Description
Exc(+) condition / SN: 4 0304 1
1-3/16″ Nut / Flat Fingerboard
This is a fine 2003 Gibson RB-4 Mastertone with very little evidence of playing wear. Handsome brown Walnut, with a straight-grained Walnut neck and highly figured burl Walnut resonator.
The Double-cut peghead has Ebony peghead veneer with Flying Eagle pearl inlay pattern. Nickel Waverly main tuners with Schaller 5th tuner. Original black plastic truss rod cover with access above the nut. Bone nut. Fingerboard appears to be Brazilian Rosewood. Original frets with almost no sign of wear. Pearl Flying Eagle inlay pattern. Multiple white/black/white bindings along fingerboard sides and around top and back edge of resonator. Mastertone pearl block inlay at 21st fret.
Check out the photos – all RB-4 banjos after about 1929 are made with Walnut. The necks on RB-4’s are straight-grained Walnut… but the strength of “burl” figure in the resonator is not guaranteed to be strikingly beautiful. But this one is packed with high-grade figure!
All nickel hardware. Three-ply Maple rim with 1-pc flange and pre-war style Kulesh Flathead tone ring. During this time period Gibson was using high-grade Prucha metal parts.
This is a very good banjo that has hardly been played.
It comes with its original hard shell “Gibson” case. The case is in as good shape as the banjo, itself.
