The Old Timer - Posted - 03/14/2015:  18:39:04

Like a bolt from the blue yesterday I got a chance to buy a 1990 Gibson RB 3 with full Flying Eagle inlay.  Greg Rich was kind enough to confirm that some indeed were made that way during his tenure.

Price was right, so I snagged it today!

Hadn't been played a lot, but shows nice "character" in the aging of the finish, it's 25 years old after all.

Just put my favorite Snuffy Smith bridge on and enjoyed picking it for a few hours today.

Now to buy a strap, Keith tuners, another capo, extra strings, etc.!

B.A.S. never goes into remission.

banjoman56 - Posted - 03/14/2015:  18:45:07

Congrats on the new banjo! B.A.S. is truly a terrible disease! :)

danielburdett - Posted - 03/14/2015:  20:45:44

Pictures?!?

davidwigal - Posted - 03/14/2015:  21:46:31

Yea I want to see it too 

ejimb0 - Posted - 03/14/2015:  22:57:58

Good for you!

jhko - Posted - 03/14/2015:  23:55:22

Yeah, no fair getting a new banjo without pictures! We want pictures!

rb4player - Posted - 03/15/2015:  04:37:16

Nice find! Enjoy it.

Jim

10sbum - Posted - 03/15/2015:  07:22:48

Have one, also.  It's my understand that, instead of the common RB3 inlays, H&F and FE (Reno) could be custom ordered.  

DHutchens - Posted - 03/15/2015:  08:19:08

The first standard style 3 was assembled on June 28th of 88 3-8806-1 and In the beginning we only did the standard 3 pattern, but after a few request the Wreath and Reno patterns;  On September 19th the first wreath was assembled 3-8806-001  Initially the idea was to use a separate system for the last group of numbers, but when the next order came in 3-8810-67 was the 2nd wreath and the decision was to just number them just as style three's.     3-8810-68 was the first Reno Pattern.

In early 89 on a trip back from Texas with The Reno Brothers I arranged for Ronnie, Don Wayne, and Dale to come in and meet Greg and Jim and they approved the use of their Dad's name on the pattern(don't guess we legally had to do that, but I thought it would be an appropriate gesture)...and soon the Wreath and Reno patterns were officially offered for an up-charge...I think it was 140.00 extra..  Over the next few years there were a few, but very few full Flying Eagle, Hearts and Flowers and even a Bella Voce Pattern or two by custom order style 3's.  

Edited by - DHutchens on 03/15/2015 08:24:34

The Old Timer - Posted - 03/15/2015:  09:04:36

Thanks for fleshing out the history Doug H!!!! I appreciate it.

I have photos now.

These RB 3s do exist!!

1990 RB 3 flying eagle peghead

1990 Gibson RB 3 flying eagle from back

1990 RB 3 flying eagle neck and peghead

1990 Gibson RB 3 flying eagle inlay

bluegrassboy - Posted - 03/15/2015:  09:12:23

doug, i had a h&f 3, s/n 3-8901-01, was told it was the 1st h&f 3 built, any truth to that, and any idea how many were made?

10sbum - Posted - 03/15/2015:  10:52:14

Different peghead on mine (1990):

DHutchens - Posted - 03/15/2015:  11:00:40

Yep, Larry 3-8901-1 was the first H&F style 3 and was the very first banjo built on Jan 3 89...  Don't have any idea of exactly how many were done,   I'll try to take time later to look thru the numbers and see if I can get a better handle on just how many were done... This banjo was shipped to Bill Sullivan at First Quality.   

The Old Timer - Posted - 03/15/2015:  16:50:39

10sbum yours is the so called "Reno" pattern, not full flying Eagle. Your pattern mixes the style 3 "leaves and bows" from style 3 with the "flying eagle" fingerboard that had previously been used mostly on Style 4 and Granadas from 1930 on. Renos from the 1990s period are also somewhat rare and desirable compared to the catalog style 3 of the same period.

Same inlay pattern used in the RB 75 JD Crowe model.

RB3WREATH - Posted - 03/16/2015:  03:29:29

Congrats Dick I love style 3's

Joe

10sbum - Posted - 03/16/2015:  08:43:18

quote:

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Originally posted by The Old Timer

10sbum yours is the so called "Reno" pattern, not full flying Eagle. Your pattern mixes the style 3 "leaves and bows" from style 3 with the "flying eagle" fingerboard that had previously been used mostly on Style 4 and Granadas from 1930 on. Renos from the 1990s period are also somewhat rare and desirable compared to the catalog style 3 of the same period.



