Brian Murphy - Posted - 12/12/2023:  04:47:53

In honor of FMB's birthday, the Music Instrument Museum posted this video of Alison Brown playing Earl's 1928 Gibson. I believe(d) this is the Groundspeed banjo  (Earnest Banjo site).  It is part of the Museum's current Exhibit (Acoustic Ameria: Iconic Guitars, Mandolins, and Banjos).  If you like good instrument porn, the Museum has a good book of the exhibit.  The banjo is on page 10.



EDIT:  Note the discussion below which establishes that this was not the actual banjo used on Groundspeed

Edited by - Brian Murphy on 12/15/2023 04:57:36

country frank - Posted - 12/12/2023:  05:22:29

Interesting interview with Alison Brown on the Fretboard Journal podcast series.

fretboardjournal.com/podcasts/...on-brown/

Edited by - country frank on 12/12/2023 05:23:12

southerndrifter - Posted - 12/12/2023:  05:56:36

quote:

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Originally posted by Brian Murphy

In honor of FMB's birthday, the Music Instrument Museum posted this video of Alison Brown playing Earl's 1928 Gibson. I believe this is the Groundspeed banjo  (Earnest Banjo site).  It is part of the Museum's current Exhibit (Acoustic Ameria: Iconic Guitars, Mandolins, and Banjos).  If you like good instrument porn, the Museum has a good book of the exhibit.  The banjo is on page 10.

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I've always heard that the "Groundspeed" banjo Earl used, was an original flathead RB-4 owned by Mike Longworth and later by Paul Hopkins. I'm not sure of the FON but I believe it dated it to about 1930. 

RB3 - Posted - 12/12/2023:  07:16:07

I would concur with southerndrifter. I've always heard that Scruggs used the RB4 that belonged to Mike Longworth for the recording of Ground Speed because someone was doing work on his regular banjo. Below is a link to a previous discussion of the subject on BHO.

Ground Speed Banjo Discussion

 

Oldtwanger - Posted - 12/12/2023:  07:22:04

quote:

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Originally posted by southerndrifter

quote:

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Originally posted by Brian Murphy

In honor of FMB's birthday, the Music Instrument Museum posted this video of Alison Brown playing Earl's 1928 Gibson. I believe this is the Groundspeed banjo  (Earnest Banjo site).  It is part of the Museum's current Exhibit (Acoustic Ameria: Iconic Guitars, Mandolins, and Banjos).  If you like good instrument porn, the Museum has a good book of the exhibit.  The banjo is on page 10.

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I've always heard that the "Groundspeed" banjo Earl used, was an original flathead RB-4 owned by Mike Longworth and later by Paul Hopkins. I'm not sure of the FON but I believe it dated it to about 1930. 

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RB-4 9639-9

250gibson - Posted - 12/12/2023:  07:48:38

This banjo has come up before in discussion. I don’t know how it has been determined that this archtop Granada was the groundspeed banjo. I have always heard that the groundspeed banjo was an RB-4 that was owned by Mike Longworth and Paul Hopkins. It appears to me the owner of this banjo is doing a lot of speculation to justify that this banjo is the ground speed banjo, whereas the RB4 has been discussed by people actually involved in the borrowing of the banjo and the recording of the track.

250gibson - Posted - 12/12/2023:  07:52:10

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brian Murphy

In honor of FMB's birthday, the Music Instrument Museum posted this video of Alison Brown playing Earl's 1928 Gibson. I believe this is the Groundspeed banjo  (Earnest Banjo site).  It is part of the Museum's current Exhibit (Acoustic Ameria: Iconic Guitars, Mandolins, and Banjos).  If you like good instrument porn, the Museum has a good book of the exhibit.  The banjo is on page 10.

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The banjo the museum has isn’t the banjo used in the photo of Earl on the website.  

kyleb - Posted - 12/12/2023:  08:09:25

it sounds really bright, tubby with little low end, maybe its just her playing style or song selection, but this doesnt sound like the clear, crisp banjo with a deep low end  that you hear in ground speed, it sounds like almost the opposite banjo.

Edited by - kyleb on 12/12/2023 08:11:03

The Old Timer - Posted - 12/12/2023:  08:27:56

This arch top Granada was pronounced the Groundspeed banjo by a mandolin expert who judged the tone of this banjo vs the Columbia record, with his own ears.

