It seems that Gibson/Epiphone is getting out of the banjo biz. Read some post that they will no longer be making mb 250 and have not made a mb 500 for about a year or so. So maybe there worth will now increase, not that I will sell mine, but it would be cool to watch their value increase.
12 Comments |
 | Bird says:
3/23/2012 9:30:02 AM
I got mine used about a month or so ago. I posted a pic & someone posted that they might quit making them & hang onto it. It's my 1st banjo so I'll probably never sell it anyway, but good to know I got mine when I did & it was $ well spent!
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 | YankeeInKY says:
3/23/2012 10:39:46 AM
I don't think they've made an MB-500 since 2007.
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 | MightyMOBanjo says:
3/23/2012 11:01:59 AM
Yeah, u are probably right, just saw a posting that said a year, been looking for one of those too today, can't find one of them either. For being such a "bad" banjo, people sure are hanging on to them.
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| Bird says:
3/23/2012 1:53:17 PM
I've been tinkering a bit lately with my MB250, new strings & tightened the head....just keeps sounding better! At least to my beginner ears. Everything I've read says they are one of the best jo's for the $, it'll be interesting to see what they bring in a year or so.
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| YankeeInKY says:
3/23/2012 1:57:30 PM
I put a Davis bridge and a Fults 1934 Parallel TP on my MB-500 and it sounds great.
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| MightyMOBanjo says:
3/23/2012 2:42:46 PM
I tighten my head, lower the action, and also but a Fults '34 Parallel, and a Scorpion bridge, and D/Scruggs tuners. What made the biggest difference in sound/tone to me was the strings, Tried a lot, from the Gibson (the Earl ones, which sound best on my Good Time) to Martins, etc. The ones that I think sounded the best on my MB 250 are the GHS Almost Mediums. I almost got it to where I want it, thinkin about a new nut, the kind that are made for the D tuners. I read somewhere a new head may also help, but don't think that I buy that idea, since I think most heads are made by Remo, and people just put their names on them.
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| Bird says:
3/23/2012 4:55:26 PM
I think my next change will be a different bridge, but I'm waiting to meet with my instructor in a couple weeks. Maybe he'd have some input or some laying around for me to try out. I am getting some buzz on the 1st 5 frets & from my very limited knowledge using the "penny" technique, the action height is ok. It was suggested that the neck may have a slight bow & that the truss rod needs adjusting. I've read up on it & may try a very tiny tweak if I can see a bow by sighting down the neck, maybe a 1/4 turn. If that doesn't help, I'll leave it to a pro. Any input, or advice?
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| YankeeInKY says:
3/23/2012 7:28:22 PM
The head that came on mine had a hole in it when I got it. The TP had poked through it. I put a clear Remo on it to show off the gold plated comp rods.
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| MightyMOBanjo says:
3/24/2012 4:53:23 AM
Bird, try this 1st, I had the same kind of problem, and I thought that it was the neck too, so here is what I did to fix it. Take ur tuner and make sure that u are in tune, then go to the 12th fret and place your fingers here and retune and it should be the same as the open tuning, I think that if it is sharp then move the bridge back, and flat move it up. I hope that makes sense. If not email me and I will give u my # to try to help more. That is what I did and it fixed the buzz and the banjo from going way out of tune up the neck. U should be Google this under banjo intonation.
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| Bird says:
3/24/2012 9:22:46 AM
Thank you dafichter, that makes sense to me and helps define the next term I was going research "intonation". I will try this 1st and let you know what I find. Thanks again!
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| Bird says:
4/5/2012 5:55:15 AM
My stepson had his guitar lesson last night at the music store, so I took my picks along. They had a lower end Fender hanging on the wall they had just set up. I've gotten to know the salesguy there & he loaned me a tuner so I could play around on it. Wow am I glad I didnt jump on that "starter package" & held out for my EPI! I've heard a good picker can make any banjo sound good....well after last night I believe a good banjo can make a newbie sound good!
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 | juddtaylor says:
4/11/2012 3:32:32 PM
From what I've heard, the low end fenders and epiphone banjos are all made in the same factory in asia. The imports from these factors may change brand names, but they aren't going away any time soon. Don't hold your breath on a value increase on these things.
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