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ARCHIVED TOPIC: Figuring out the year of an RB-250

Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/379905

notevenfound - Posted - 12/19/2021: 16:20:07

Hell yall, I just recently acquired a Gibson RB-250, but I have no idea what year it is. It has a Tony Pass rim, but no serial number on the back of the headstock. I have no idea where the FON/SN would be anywhere. It has no number on the back of the headstock. Flange is stamped GIBSON USA and the tone ring as well. Let me know what you guys want pictures of.

jason999 - Posted - 12/19/2021: 17:31:38

quote:
Originally posted by notevenfound

Hell yall, I just recently acquired a Gibson RB-250, but I have no idea what year it is. It has a Tony Pass rim, but no serial number on the back of the headstock. I have no idea where the FON/SN would be anywhere. It has no number on the back of the headstock. Flange is stamped GIBSON USA and the tone ring as well. Let me know what you guys want pictures of.

OK, send pictures of... the banjo!

Lol seriously, just start with a few basic pictures of the front and back.

Is it a one piece or two piece flange? Send a pictures of the pot (the bottom of the front).

Edited by - jason999 on 12/19/2021 17:34:29

Alvin Conder - Posted - 12/19/2021: 17:35:01

Sounds like it is most likely a parts banjo.

Pictures will gives all more information.

notevenfound - Posted - 12/19/2021: 17:36:28

quote:
Originally posted by jason999

quote:
Originally posted by notevenfound

Hell yall, I just recently acquired a Gibson RB-250, but I have no idea what year it is. It has a Tony Pass rim, but no serial number on the back of the headstock. I have no idea where the FON/SN would be anywhere. It has no number on the back of the headstock. Flange is stamped GIBSON USA and the tone ring as well. Let me know what you guys want pictures of.

OK, send pictures of... the banjo!

Lol seriously, just start with a few basic pictures of the front and back.

Is it a one piece or two piece flange? Send a pictures of the pot (the bottom of the front).

Weird, I thought it uploaded them, guess not Hold on

notevenfound - Posted - 12/19/2021: 17:45:36

here you go @Alvin Conder @jason999

The Old Timer - Posted - 12/19/2021: 18:35:55

If the one piece flange is marked Gibson USA we can safely say it's post-1987 I guess.

Someone changed out the original rim and neglected to mark its original serial # anywhere on what was left of the banjo.

jason999 - Posted - 12/19/2021: 19:05:35

quote:
Originally posted by notevenfound

Hell yall, I just recently acquired a Gibson RB-250, but I have no idea what year it is. It has a Tony Pass rim, but no serial number on the back of the headstock. I have no idea where the FON/SN would be anywhere. It has no number on the back of the headstock. Flange is stamped GIBSON USA and the tone ring as well. Let me know what you guys want pictures of.

By the way, how does it sound? I've had a couple of Tony Pass rims in banjos and I loved them!!

notevenfound - Posted - 12/19/2021: 19:21:44

quote:
Originally posted by The Old Timer

If the one piece flange is marked Gibson USA we can safely say it's post-1987 I guess.

Someone changed out the original rim and neglected to mark its original serial # anywhere on what was left of the banjo.

So the only other area would be on the neck if I took it off?

notevenfound - Posted - 12/19/2021: 19:22:31

quote:
Originally posted by jason999

quote:
Originally posted by notevenfound

Hell yall, I just recently acquired a Gibson RB-250, but I have no idea what year it is. It has a Tony Pass rim, but no serial number on the back of the headstock. I have no idea where the FON/SN would be anywhere. It has no number on the back of the headstock. Flange is stamped GIBSON USA and the tone ring as well. Let me know what you guys want pictures of.

By the way, how does it sound? I've had a couple of Tony Pass rims in banjos and I loved them!!

This thing sounds incredible! Has a kinda bass(y) tone to it, but really solid power too!

J.Albert - Posted - 12/20/2021: 13:14:16

OP asked:

"So the only other area would be on the neck if I took it off?"

In olden days, Gibson necks would usually have the serial number marked on the inside of heel (visible when the heel was off the neck).

I don't know if they did this in the banjos made from 1988-2009.

Can anyone confirm if this was done?

I wouldn't take the neck off ONLY to see if there was a serial number there. Not worth the trouble...

jason999 - Posted - 12/20/2021: 13:51:21

quote:
Originally posted by J.Albert

OP asked:

"So the only other area would be on the neck if I took it off?"

In olden days, Gibson necks would usually have the serial number marked on the inside of heel (visible when the heel was off the neck).

I don't know if they did this in the banjos made from 1988-2009.

Can anyone confirm if this was done?

I wouldn't take the neck off ONLY to see if there was a serial number there. Not worth the trouble...

I wouldn't bother taking the neck off either. It's a Gibson ring and flange. It's not a Gibson rim. I would probably rather have the Pass than an original, BTW. That's just my preference.

All you would find out is if the neck is a Gibson.

If you do decide to take it apart, just be ready for the sound to possibly change a little, maybe better or worse.

I would get a drum dial, check how even the head is, tweak it as needed, and play it!

I think those Gibson USA flanges were used from the late 80's until the early 2000's.

I wouldn't expect a number to be on the neck, but I could be wrong.

They used to sell Gibson USA flanges separate, so a parts banjo can have one. I bought Gibson USA gold flange from Janet Davis Music years ago.

There are a lot of "Gibson" parts banjos around, but an RB-250 certainly isn't a popular banjo to counterfeit.

If I were guessing, I would say it's an original Gibson from somewhere around 1990-2000, with a Pass rim added to improve the sound.

Edited by - jason999 on 12/20/2021 13:53:30

notevenfound - Posted - 12/20/2021: 15:45:10

quote:
Originally posted by jason999

quote:
Originally posted by J.Albert

OP asked:

"So the only other area would be on the neck if I took it off?"

In olden days, Gibson necks would usually have the serial number marked on the inside of heel (visible when the heel was off the neck).

I don't know if they did this in the banjos made from 1988-2009.

Can anyone confirm if this was done?

I wouldn't take the neck off ONLY to see if there was a serial number there. Not worth the trouble...

I wouldn't bother taking the neck off either. It's a Gibson ring and flange. It's not a Gibson rim. I would probably rather have the Pass than an original, BTW. That's just my preference.

All you would find out is if the neck is a Gibson.

If you do decide to take it apart, just be ready for the sound to possibly change a little, maybe better or worse.

I would get a drum dial, check how even the head is, tweak it as needed, and play it!

I think those Gibson USA flanges were used from the late 80's until the early 2000's.

I wouldn't expect a number to be on the neck, but I could be wrong.

They used to sell Gibson USA flanges separate, so a parts banjo can have one. I bought Gibson USA gold flange from Janet Davis Music years ago.

There are a lot of "Gibson" parts banjos around, but an RB-250 certainly isn't a popular banjo to counterfeit.

If I were guessing, I would say it's an original Gibson from somewhere around 1990-2000, with a Pass rim added to improve the sound.