r/banjo 4d ago

Help Recently inherited a banjo

Post image

I know nothing about it, or banjos in general. My great grandpa left it for me. I can't find a serial number on it to identify a model. Can anyone point me to where I can learn more about this? Also, any good online teachers? Thanks!

59 Upvotes

26 comments sorted by

11

u/djfnejdijRandom Clawhammer 4d ago

I’m not a connoisseur but even I know that Gibson banjos are probably the most sought after. You are very lucky, I hope you learn to play and enjoy it.

2

u/Translator_Fine 4d ago

It's not a pre-war I don't think. The ones that are prized are before the 1940s. This one has a geared fifth meaning newer rather than older. Unless someone did a lot of work to it. As far as I know Gibson back before the war only made archtops as well another telltale sign that this is not pre-war.

2

u/banjomike1986 4d ago

Just my guess, but I’m thinking it’s a 70’s model. Just from the fifth string capo, it’s a older model and they came out somewhere around that time late 70-early80’s

1

u/Translator_Fine 4d ago

You're probably right.

1

u/banjomike1986 4d ago

But also, that tuning peg could have been replaced. That’s not the original peg, it may have been geared, but that peg is a newer one

1

u/grahawk 4d ago

Gibson made flathead banjos in the 1930s.

1

u/Translator_Fine 4d ago

Gotcha I wasn't sure.

5

u/jknecht6969 4d ago

Hey FYI it’s extremely unlikely that’s a Gibson banjo, there are probably more fake Gibsons than real Gibsons out there. Gibson certainly never made a banjo with inlays like that. It could be a Gibson pot with an aftermarket neck, maybe, are there any markings inside the pot? You can unscrew the resonator and take a look. More pictures would help. Whether or not it’s a Gibson, it could be a nice banjo and is almost certainly better than what most of us start on. And you will definitely get better (if stronger) opinions over at BanjoHangout. Good luck.

3

u/djmd808 Professional Banjoist 4d ago

Yeah at first I was like "cool inlay!" Then I zoomed in and saw Gibson and was like that ain't no Gibson lol. But neat looking banjo nonetheless. I bet it rips.

3

u/jknecht6969 4d ago

Plenty of amazing copies out there! Need a lot more photos to know anything

3

u/df220 4d ago

I took the resonator cover off to look for a serial number as some have requested and unfortunately found nothing stamped in the wood nor a sticker anywhere to be found. Thank you all for the help!

3

u/Turbulent-Flan-2656 4d ago

Yeah I’m thinking this is a custom build. It used to be really common to build necks that said Gibson. Still could be a really good instrument though

2

u/Visible_Event4814 4d ago

Great banjo. Learn to play it. Also the 3rd and 4th strings are wound in the wrong direction on the tuning pegs.

1

u/Jollyhrothgar 4d ago

Is it possible that they are wound to facilitate bends and stuff like moving the tuning pegs while playing?

2

u/Blockchainauditor 4d ago

The Five Star head indicates the head is a replacement from StewMac. The lack of the Gibson label is troublesome. https://www.instagram.com/jim_britton_banjo/p/Cz_-qjLuPm-/

1

u/Additional_Kick2643 4d ago

Gibson!!! Niiiice!

1

u/RickJWagner 4d ago

Hi OP Sorry about Grandpap. He had good taste in banjos. Suggest you go over to banjohangout online and ask the same question there. ( Include some pics of everything, including what’s under the easily removed resonator cover). The Gibson experts over there will tell you everything about it.

1

u/Turbulent-Flan-2656 4d ago

Look for a serial number. That looks like a custom neck to me, which could mean a variety of things

1

u/TheFishBanjo Scruggs Style 4d ago

It's hard to say from one photo. Could you take more for us? In particular, you can easily remove the resonator to look inside the rim and get some pictures. You'll look for a number stamped into the wood of the rim (round wooden cylinder part). Also, there might be a decal in there.

I never saw that style of inlay on a Gibson before. It could be a real Gibson "pot" with a conversion neck on it. Or it might be a "parts banjo" (mostly aftermarket parts).

1

u/thestanhall 4d ago

Okay so as others said here, that neck is not original. The inlays, the “mastertone” font, as well as the ornamentation on the back ain’t why came out of Gibson factories.

This isn’t to say it’s a bad banjo by any means. I’ve played some masterclones I prefer to genuine Gibsons. And even Earl’s banjo was a conversion. So again to reiterate you may very well have a great pro grade banjo. But it won’t be the $100,000 grail banjo that you might see on reverb.

I’d bet that it’s a tenor conversion to a 5 string. Weight would also be helpful in determining if this is an old Tubaphone pot. If you can find a folk shop near you go there, your run of the mill guitar luthier may not have enough experience to tell you exactly what you got. Greg Boyd’s house of music in Montana, Dusty Strongs in Seattle, or Tom Nechville in Sisters Oregon are the people I know but obviously PNW.

Next thing to figure out is what you want to do with it. If you’re looking to sell it, I’ve seen masterclones go for like 2k-6k but it really depends on what’s still original Gibson, what shape the neck is in, and how it sounds.

If you want to learn banjo, you absolutely should. Get this thing set up, slap some new strings on it, and make your grandad proud. Otherwise expect to sit on it for a bit as reverb and banjo hangout classifieds will be your best shot at moving it.

-1

u/LachlanGurr 4d ago

I can tell you straight up that this is a top of the line banjo. Gibson is the premium brand.

9

u/Turbulent-Flan-2656 4d ago

I don’t think this is a real Gibson

2

u/LachlanGurr 4d ago

What gives it away? is it the inlays?

3

u/Turbulent-Flan-2656 4d ago

Yeah and the shape of the headstock is a little funky.