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Crafters of Tennessee. Mahogany. This banjo was made for Herb
Pederson, who played it a couple of years and loved it. The company
then gave it to me. It has normal wear and tear for a 14-15 year
old banjo, but overall is quite decent. And, it has really incredible
tone! I played it for a number of years, but decided to thin
the herd since I'm moving later this year. Pics
Gibson one-of-a-kind
Florentine,
circa 1934. This is undoubtedly the rarest prewar Gibson archtop
banjo in existence! From the front it looks like a regular Florentine,
with the ice cream cone peghead and scenes of Italy on the fingerboard,
but the resonator and neck carvings are completely different
than on any other banjo. It also has one piece flange construction,
which is found on only a few Florentines. See Four String banjos
below. -- Pics
1929 Gibson TB-1 conversion. This was evidently a transitional model,
with binding only on the bottom of the resonator. The original
tenor neck has "The Gibson" on the peghead and just
dot inlay. When I purchased the banjo, the finish was brown,
which is not "correct" for a TB-1. The tension hoop
is gray and dingy looking, but original. The flange was broken
and I replaced it with a new "Gibson USA" flange. There
was no armrest or tailpiece. I sent it to Clancy Mullins who
made a new 5-string neck with Flying Eagle inlay. He stained
it the correct color and did a beautiful job of refinishing the
resonator to match. He also added top binding to the resonator
and fit a Kulesh tone ring to the rim. If you are looking for
a good prewar Gibson at a very reasonable price, and don't care
that it isn't completely original, this might be just the ticket
(1541). Pics
1929 Gibson TB-2. One piece flange. Very nice condition
and 100% original. The flange is solid and not badly warped.
It is pictured as a tenor, and it is available this way or with
a new Florentine Special inlay neck built by Wyatt Fawley. Call
for details if interested. Pics
1932 Gibson TB-2. One piece flange. As the pictures show,
there is a lot of scratching on the resonator. The flange is
solid and exceptionally flat. One resonator thumb screw is missing.
We will sell it as a tenor, or will have a new 5-string neck
made for it. Pics
1928 Gibson TB-3 Mastertone banjo with 40-hole archtop
tone ring and tube & plate flange. The pot is original except
for the tailpiece, a newer Presto that is missing the top cover.
According to the person I obtained it from, the Hearts &
Flowers neck was made in the 1970s by the famous John Monteleone.
There is some wear on the first few frets. Overall it is a very
nice banjo with a great sound. (1572) Pics
1929 Gibson TB-3. This might be the finest example you'll
ever find. I bought it twenty years ago and it has been in the
back of the shop ever since. You might look for years and never
find a better one! 40-hole archtop with tube and plate flange.
It is 100% original, except the skin head was replaced with a
modern one. There are a few marks on the peghead, and a couple
of minor scratches on the side and back of the resonator (which
actually show up more in the pics than in person).
If you are looking for a bargain
prewar archtop, this definitely isn't it. If you want the best,
give me a call. Pics
1929 Gibson TB-3 Mastertone with 40-hole archtop tone
ring and tube & plate flange. As the pictures show, the resonator
has seen some hard use. However, it is a completely original
and solid banjo. It has a new 5-string neck with diamonds and
squares inlay, as did the original tenor neck (which is included
with the banjo. The tailpiece is a new Presto,missing the top
cover (1448). Pics
1930 Gibson TB-3 Mastertone banjo with 40-hole archtop
tone ring and one piece flange. The pot is 100% original, including
a skin head. The flange is pulled up, as is normal with banjos
of this era. However it is very solid. It has a new 5-string
neck with leaves and bows inlay made by Wyatt Fawley. You'll
have trouble finding a nicer one piece flange style 3! (1411)
Pics
1932 Gibson TB-3 with one piece flange. Very nice condition.
The resonator has been refinished and it looks "right."
The flange is very solid, with no problems. We have a great 5-string
neck for it, made by Wyatt Fawley. Call for details if interested
(1472). Pics
1925 Gibson TB-5 Conversion. The gold plated parts were replated
many years ago, except for the tailpiece which is a prewar Granada;
how it ended up on this banjo I'll never know. It still has the
ball bearing tone ring, but I added a Mitchel's hoop which raises
the outer edge of the head so it resonates over the same area
as a flathead. It really sounds good! The walnut resonator appears
to have been oversprayed some time in the past. The 5-string
neck is excellent, and the original tenor neck goes to the new
owner. Pics
1930s Gibson TB-11 with Tennessee 20 tone ring and new
neck with fancy Florentine Special inlay, which we had finished
to match the back of the resonator. The flange is solid but there
are four cracks, which can be seen in the bottom pic (319). Pics
Gibson TB-11. 1930s. This is an exceptionally clean
banjo, and I think you'd have a hard time finding a nicer one.
The metal parts are bright, and the flange is practically flat.
