Description
Excellent condition. Original mid-1930’s Gibson 5-string banjo with 3-ply Maple rim, pot metal tension hoop and one-piece flange. Comes with original hardshell case. Case is in good shape but missing handle.
Simple appointments made this an affordable banjo for the 1930’s. It is built very similar to all major Gibson “Mastertone” banjos, except this banjo has a bead brass ring under the head instead of a heavy flathead tone ring. As a consequence, these banjos are much lighter than full Mastertone-styles, but people readily agree that the sound is fabulous and is very close to those same pre-War Mastertones. This great sound is causing many banjophiles to realize the importance of the rim is at least as great as the tone ring. These banjos are full of resonance and physically vibrate in your hands while you’re playing them. Many people comment that they cannot tell the banjo does not have a major tone ring when they hear it played at a festival or a jam.
Plain maple construction: neck and resonator, stained darkly. Cream bindings on top and back of resonator and along neck. Flat Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard with gull wing inlays. Fiddle peghead with old-style Gibson script inlay and flourish. Original dog-ear Grover tuners and original friction peg for 5th. Single co-rod construction inside. Presto tailpiece installed on banjo and working fine. Newer master-quality hide head. Some natural hand wear through finish on back of neck and some random scratches on resonator. Original pot metal flange and tension hoop are both in fine shape.
Banjo sounds and plays great.
Discussion of tuners: most people agree that these simple bead ring Gibsons sound wonderful. But many people are scared of the tuners because they were cheap for the period and the friction 5th tuner can drive people crazy. It is a very easy thing to change the 5th string tuner to a nice geared 5th such as a Schaller. The dog-eared Grovers on the peghead work fine, but work better if you’re patient to learn their feel first. The point is, don’t ignore this banjo by fear of the tuners.
