I have owned my RB175 since 1966. It was built in 1963 and I picked it up used. For over 40 years I have admired the PS5 and longed to own one but I could never justify the expense and I'd grown pretty attached to my old Gibson. In my opinion, the RB175 was always like an ugly stepsister to the sleek Vegas. After feeling inferior for all those years, in 2010, I took the bold move of doing a makeover of my Gibson. Most of my changes were cosmetic but the Rickard tubaphone tone ring and the Fults tailpiece made a huge improvement in the sound. I posted some photos to show the group what can be done.
10 Comments |
 | kwfolk1 says:
8/25/2014 1:19:44 PM
Nice job! Well done!
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 | wesrichards says:
8/25/2014 1:23:49 PM
Sweet!
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 | giweb says:
8/25/2014 1:49:33 PM
A tasteful work of art! Beyond beautiful, without being gaudy! You will have to post some audio now! Thank you for sharing!
giweb
"Nothing Worthwhile is Easy!"
"Making Music is Worthwhile!"
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 | phdm says:
8/25/2014 3:42:36 PM
Anyone know if the Fults will fit on a Vega Pete Seeger model (1962). I was concerned about the bracket spacing when looking at the Fults info in the past.
Thanks.
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 | calypsojimmy says:
8/26/2014 6:07:02 PM
It's funny. I play guitars and banjos... to me guitars are kind of like organic things, humans, pets, plants, etc. ... tempermental, susceptible to environmental changes, etc.... and banjos are like machines... in particular, like cars in the 1960's & prior. You can re-tool them, they have anthropomorphic personalities, etc. This sounds like a really good re-engineering of a fine instrument. There IS something positive about a long neck with a tubaphone ring. And there IS something about a Gibson banjo pot. Thanks for the tip.
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| giweb says:
8/27/2014 12:47:19 PM
My RB-180 Gibson banjo arrived this morning. IT IS PERFECT! Other than the usual discoloration on the head, I can't see that it was ever played. Beautiful tone and sustain. Better neck than PS5 Vega IMHO. Brighter tone than Vega IMHO. Vega is more mellow IMHO. Perfect banjo would be Vega ring in Gibson long neck IMHO. . . WAIT A MINUTE . . . . YOU ALREADY DID THAT!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!! More proof that you have created the paradigm long neck!!!!! And with the cosmetics . . . .visual perfection as well!
giweb
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 | Helix says:
8/27/2014 2:37:27 PM
We were ugly ducklings, now we're a flock of swans.
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 | BowlingGreen46 says:
9/12/2014 6:40:27 PM
I totally understand the desire to upgrade a 175. I started with the 175 I got in 1964. My first upgrade was to go from the stock 175 pot with tone ring, to a Bacon pot from a Silver Belle. But I always wanted an all-Gibson banjo and several years ago I found a Mastertone pot for sale on eBay, got it, and put my 175 neck on that. I added bracket shoes, new hooks, and a new bracket hoop I got from Stewart MacDonald. I also inlaid the neck and peghead with Gibson style inlays from Custom Pearl Inlay. This was in addition to the Grover Rotomatics and Muse/Ode D-tuners, and Ode 5th string capo. I ended up with a really nice sounding banjo. It's the one I'm holding in my profile picture.
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 | LJ says:
9/13/2014 5:14:53 AM
I can't see the picture very well but it appears as though the peg head is still bowtie style. I never really like that look but I bet it sounds great with that new tone ring. I woonder how it compares to Tom's new 180. Post some more pics.
Larry
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| BowlingGreen46 says:
9/15/2014 8:24:37 PM
I posted another photo that shows the neck and pot before I put them together. It shows the inlays better. The peghead and neck have inlays from a couple of different banjo patterns (still Gibson). No bow tie inlays, though. If I remember correctly some are from the Florentine and some from the Wreath set.
I have a 180, but it has a little bit different sound. The stock rim is thinner and the inside of the tone ring hangs over the rim - it doesn't make contact with it.
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