YMMV.

Bronx banjo - Posted - 12/12/2023:  11:29:04

I think the “expert” who declared the TPF arch top Granada to be the Groundspeed banjo should admit he was mistaken.

arnie fleischer - Posted - 12/12/2023:  18:43:50

As others have said, the "Ground Speed" banjo is the RB-4 which the late Mike Longworth owned and which Paul Hopkins has owned since Longworth's death. I got to play that banjo at Paul's house and for a moment or two felt like I was holding a bit of banjo lore in my hands.

Randy Escobedo - Posted - 12/13/2023:  05:32:20

Many years ago, had to been maybe 2005 Tut Taylor was in Nashville visiting. They had a picking party over at Crafters Of Tennessee. Paul was there with the RB-4 Ground Speed banjo. I got to play it all that afternoon. Very cool banjo. I told Earl about it the next day. He was glad to know it was still going strong and of course I picked Groundspeed on it!

Edited by - Randy Escobedo on 12/13/2023 05:37:00

jellowaydan - Posted - 12/13/2023:  06:29:37

So are there any current recordings of the RB4 so we can hear it? The Groundspeed recording is incredible, of course.

kyleb - Posted - 12/13/2023:  06:41:43

quote:

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Originally posted by Randy Escobedo

Many years ago, had to been maybe 2005 Tut Taylor was in Nashville visiting. They had a picking party over at Crafters Of Tennessee. Paul was there with the RB-4 Ground Speed banjo. I got to play it all that afternoon. Very cool banjo. I told Earl about it the next day. He was glad to know it was still going strong and of course I picked Groundspeed on it!

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so Earl told you or confirmed that rb-4 at the ground speed banjo? seems that settles the debate!

250gibson - Posted - 12/13/2023:  06:59:30

quote:

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Originally posted by kyleb

quote:

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Originally posted by Randy Escobedo

Many years ago, had to been maybe 2005 Tut Taylor was in Nashville visiting. They had a picking party over at Crafters Of Tennessee. Paul was there with the RB-4 Ground Speed banjo. I got to play it all that afternoon. Very cool banjo. I told Earl about it the next day. He was glad to know it was still going strong and of course I picked Groundspeed on it!

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so Earl told you or confirmed that rb-4 at the ground speed banjo? seems that settles the debate!

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I don’t think there has ever been much of a debate. The current owner of this archtop granada is the one who is claiming that it is the banjo used to record Groundspeed, (through a lot of speculation).   The RB4 has been referred to for years as the ground speed banjo, the arch top Granada claim is somewhat recent.  What surprises me is that The Earnest banjo site has a narrative about the arch top being the ground speed banjo which seems to give the current owners claim some merit, and therefore giving the Granada archtop more value 

Brian Murphy - Posted - 12/13/2023:  07:01:26

quote:

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Originally posted by kyleb

quote:

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Originally posted by Randy Escobedo

Many years ago, had to been maybe 2005 Tut Taylor was in Nashville visiting. They had a picking party over at Crafters Of Tennessee. Paul was there with the RB-4 Ground Speed banjo. I got to play it all that afternoon. Very cool banjo. I told Earl about it the next day. He was glad to know it was still going strong and of course I picked Groundspeed on it!

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so Earl told you or confirmed that rb-4 at the ground speed banjo? seems that settles the debate!

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That would be as good as it gets, and certainly better than the basis for saying that it was the 1928 Granada.   I always thought this was unsettled, but if Earl confirmed to Randy, that should settle it.  I never questioned anyone's belief or sincerity one way or the other.  I just had not heard of an account directly from Earl that settled the matter.  I wonder if Earl had any concept back in the day when they were cutting these tracks about how people would someday get together on computers on an international basis and obsess about things like gear and instruments.  To them it was probably just another day at work trying to make a living.  They couldn't have had an idea as to how historic these recordings were.

