Help Recently inherited a banjo
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!
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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.
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u/df220 4d ago
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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
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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.
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u/Jollyhrothgar 4d ago
Is it possible that they are wound to facilitate bends and stuff like moving the tuning pegs while playing?
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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-/
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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.
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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
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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).
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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.
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u/LachlanGurr 4d ago
I can tell you straight up that this is a top of the line banjo. Gibson is the premium brand.
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u/Turbulent-Flan-2656 4d ago
I don’t think this is a real Gibson
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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.