Gibson RB Deluxe
submitted 7/30/2007
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Submitter |
oagige |
Where Purchased |
Gibson Showcase |
Year Purchased |
2005 |
Price Paid |
1995 ($US) |
Sound
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This is the RB with a full tone ring (maple neck and resonator) that Gibson started producing in 2005. Generally, this banjo lacks the richness of the RB4 or Granada but has a good "crack" to it after much experimentation with set-up. I think it has a better crack than a RB3. It has a fuller bottom end when tuned down to open D. With the REMO head, the bottom end in G tuning is definitely lacking richness. |
Sound Rating |
7 |
Setup
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It appears to me that at the Gibson Showcase they just hang the banjos on the wall after manufacturing them. It was ABSOLUTELY NOT set up at the time of purchase, but it was the best sounding of the 5 RB Deluxes that i played and I picked from at the Showcase. All 5 of the RB's I tried out had small but very tall frets that were very uncomfortable to play! About 4 hours with a fret file took care of that problem. The Grover bridge had the string grooves improperly cut, and that REALLY killed the tone when this banjo was new. After filing out the grooves the tone improved a lot. This banjo responds well to typical set-up changes and sounds best with a VERY TIGHT 5-STAR head and a Scorpion Purple Ebony bridge. |
Setup Rating |
5 |
Appearance
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As much as I think Gibson does not care about setting up their new banjos, I will say that the finish work is all top-notch. All inlay and finish work is worth the Gibson reputation! Just a ebony fingerboard with diamond inlays and the "flower pot" inaly on the peghead. Very tasteflly done. |
Appearance Rating |
10 |
Reliability
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Definite Gibson quality on the hardware (except for the uncomfjortable frets) and the finish is excellent and beautiful. The nickel plating seems to be as beautiful and durable as any I have ever seen on any Gibson. I would definitely carry this on a trip as my only banjo, and expect it to last a lifetime with no problems. |
Reliability Rating |
10 |
Customer Service
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Lifetime warranty. I have done all of the set up work on this myself and will never send it back to the factory as I have heard from too many different individuals that it takes many months to get a banjo back from gibson after it is sent in for a repair. |
Customer Service |
not rated |
Components
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The frets from the factory are very uncomfortabe to play on - very tall and sharp edges. But, maybe that is one factor in this banjo being less expensive than any other new Gibson. Also, I honestly believe that Gibson does not put in the time fitting all of the parts together on this banjo like they do on the higher end banjos, as that is about the only reason I can come up with causing the lack of tone compared to a standard Scruggs, since this is supposed to be the same rim, tone ring and neck as used on a standard Scruggs. At some point in the future I plan on having a master luthier take the ring off the rim and refit them and the neck and I anticipate this thing sounding every bit as good as the standard Scruggs model. My component rating of 10 may seem inconsistent with what I just said, but the components are all top notch. |
Components Rating |
10 |
Overall Comments
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I would definitely recommend this for the price I paid even though new Gibsons are definitely overpriced, based on the prices of competing banjos, BUT, I still like the tone of any Gibson over any other banjo (Huber excepted, but they have the wrong name on them, and I still have not heard a Huber with the "crack" of a Gibson), especially as they age. The price I paid seemed a little bit high, especially since you can get a Gold Tone that sounds better, AS THEY BOTH COME FROM THE MANUFACTURER, for quite a bit less money. After some care and time spent in setting it up, this banjo is sounding better than the Gold Tone, and is really beginning to sound like a MASTERTONE, which it is NOT. At first I was disappointed, but now I really enjoy playing it. It's best feature seems to be the way it responds to basic setup procedures. It is also very comforatble to play AFTER FILING DOWN THE MILE HIGH FRETS! It plays as good as ANY banjo I have played in my 32 years of playing, and I expect it to only sound better as time goes by. |
Overall Rating |
8 |
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