WesBrown Says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 @5:52:58 AM

Just where is this museum, and what is significance of that "banjo in the window?" Is that the glass case it was in just before you had that uncontrollable urge, broke the glass and played it gleefully until the guards came and escorted you out?

Blake507 Says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 @8:47:33 AM

No, No, nothing like that. Its located in OKC downtown in what is call Bricktown. The banjo is a rare RB-7, top tension, archtop, with a paddle peg head. I seem to recall there was only 5 made as 5 string, plenty of conversions out there. Anyway they value it at $125K-$150K. I like the peghead...........

WesBrown Says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 @12:43:27 PM

I did go to Google and look up the location of the museum after I sent you the first inquiry. Bill Hayes in Maine, who built me a top-tension archtop (the peg head is my BHO ID Phote), is what I term a "collectors weirdo." He advertises frequently for things like "1930 resonator screw", or a "1925 Gibson armrest attachment plate." Vintage, Schmintage. I thought a banjo was something to play, and its value was based on how it sounded. Am I missing something here? I'm a pessimist. I would figure Gibson only made 5 of them because they sounded terrible and nobody wanted one.

Blake507 Says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 @2:48:33 PM

I am not a Gibson student, but I would guess there were several variations of this one. I have seen several with that peg head (my favorite) in fact there is a plectrum on ebay right now. However, I don't think its a top tension. I am just repeating what the curator told me. My jo's are either one's I have made or one's that I had made for me. Like you, I am always after the sound, but I do have a few that look good as well.....

WesBrown Says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 @3:05:10 PM

Well, true. But I would take sound over looks any day. And again, I would rather spend an hour practicing than trying to polish to a high gloss the plating in those hard-to-reach places. Some you have to disassemble to get to, and I would be afraid of goofing up a good sound. But, when all is said and done, it's to each his own. If we all adored the same banjo, its price would be astronomical, or it would be constantly stolen, and each owner would literally have to guard it with his life. Sort of like being married to Pamela Anderson.

Blake507 Says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 @3:22:40 PM

So True!!