the is pre war RB-18 that was once john hartfords banjo,, and before john had it roger sprung owned it.

So your saying I can't buy it off a shelf somewhere?

Whit kind of banjo was Kermit playing?

And I didn't know Kermit was a south paw.  

Heavythumb

quote:

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Originally posted by heruka

So your saying I can't buy it off a shelf somewhere?

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It would be an extremely expensive shelf.

But you can find fine-sounding banjos for a lot less than this one.

here is a reissue model 1999 for sale for 6800.00 on reverb

https://reverb.com/item/1680714-gibson-rb-18-mastertone-1999

Eagleisland:
Indeed, you can find excellent banjos for a lot less money than an RB-12, but knowing you are playing a piece of history --- it feels soooooo good. 

YMMV 

Heavythumb

quote:

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Originally posted by heruka

It sounds great. In other news, I'm learning what banjo sounds I really like. It's a step, a small one but I think important.
youtube.com/watch?v=5gNuj8UkyC4&t=43s

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Nice, now take out a $40K loan and you can have prewar RB18 too

quote:

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Originally posted by eagleisland

quote:

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Originally posted by heruka

So your saying I can't buy it off a shelf somewhere?

---

It would be an extremely expensive shelf.

But you can find fine-sounding banjos for a lot less than this one.

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Pretty happy with my silver princess. Though down the road if I stick with the banjo I'll be looking. Maybe a hatfield. You never owned a tartan 30, have you?

quote:

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Originally posted by heruka

quote:

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Originally posted by eagleisland

quote:

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Originally posted by heruka

So your saying I can't buy it off a shelf somewhere?

---

It would be an extremely expensive shelf.

But you can find fine-sounding banjos for a lot less than this one.

---

Pretty happy with my silver princess. Though down the road if I stick with the banjo I'll be looking. Maybe a hatfield. You never owned a tartan 30, have you?

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I did, in fact, own a Tartan 30. Sold it a while back. Don't miss it. Still own a Hatfield. And I love it.

Antoine:

I know the market is a little soft, but I'd be surprised if you could get a pre war 18 for $40k.  I wouldn't sell mine for that small amount of cash.  

Heavythumb 

quote:

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Originally posted by eagleisland

quote:

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Originally posted by heruka

quote:

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Originally posted by eagleisland

quote:

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Originally posted by heruka

So your saying I can't buy it off a shelf somewhere?

---

It would be an extremely expensive shelf.

But you can find fine-sounding banjos for a lot less than this one.

---

Pretty happy with my silver princess. Though down the road if I stick with the banjo I'll be looking. Maybe a hatfield. You never owned a tartan 30, have you?

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I did, in fact, own a Tartan 30. Sold it a while back. Don't miss it. Still own a Hatfield. And I love it.

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Howl as I recall. I sold mine a while back and am now landlocked in west central wisconsin where I spend my time fly-fishing for trout. I kinda miss mine. Sailing it not the expense. There are no yacht club dues on a trout stream.

quote:

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Originally posted by heruka

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I did, in fact, own a Tartan 30. Sold it a while back. Don't miss it. Still own a Hatfield. And I love it.

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Howl as I recall. I sold mine a while back and am now landlocked in west central wisconsin where I spend my time fly-fishing for trout. I kinda miss mine. Sailing it not the expense. There are no yacht club dues on a trout stream.

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Yes. Howl was her name. I presume you're a former (or current) member of the Tartan list. PM me an let me know your true identity, if you so choose.

I never did the yacht club thing when I had her. I'm now the secretary of one, but it's almost entirely oriented towards small boat racing and kids' sailing instruction. As far as the adults are concerned, I describe it as "a drinking club with a sailing problem."

quote:

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Originally posted by eagleisland

quote:

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Originally posted by heruka

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I did, in fact, own a Tartan 30. Sold it a while back. Don't miss it. Still own a Hatfield. And I love it.

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Howl as I recall. I sold mine a while back and am now landlocked in west central wisconsin where I spend my time fly-fishing for trout. I kinda miss mine. Sailing it not the expense. There are no yacht club dues on a trout stream.

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Yes. Howl was her name. I presume you're a former (or current) member of the Tartan list. PM me an let me know your true identity, if you so choose.

I never did the yacht club thing when I had her. I'm now the secretary of one, but it's almost entirely oriented towards small boat racing and kids' sailing instruction. As far as the adults are concerned, I describe it as "a drinking club with a sailing problem."