Randy Escobedo - Posted - 12/13/2023:  07:12:18

Brian,

I was very lucky to hear so many stories from Earl. They were just trying to make a living. I remember him telling me about when Josh joined the group with his dobro in 1955. It gave them a unique sound nobody else had. They had no idea how they would be copied and considered the standard to this very day. Earl even taught Josh some of his banjo rolls that worked so well for their music. I remember Earl giving me a flying lesson sitting on the edge of his sofa and talking what Ground Speed meant. He thought that would be a good name for his banjo tune the way it moved along.

Edited by - Randy Escobedo on 12/13/2023 07:15:24

Tractor1 - Posted - 12/13/2023:  07:43:21

I have been trying for years with no success to find a vid of Earl playing an arch top-does anybody know of one

arnie fleischer - Posted - 12/13/2023:  17:39:25

quote:Originally posted by jellowaydanSo are there any current recordings of the RB4 so we can hear it? The Groundspeed recording is incredible, of course.



@jellowaydan





From Paul's CD "Something Old...Nothing New": youtube.com/watch?v=2OhtKx3JSQs



The album notes say the banjo is a 1934 RB-4 and that Earl Scruggs sold it to Mike Longworth in 1958.

 

mrbook - Posted - 12/14/2023:  09:39:42

I thought I saw an old video of Earl Scruggs and Ralph Stanley playing together, with each playing the other's banjo, but I couldn't find it with a quick check on youtube. It was one single song, and not Earl playing an archtop that was his.

jellowaydan - Posted - 12/14/2023:  19:13:15

Thanks Arnie? Great sounding banjo, and nice picking.

LouZee Picker - Posted - 12/14/2023:  22:31:05

quote:

---

Originally posted by arnie fleischer

As others have said, the "Ground Speed" banjo is the RB-4 which the late Mike Longworth owned and which Paul Hopkins has owned since Longworth's death. I got to play that banjo at Paul's house and for a moment or two felt like I was holding a bit of banjo lore in my hands.

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I also have had the pleasure of pickin' the "Groundspeed"  RB-4  FON 9639-9 on several occasions  at Paul Hopkins home since 2003. On my first invitation to Paul's home Mike Longworth just happen to drop by and spent the afternoon with us. We talked quite a bit while he was there & I got the whole banjo story straight from Mike Longworth. He owned the banjo when Earl borrowed it from him for the recording session. Nuff said.

Brian

Brian Murphy - Posted - 12/15/2023:  04:55:00

quote:

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Originally posted by LouZee Picker

I got the whole banjo story straight from Mike Longworth. He owned the banjo when Earl borrowed it from him for the recording session. Nuff said.

Brian

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Definitely.  I did not know that there was an account from the person who owned it at the time.  That, plus Earl's own statement, really settles it.

arnie fleischer - Posted - 12/15/2023:  06:29:02

Just in case people are unfamiliar with Mike Longworth, he was customer relations manager and historian for Martin Guitars and a noted inlay artist.

RB3 - Posted - 12/15/2023:  06:41:51

Below is a link to a website that has a copy of a letter from Mike Longworth to Paul Hopkins that provides some historical background information on the RB4. The link is from a previous discussion of the subject on BHO.

Letter From Mike Longworth To Paul Hopkins

 

LouZee Picker - Posted - 12/15/2023:  06:54:56

quote:

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Originally posted by Brian Murphy

quote:

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Originally posted by LouZee Picker

I got the whole banjo story straight from Mike Longworth. He owned the banjo when Earl borrowed it from him for the recording session. Nuff said.

Brian

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Definitely.  I did not know that there was an account from the person who owned it at the time.  That, plus Earl's own statement, really settles it.

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No worries Brian,   I know these false claims about that banjo have been posted over the years, here and other sites. I don't want to come across as a smart aleck or know it all on my last post.  Just stating facts that I heard straight from Mike Longworth. I don't think he would have any reason to lie about the use of the banjo, after all, Mike was really good friends with Earl, Lester  & the whole band. After Mike retired from Martin guitars and moved to Bell Buckle Tn. just a few miles from Paul Hopkins house they became fast friends & together launched the LouZee line of Banjos. Mike coming up with the design & cryptic neck inlay patterns. LOL.  And Paul handling all the production end of it.

I do have a correction on my previous post, that conversation between Mike Longworth & I took place in Aug. of 2002 not 2003 as I posted. Mike sadly past away  in January of 2003.