Advice, can you help on this Savana?

Just wanted some feedback on this Savana 8 string (I'm guessing its called a banjolele, please correct me if I'm wrong). It's been in my wife's family we are guessing anywhere from 80 years or more. It's missing a tuner and finish is beat up. Also the nut is damaged.
Just wanted your opinions if you think it's worth the cost of a well earned makeover to bring it back to life or do you think it's best left alone and kept as a family heirloom?
Also interested if anyone knows anything about this make and model.

Many thanks,
ETF

What do you want to do with it? Restore or leave alone.

Mandarb said:

What do you want to do with it? Restore or leave alone.

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That's why I'm asking, I don't know enough about the make to know if I would be just throwing money away by doing it up. I'm hoping someone on here will know more than me about this model and give me some advice.

ETF

I'm in the same boat I have a savana that I know nothing about other than it was my grandfathers

Any help or info would be gratefully received

I believe savana is a chinese brand? I woould order a nut and saddle and string it up and listen if you like the voice and tone before going further....Good Luck

"Savannah" is the super-cheap MIC company Stan is thinking of.

ETF, what you have there is actually a banjo-mandolin, not a uke. It's British, early-1920's. The neck is probably narrower than a uke's and it should be strung with steel strings.

Wongo's Savana does appear to be a banjolele - unless it is steel string, then it's some sort of mandolin without paired strings.

Brief discussion of the brand can be found here:
http://www.whitetreeaz.com/vintage/brit4.htm

Cheers!

Wongo, can you measure the nut width on your Savana? Mandos typically have nut widths of about 28-30 mm.