If the current bridge is disintegrating then try "painting" it with Crazy Glue. With luck it'll harden the wood enough to make it usable again. Be careful where you put it while the glue is drying...

The picture shows that the current bridge is situated on a really crazy steep angle. Check out this routine, it'll show you how & where to position the bridge at its proper location:

https://web.archive.org/web/20170712030617/http://banjobridge.com/br-06.htm

If you're not comfortable with the result(s) of this test routine then contact Mike from Katz Eyes (sorry if I screwed up the spelling) bridges and he'll hook you up.

You can use any bridge that matches the height and the spacing of the old bridge. You may need to regoove the slots for the strings at an angle to suit because the strings are supposed to cross the bridge at an angle. If you have any trouble send me the exact specs for it and I can make a replacement and send it out to you. I am assuming that you’re in Australia, there are a few identical banjos over there. The angle of the bridge in the photo looks about right to me. The LC stamped in the inside before the serial number stands for Lake County.

I am not in Australia, but thank you so much for clarifying!
LC 37
Gerry couldn't tell me where he got it, but now I know. If you have any contact information on the builders I'd love to reach out and thank them.

I'll try getting a bridge with straight groves and cutting new angled ones, thanks. Will let you know if I run into trouble.

mike gregory may be able to give a little info on it. He is the original owner. I’m glad to hear that you are enjoying it.

I still have the one Mary and I got from Martyjoe.
But it sure looks like his work.
Got it in Ireland, and would not sell it, unless I had to, to get medication for a loved one.
So, where ARE you?

Minneapolis, so not far from you, all things considered?

I wonder who's this was, then...
It looks like LC37 to me, but my eyes aren't what they used to be.

According to Gerry...

"The story behind this banjo is a man came into my shop who was playing in the Irish bar next door. He had in his hand and Irish tenor banjo built in this style. Upon showing it to me I laughed and then congratulated him on his handy work. Jokingly I asked can you make a five string?.
He was Australian but living in Ireland so just visiting. A year later he turned up again with this creation. Why he decided to make things even harder for himself with a fan-fret is beyond me."

But I thought there would be more to it than that.

I have managed to get the bridge working again by filling the tears with some hardwood sawdust and super glue. But the strings bit in nearly too the point of breaking.

Very interesting. So now there are two of my banjos in the USA.
So the rims are eucalyptus, the neck is also eucalyptus but with a bamboo center reinforcement and bamboo fingerboard, stainless steel frets, the tension hoop and the back are birch plywood and finally the all important archtop tone ring is bamboo. One thing to note is that the reflective head is 50% thicker than a regular Remo banjo head so it sounds better on a higher drum dial reading (93 to 95 on my drum dial).

At least two, that we know of.

Eucalyptus makes more sense. Gerry was convinced it was "marine plywood".
What a card!

I don't have a tension gauge, but it is pretty high tension, for sure. Still has a great sound!

Thanks again!

Tried to email you about purchasing a replacement bridge, but I'm not sure if it sent. The massaging features on this site are a little .. opaque.

ACastle another point is the back of that banjo is birch aircraft ply.

Thanks! 

Found a local to make a pair of bridges that match height and angle with the original. 

This one is a pretty close color match to the arm rest.