Gibson: RB-350

Submitted by DangerDan on 1/8/2009

Where Purchased: Gruhn Guitars(Nashville, TN)

Year Purchased: 2008
Price Paid: 2500 ($US) (bought USED)

Sound

I LOVE the sound of this banjo! It's very bright without being tinny, and powerful, but I can calm it down pretty easily if I want to. Being an old-time player playing a resonator banjo, I really like the tone the two-piece flange gives. I found that one-pieces were just a little too tinny.

Sound Rating: 9

Setup

It was setup by Charlie Cushman when I bought it. I put a no-knot tailpiece and a Fiberskyn head on it, cranked down really tight.

Setup Rating: 9

Appearance

I love the inlays on this banjo. Not too fancy, not too plain. The fiddle shaped peghead is also a must for me when buying a Gibson. I also really dig the eagle inlay on the back of the resonator. One of the inlays was a little high, though.

Appearance Rating: 9

Reliability

This banjo is 33 years old and shows no signs of wear and tear. All the hardware is very sturdy and I think the only things I'll ever need to replace are the strings and the head(eventually).

Reliability Rating: 10

Customer Service

Never dealt with Gibson, but I cannot adequately tell you how great the guys at Gruhn were. They treated me like a serious player, even though I'm a kid. After talking with Calvin for about 5 minutes, he knew exactly the sound I was looking for, and after trying about four banjos, we found exactly what I wanted. Once I Purchased the banjo, they put railroad spikes on it(for free) while I went out and ate lunch. They also threw in a free T-shirt.

Customer Service: 10

Components

The tuning pegs are very smooth, but tight, and I love the big buttons. All of the components are very solid.

Components Rating: 9

Overall Comments

I would absolutely recommend this banjo for the price I payed, but I wouldn't object if they wanted to sell it for less:-)

If this banjo was stolen, I'd go out and buy an older RB-250. I don't think I'll ever find another one of these again.

It is just as good as any banjo I've ever played, and I've played some primo banjos in my day. While it may not suit everyone, I love the sound it gives out.

Overall Rating: 9