Same inlay pattern used in the RB 75 JD Crowe model.

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Got it...thanks, Dick.

myfavefive - Posted - 03/18/2015:  18:50:51

I've got a 1990 Reno inlay RB-3 too and love it. Nice to know how they came about, so thanks for that background Doug. Congrats Dick!

Jim Britton - Posted - 03/19/2015:  07:40:35

Good for you Dick. I recently picked up a 1990 RB-3 as well (leaves and bows). I like the lighter ebony overlays of that era. Doug Hutchens had some info on this. Looks like you might have a "Sonny Osborne Rocky Top Re-Issue" Ha! I'm sure it has all the great sound as well.

-Jim

Kevin B - Posted - 03/19/2015:  12:34:39

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jim Britton

Good for you Dick. I recently picked up a 1990 RB-3 as well (leaves and bows). I like the lighter ebony overlays of that era. Doug Hutchens had some info on this. Looks like you might have a "Sonny Osborne Rocky Top Re-Issue" Ha! I'm sure it has all the great sound as well.

-Jim

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This is my '89 with action improved by an Arthur Hatfield heel cut.

The Old Timer - Posted - 03/19/2015:  12:46:14

I got to see the Sonny Osborne Rocky Top ACTUAL RB-3 at Thomas Point Beach last year. I hope I remember his name right, Aaron McDowell, McDaris? With Rhonda Vincent I believe. He actually called it "the Rocky Top banjo".

Gruhn's has a Sonny Osborne Gibson RB-4 prototype that looks the same from the front, but it's walnut from the back. Dana Cupp owned it for a while after Sonny I understand. WAY more expensive than the RB-3 I just got.

myfavefive - Posted - 03/19/2015:  17:54:56

I was lucky enough to get to hold and play Sonny's RB-3 a few years ago when Aaron brought it out to the Darrington festival here in Washington...the Rocky Top banjo.  I was quite amazed and humbled.

Tim13 - Posted - 03/19/2015:  19:34:34

I sold a RB-3 this past fall.  It's the closest I've come to sellers remorse.  For anything.  It was a fine instrument.  Hater's gonna hate, and say there are better boutique banjos out there, but I really liked that Gibson.

Tim

lespik - Posted - 03/26/2015:  10:36:52

Lots of mojo on this one :-)

The Pope - Posted - 03/26/2015:  13:56:46

What were you smoking? 

olhoss18 - Posted - 03/26/2015:  19:01:59

Love the Flying Eagle pattern and especially love it on a 3!!! I just recently got together a parts banjo with a Flying Eagle mahogany Neat neck I acquired from Steve Campbell and coupled it to a Yates V33/Yates Maple rim. Bill Hayes done the heel cut and fit for me and I couldn't be more happier than how it came out! The look is awesome and the sound is even better its a honker!

StudioKing - Posted - 03/27/2015:  09:40:36

I just took in a 1990 RB-3 standard leaves and bows for a complete setup. Sounds pretty good as is. Haven't gotten it apart yet, but just wondering... what tone ring would have been standard equipment at that time?

Oldtwanger - Posted - 03/27/2015:  14:51:22

quote:

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Originally posted by StudioKing

I just took in a 1990 RB-3 standard leaves and bows for a complete setup. Sounds pretty good as is. Haven't gotten it apart yet, but just wondering... what tone ring would have been standard equipment at that time?

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What's the rim number?

StudioKing - Posted - 03/28/2015:  04:14:21

Rim number is 3-9206-51

The customer told me it was a 1990, but I guess that makes it a '92?

Oldtwanger - Posted - 03/28/2015:  07:37:12

quote:

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Originally posted by StudioKing

Rim number is 3-9206-51

The customer told me it was a 1990, but I guess that makes it a '92?

 

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Yes, that's the 51st style -3 of that year,  assembled in June of 1992.

I was hoping to give you definitive tone ring info including the ring number, but my records only go to August of 1991.

The 'normal' ring would have been a Kulesh.

StudioKing - Posted - 03/28/2015:  07:40:28

Thanks for the info. I'll have the ring off in the next couple of days and see what I can see.

DHutchens - Posted - 03/28/2015:  09:52:03

3-9206-51 was assembled on June 19, 1992 and left the factory with tone ring # 188