There is one small problem; there are two cracks in the flange,
near the bottom, as can be seen in the picture. I doubt that
this would ever be a problem, but the new owner might want to
put a thin backing strip on the inside to add strength. Pics
Gibson TB-11. 1930s. This is a completely original
one piece flange Gibson, with the following exceptions:the tab
tuners were replaced with friction tuners; and it is missing
the tailpiece and armrest. There is a very small (and hard to
even see) crack in the flange, which doesn't affect stability
in any way. And, it now has a fine crack in the back of the peghead,
thanks to UPS. We will be glad to have a five string conversion
neck made by First Quality Music, and will have the tone ring
of your choice installed. Or, it may be purchased as a tenor.
Call for details. -- Pics
1954 Gibson TB-100. One piece flange. The pot is original
except for the tail piece.The metal parts are solid, with some
rust on the brackets. We had a new 5-string neck made for it,
and left the original archtop hoop tone ring. If the new owner
so desires, we will have the tone ring of his or her preference
installed. However, it sounds good as is, and is very light weight.
(887) Pics
1963 Gibson TB-100. One piece flange. The pot is original
except for the tail piece, and is in nice condition. It has a
new Wreath pattern inlay 5-string neck and a JLS #12 tone ring.
This is a very powerful banjo, at a very reasonable price! (947)
Pics
1965 Gibson RB-100 in exceptionally nice condition. The only
defect worth mentioning (and this is very minor) is a small area
of roughness on the back of the neck in the area of the 7th fret.
There is virtually no fret wear. Friction 5th string peg, as
made. Hard shell case. Pics
Gibson Truett. Circa
late 1930s. This plectrum banjo is identical to the Gibson Kel
Kroydon KK-10, except for the name on the peghead. It has the
standard Gibson one piece flange construction. Truett banjos
are quite rare, and are seldom offered for sale at any price.
If you collect prewar Gibsons, or just want a great banjo to
convert to 5-string, this is a great choice. Nice condition throughout,
and 100% original! See Four String banjos below. -- Pics
1980s Gold Star with archtop
tone ring. Unlike most
of the Japanese-made Gold Star banjos, which were maple wood
with natural finish, this one is stained mahogany. Flying Eagle
inlay. It is in really choice condition, with virtually no fret
wear; obviously it was hardly played. These early Japanese-made
banjos are really good instruments and should not be confused
with the newer Gold Stars, which are not made in Japan. If you
are looking for an archtop, this might be it! Pics
1982 Gold Star GF-100. Mahogany neck and resonator, with Flying
Eagle inlay. This is one of the early Japanese-made banjos and
should not be confused with the newer Gold Stars, which are not
made in Japan. There are a few scuff marks on the back of the
peghead and elsewhere which can be seen in the pics, and there
a couple of very tiny (and very unnoticeable) screw holes in
the side of the neck where a sliding capo was removed. There is wear
on the first eight frets, and I just noticed that one of the
truss rod cover screws is missing. Overall this is a pretty decent
banjo, and probably a bargain on today's market. Pics
Imperial by Ty Piper. This walnut banjo, hand made during the
1970s by the well known Oklahoma luthier, has been upgraded with
a Cox rim and Huber tone ring. It also has a Price tail piece.
As might be expected, there is some fret wear; otherwise the
banjo is in exceptionally nice condition. -- Pics
Ome 50th Anniversary. To commemorate their 50th year, Ome
decided to produce twenty of these bluegrass banjos, plus twenty
openbacks and ten tenors. This is the number one bluegrass model,
and it is so marked. I asked Ome to build this one with gold
plated and heavily engraved metal parts. As you can see, the
resulting banjo is spectacular! It sold quickly and the buyer
eventually traded it back for a prewar banjo he'd always wanted.
The banjo is in absolutely like new condition, and even still
has the original strings. Pics
2003 Ome Sweetgrass. Although ten years old, this maple banjo
has hardly been played. There is just a hint of wear on the first
couple of frets. There are no nicks, scratches, etc. on the neck
and resonator. It is a really nice banjo! Pics
1989 Stelling Carolinian Deluxe. This rare model is made of cherry wood.
According to Geoff Stelling, only about eight Carolinians were
made. Two of those were the deluxe model, with a special dogwood
flower engraving to match the engraved inlays. This is one of
the two; the other one had gold plated engraved parts. Pics
Turtle Hill Bluegrass Woody.
Maple neck and resonator. One piece flange, and a Tony Pass Thin
Skirt rim and wooden tone ring. It also has a bound peghead and
a radiused fingerboard. We sold this new and the buyer decided
he wanted an openback banjo instead. Although technically used,
it is virtually unplayed and in absolutely like new condition.
Pics
1928 Vega #9 Artist Tubaphone with 5-string neck. Gold plated metal
parts, with engraved flanges and tension hoop. The sides of the
resonator are also engraved. The reproduction 5-string neck was
made by Mike Ramsey, and has engraved inlays and a carved heel.
The original tenor neck comes with the banjo, as do the original
brackets and hooks and Ottenger tailpiece. This rare banjo is
in excellent condition, and sounds great with the resonator on
or off. Pics |
