Yohansen - Posted - 07/19/2026:  05:33:39

I just bought this 1932 TB 1 conversion at Gruhn guitars and hoping someone here might recognize it. I'd like to know the maker of the tonering or any ownership history on it. It's a jewel. FON # 122-15 Thanks banjo family. guitars.com/inventory/ja7060-1...ion-banjo

Will Frady - Posted - 07/19/2026:  08:20:23

Gruhn’s should have provided all that information when you bought it . Did you ask them ? George Gruhn is not going to acquire an instrument and not know what HE is buying . Did you purchase it as a mystery type banjo ? I’m only trying to help . Good luck .

Yohansen - Posted - 07/19/2026:  11:17:53

The salesman read me the notes on the trade in of this banjo. The pot all original except for a few hooks and nuts, the tailpiece and the addition of a second rod and refinishing of the resonator. Unknown neck builder and unknown tonering. It looks like they did a refret or at least a fret leveling and dressing. I don't think it was disassembled to identify the tone ring. He said it was not consigned. Thanks for the reply. Very happy with it whatever ring it has.

Will Frady - Posted - 07/19/2026:  11:43:14

As long as one is happy with their instruments is what matters. Too many times people get caught up with a name on the headstock and the whole time they’re not happy with it . If you’re happy that’s what matters. Keep it and play the fool out of it . Best of luck

Old Hickory - Posted - 07/19/2026:  14:06:44

I think the issue here isn't happiness with the instrument but knowing what he has.

The Old Timer - Posted - 07/19/2026:  15:26:27

Even if you disassembled it and took the tone ring off, many a boutique tone ring supplier did nothing to mark it for future reference. Gibson themselves didn't include any maker's marks on the banjos until the 1980s or so, and even til the day they shut down, not all their banjos had maker's marks.

If you take the tone ring off off you MIGHT find a maker's mark, which you could post a photograph of here, and those are frequently recognizable. Depends how curious you are, and how comfortable you are disassembling, reassembling, and setting up a banjo. If you do this measure all the dimensions and angles, and weight it to the tenth of a pound. Photograph inside and outside surfaces for tooling marks.

There is a small change there may be some identifying marks.

Old Hickory - Posted - 07/21/2026:  05:39:51

Kitchen scale that does tenths of ounces is how I've weighed tone rings.