What is a prewar flathead ring worth?

"Aint" aint a word

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  11:56:06    

More than $7500.

"Ya gotta get all them tunes in yer head"

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  12:15:29  

Depends on what year you're looking for the price will vary. From 1930 to 2009 prewar flathead tone ring. $30,000 to $100. For sale everywhere. Cash talks.

Pssssst listen to this banjo. Has the prewar sound. Only the armrest and two hooks been replaced. Found it in an old barn. Needs a good polishing. Earl signed the head before the war. Sell it to you cheap.

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  12:25:07      

Also depends on what maker. Tubaphones, Whyte Laydies and Silver Bells are all "prewar flathead rings." We all know you mean Gibson, but some folks out there won't.

Bill

Edited by - Bill Rogers on 11/03/2009 12:26:01

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  12:37:52  

Depends on the ring...

My apologies to all but I think I found one for sale, trying to figure out the pricing...

RP

Might not be worth the price unless you are a collector of such items...

(Slipping away into the dark chasms...)

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  16:12:29    

If you are not interested I would be. Please let me know via the BH mail system.

Thanks
bb

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  16:40:13    

Wyatt Fawley had one a year or so back that was verified by McPeake and I think was asking mid 20's for it, but don't know if it sold or not.

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  18:26:28      

Cabin hill I dont quite get if your making a joke or waht? but a prewar ring cant be 2009? Its one of the rings william porter talks about on his website from Dave Kennedy, or Davis..whatever you want to call him. I talked to Dave today, he said.....well, lets just say Im trying to get it verified now.

"Aint" aint a word

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  07:37:55      

well looks like my friend from theh nagout has changed his mind so if it indeed turns out to be a prewar Ill be lookign to trade it for a few banjos or something

"Aint" aint a word

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  12:36:33        

Look at the question another way. What's a prewar true flathead worth without the original ring? Let's say a RB-75 in decent shape was available for $125,000 using very round numbers. How much do you think it would sell for with a ring like a Yates, Burlile, Huber, etc?

Tom

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  16:43:11  

I'm serious

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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 18:26:28

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Cabin hill I dont quite get if your making a joke or waht? but a prewar ring cant be 2009? Its one of the rings william porter talks about on his website from Dave Kennedy, or Davis..whatever you want to call him. I talked to Dave today, he said.....well, lets just say Im trying to get it verified now.

"Aint" aint a word

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Posted - 11/04/2009 :  16:52:50          

quote:

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Originally posted by myfavefive

Look at the question another way. What's a prewar true flathead worth without the original ring? Let's say a RB-75 in decent shape was available for $125,000 using very round numbers. How much do you think it would sell for with a ring like a Yates, Burlile, Huber, etc?

Tom

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Posted - 11/04/2009 :  17:10:16        

quote:

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Originally posted by myfavefive

Look at the question another way. What's a prewar true flathead worth without the original ring? Let's say a RB-75 in decent shape was available for $125,000 using very round numbers. How much do you think it would sell for with a ring like a Yates, Burlile, Huber, etc?
Tom

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Edited by - plunka5 on 11/04/2009 17:11:55

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  21:17:03    

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Originally posted by Cabin_Hill

I'm serious

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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 18:26:28

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Cabin hill I dont quite get if your making a joke or waht? but a prewar ring cant be 2009? Its one of the rings william porter talks about on his website from Dave Kennedy, or Davis..whatever you want to call him. I talked to Dave today, he said.....well, lets just say Im trying to get it verified now.

"Aint" aint a word

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Most prewar banjos were made after the war

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Posted - 11/05/2009 :  00:54:45  

Going to jump back into the fray:

I was looking for a Prewar Flathead tonering to put into my newest banjo a 1933 tb-3 archtop. My ad was kind of a desperation attempt and My price offered was way low... way low...

A real Prewar HP flathead ring is probably worth 15-20,000$$$....

Holy Crap!

Maybe I will stick with the standard archtop setup and mess with head tension, skin heads, and different bridges instead... May get a lot closer that way than cutting the rim...

A lot of famous recordings were made with Archtops, I am quite certain of it...

They have a different snappy really crisp tone... I think a Flathead ring is more mellow in comparison...

I guess I will be changing my name to StanleyPicker... or something like that...

Or have S Huber make me a ring to fit the rim...

Take care and I think my figures are pretty accurate, even if I am not the most popular guy of late...LOL...

and well deservedly...I really goofed up on my facts about the tone ring spec's...

Posted - 11/05/2009 :  06:27:15    

The pre-war rings worth is in the sound in your banjo, with the right setup. I have personally installed a original Granada pre-war ring in a cut fatrim style 1. The sound was there from the start. So good that i pulled the ring in less than 24 hrs and gave it back to its owner. Have played a few pre-wars that just didn,t have the sound i was looking for. Was most likely the set-up. All pre-war rings are not equal in sound. As for the price, if it sounds good $20K is a decent price. Know of rings that sold for more money,,,,,,,,,

Posted - 11/05/2009 :  06:57:02      

renopicker you dont seem to be getting my emails so


My addy is

Timothy Davis
376 Gillespie Rd
Rock Wv 24747

"Aint" aint a word

Posted - 11/05/2009 :  07:11:19  

I picked up a OB250AT last year. Mitch told me to use one of his tone ring converters from AT to flathead for the prewar sound. Mitch made this banjo sound very good. Cheaper and better than buying and original flathead he told me. He was right.

If you think education cost a lot, think what having no education costs

Posted - 11/05/2009 :  13:05:21      

Well, "cheaper" for sure, but "better"... Mitch, gimme ay break...

"If you're gonna have a vice, try to find one that will keep you outta jail and maybe alive a little longer" - Alvin Youngblood Hart.

Silvio Ferretti http://www.scorpionmusic.com
http://www.redwinemusic.net

Posted - 11/05/2009 :  13:45:30        

Here's a related question... how hard would it be to verify the authenticity of a prewar Gibson flathead ring? I would imagine it would take at least one expert with a jeweler's loupe, maybe taking a few shavings and having them analyzed, etc, etc. Which begs the question... if it takes all that just to verify that the ring is real, how much better is the damn thing than a good modern ring?

Personally, if it is not immediately obvious TO ME that something is the real deal, then I would never pay top dollar for it.

-matt

Posted - 11/05/2009 :  22:01:50        

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Originally posted by PyrPups

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Originally posted by Cabin_Hill

I'm serious

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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 18:26:28

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Cabin hill I dont quite get if your making a joke or waht? but a prewar ring cant be 2009? Its one of the rings william porter talks about on his website from Dave Kennedy, or Davis..whatever you want to call him. I talked to Dave today, he said.....well, lets just say Im trying to get it verified now.

"Aint" aint a word

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Most prewar banjos were made after the war

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Posted - 11/05/2009 :  22:11:34      

Chris did you get the message I sent ya?

"Aint" aint a word