techman - Posted - 12/19/2025:  10:19:17

Found this today at a luthier's shop. I've attached pic's below.  Sale price $3,449. Just hoping you guys can help me assess this. I played it along with other similar Gibson TB3's for sale in the same shop. It sounded MUCH better than any of the others. Not just better, but it sounded great. Good sustain up and down the neck, good intonation. (Like my new Prucha, the notes 'came out very easily'.) I didn't get a pic of the resonator, but it only had very minor scratches; just two minor 'dents' really. But I have some questions and I thought you guys could help me with:

1. Is this a fair price?

2. Is this an arch top banjo?

3. Can anyone please tell me about this type of Gibson Mastertone TB3 conversion (ball bearing type)? Is it particularly unique for a pre war model?

4. What's up with the tuners? (looks like two are "D" tuners with pearl buttons but the rest are silver including the 5th string peg.)

Thanks for any other descriptive assessment of this banjo.

Edited by - Texasbanjo on 12/19/2025 14:17:27

Gibson TB 3 (Pot)

Gibson TB-3 (neck/logo)

 

ChunoTheDog - Posted - 12/19/2025:  10:56:09

1. Yes, if the condition is good and the 5 string neck is well made, which it seems to be. Although the double cut peghead and flying eagle inlay pattern came out later when Gibson moved away from the tube and plate configuration during the depression era. Having a non-period correct neck would personally bug me a lot, but it looks to be very well made.

2. Yes and no: it's not a solid raised head archtop, which is what is most frequently meant by "archtop Gibson banjo", it is the predecessor to the solid raised head



3. These are the earliest Mastertones, built in the ball bearing and washer tone ring configuration until 1926. The solid no-hole raised head ring replaced it in 1927, then later the much more common 40-hole archtop ring came out



4. Yes those are some sort of D tuner type tuning pegs, can't tell the brand from your picture

If considering purchasing this instrument, I would make extra sure that all the ball bearing, washers and springs are present and accounted for, same with the resonator thumbscrews.

Edited by - ChunoTheDog on 12/19/2025 11:06:32

Bill Rogers - Posted - 12/19/2025:  12:19:42

Agree with Antoine—especially on having the complete tone ring—ball bearings, washers and all. A great two-way banjo, btw, if you ever play any clawhammer.

The Old Timer - Posted - 12/19/2025:  16:58:10

Strong possibility the resonator is not original - in 1925 TB 3 resonators had white binding ONLY on the back. The wood should be a red-purple color with no extra circle or marquetry in it.

The neck is obviously not original, and does not match the appearance of a 1925 Style 3 neck (Should be a fiddle peghead and snowflakes/diamonds inlays.

The "silver" tuners are mid-20th century Grovers, not original style at all, but undoubtedly serviceable.

The tailpiece is a replacement -- Kerschner style. Perfectly serviceable though.

The resonator thumbscrews are not original, they are replacements in the style of what Gibson used from 1927 to 2009. Serviceable BUT their diameter is much larger than the original hex head screws, so "someone" drilled out the flange and resonator wall stud so the newer type thumbscrews would fit.

$3500 is not a "bargain" price for what is likely to be a "put together" banjo based a likely 1925 TB 3 pot. We need at least one more photo taken from the side of the pot to figure out if someone made their own rim to fit an old ball bearing tone ring. Also you should get the FON (serial #) that is stamped inside the rim. If there is no FON, it's a total parts banjo and NOT WORTH $3500.

However, if you like it and want to spend the money, go for it. Much better conversions of 1925 ball bearings are on the market frequently for just a little more money though.

lightgauge - Posted - 12/19/2025:  17:19:21

All good advice. In the first photo it appears to be a "shotgun" ring skirt which would be correct. Look for numbers in rim for sure. Numbers should also be in resonator if original. Binding may have been added. I have done it myself.
These have a beautiful tone with the original setup, as you found. Myself and others have found them to be weak in a band setting with other instruments. I played mine for a while with a conversion ring, but preferred the original ball and spring tone. Eventually moved on to a flathead conversion as I usually play with others.

Old Hickory - Posted - 12/19/2025:  20:30:57

If I remember correctly, when I was at Gruhn's a year ago, TB3 conversions, including some with "wrong model" inlay necks by Frank Neat were priced at $5000 or more.

I didn't recall if those described as ball bearings had all the balls, springs and washers. Didn't ask.

This seems like a more than fair price. 

Edited by - Old Hickory on 12/19/2025 20:31:58

Culloden - Posted - 12/19/2025:  22:23:55

The price is not a bargain but it's reasonable enough. Basically, it's a parts banjo built around a 1925 Ball Bearing model pot. It has a replacement neck with a peg head and an inlay pattern that wouldn't be introduced for another five years after the pot was made. It has a replacement resonator and replaced thumb screws to hold it on.

If it speaks to you and you like the way it feels in the hands, it would be a good one to keep for a personal banjo. It's not one that you could turn a dollar on quickly at the asking price.

Edited by - Culloden on 12/19/2025 22:26:27

KCJones - Posted - 12/20/2025:  08:20:12

It's not a Gibson. The shop selling it as one is ignorant, at best. Selling it as a Gibson without any other caveats or disclosures borders on fraud.



Let's summarize:



Not a Gibson neck.



Not a Gibson resonator.



Not a Gibson tailpiece.



Not a Gibson thumbscrew.

Not a Gibson tuner. 



Gibson tone ring, unknown if complete.



Unknown rim, TBD.

Unknown flange, TBD. 



Its more not Gibson than Gibson.



The Gibson of Theseus.

Edited by - KCJones on 12/20/2025 08:21:31

Old Hickory - Posted - 12/21/2025:  10:52:35

All the non-Gibson content is bringing me to the over-priced side.

Bill Rogers - Posted - 12/21/2025:  14:14:54

Yeah; at least $1,000 overpriced.

lightgauge - Posted - 12/21/2025:  15:42:09

All speculation with the limited information provided.

kyleb - Posted - 12/22/2025:  03:49:44

We have no idea what’s going on inside that pot without pictures, the outside looks like a ball bearing due to flange construction, but these have been converted, holes filled , bearings removed, new rings added etc, rims replaced, etc. post photos of the inside please. That will also end speculation about the resonators and the age, we’re just taking the stickers word that’s its a 25 without the factory order number

Edited by - kyleb on 12/22/2025 03:50:03

Brett - Posted - 12/25/2025:  06:54:38

Hard to tell from pix but looks like 70s rb250 resonator.

okbluegrassbanjopicker - Posted - 12/25/2025:  14:26:58

From the photos, the fretboard inlays near the 22nd fret look kind of "chunky." 

This is not near the respectable level of prewar conversion banjo that is normally seen. 

 

Edited by - okbluegrassbanjopicker on 12/25/2025 14:28:49

Banjour - Posted - 01/22/2026:  07:33:13

Is this banjo at Randy Woods? If so, I've called and asked for more pictures of the two ball bearings they had. One was a 1925 with an unknown maker neck, and the other was a 1926 with one of his necks. Ball bearings were visible in the pics, and both appeared to have prewar rims, but one had a label that stood out to me. I don't know when Gibson started putting the Mastertone label in the rim, but one picture they sent had a plain ("The Gibson Inc Kalamazoo...") label. Others on here know WAY more than I do about what label a 1925 should have (that's a first year Mastertone, so it's possible they didn't change labels?) but I decided to wait on a ball bearing that was a better deal. (I am a BIG fan of Ball Bearings...I don't know why more players don't seek them out.)