It does have some tasteful inlay work on the fingerboard and scroll-head

Timmons-

With regard to "S S Stewart 1887 Philada metal neck fastner 13inch rim ,13 inch neck no 14931 Patd Jan 11 1887" it's unclear to me what model yours is. Are there veneer strips under the fingerboard? What kind of inlay work is on the fingerboard, if any? Can you provide a link to a digital image of this short necked banjo? Some of them are so well made that they sell for $2000 or more.

Charley Noble