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I was a former. Never active really, more a lurker. Your knowledge helped a lot of people, myself included. I sailed out of edgewater yacht club in Cleveland. You wouldn't know me if I sent my pi. Yeah, alcohol is part of the lifestyle. It's a small internet. I still want that hatfield. He's older so I'm afraid if I wait too long he'll retire. 

quote:

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Originally posted by heruka

 

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I was a former. Never active really, more a lurker. Your knowledge helped a lot of people, myself included. I sailed out of edgewater yacht club in Cleveland. You wouldn't know me if I sent my pi. Yeah, alcohol is part of the lifestyle. It's a small internet. I still want that hatfield. He's older so I'm afraid if I wait too long he'll retire. 

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He's got his eye on retiring in a few years. If you want a Hatfield, order it now - there are a fair number of people ahead of you. You will NOT be disappointed, and if your banjo hejira doesn't work out brilliantly, you'll likely be able to recover most of your cost.

Arthur is not only a wonderful banjo builder - he may be the most honest, plainspoken and "what you see is what you get" people with whom I've ever done business. Arthur's upcharges for customization, should you so desire, are remarkably modest. And he doesn't try to push upcharges - merely to give each customer exactly what they want.

At minimum, go pick it up in person. If you have the ability to go talk to him before you commit so that you can tell him exactly what you're looking for, so much the better. Magic happens at the end of Burton Ridge Road.

here is a video of john hartford playing the same banjo

youtube.com/watch?v=Lp1VlWpNDt0

OP, do you know what a "top tension" bluegrass resonator banjo is? 'Cause the RB-18 you like is a TT.
The Gibson TTs were characterized by a fully carved resonator (rather than ply), and an innovative tension hoop that permitted head tightening/loosening from the top. Many swear that these features gave TTs a fuller, stronger sound and a very resonant sustain, and some think TTs were the apex Gibson banjos. Caveat: TTs are usually heavy. Quite heavy.

The RB-18 TT had a maple neck. The RB-12 TT had a walnut neck. Then there was the maple-neck RB-7, the simplest Gibson TT cosmetically, but tonally the equal of the fancier RB-12 and cosmetically fanciest RB-18.

If you are in love with the TT sound (not to mention that deco inlay), Gibson did make reissues of all three in the reissue era that ended around the time of the Nashville flood circa 2009/2010. But not many.

Contemporary makers known for their marvelous TTs include the late Robin Smith (Heartland banjos). Czech maker Jaroslov Prucha is also renowned for his TTs, especially the maples, though new Pruchas do not seem to be making their way to the US in any numbers the last few years. Then there are Hawthorn banjos, a newer label currently making some beautiful TTs.

Here are a two nifty write-ups spotlighting a couple of maple Gibson TTs. One is from Gryphon Stringed instruments on the US West Coast, a propos of a 2001 reissue Gibby RB-18 they had in stock in 2018. The other is a nice little Fretboard Journal writeup on a 1939 Gibson Rb-7:

gryphonstrings.com/2001-gibson...on-banjo/

fretboardjournal.com/columns/c...son-rb-7/

Here is the Hawthorn Banjos page featuring the maple RB-7 TT they offer:

hawthornbmg.com/store/p8/Hawth...anjo.html

Here is a Peghead Nation feature with banjo player Wes Corbett playing and talking about his Hawthorn maple TT and giving a nice little seminar on TT history and lore---(I have no connection to this maker or model, just spreading around the intel):

youtube.com/watch?v=V9LiNZS9nqA

quote:

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Originally posted by ChunoTheDog

quote:

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Originally posted by heruka

It sounds great. In other news, I'm learning what banjo sounds I really like. It's a step, a small one but I think important.
youtube.com/watch?v=5gNuj8UkyC4&t=43s

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Nice, now take out a $40K loan and you can have prewar RB18 too

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at a minimum double that,,perhaps triple

There's an original RB-7 at Gruhn's for $90K. It's been there a while, they'll probably go lower. 12's and 18's are rarer and will cost more.

Heruka - I think you should focus more on players. Talented individuals can make mediocre banjos sound better than they actually are. Check out Eddie Shelton -

From Temple, Texas. 1955 to 1963, played banjo with a Dallas group called the Country Cutups. 1965 to 1968, lived in Oklahoma City and played in various ensembles with Byron Berline, Bobby Clark, Vince Gill, David Ferguson, Buck White, Alan Munde, Johnny Sanders and other area musicians. Alan Munde credits Eddie as a major influence on his playing

Steve Martin's RB-18 is the banjo that he bought at a Christie's auction for $25,000.
I think that's right. Is that the banjo that somebody drilled the holes in the tone ring
out a little larger?

quote:

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Originally posted by bill t

Steve Martin's RB-18 is the banjo that he bought at a Christie's auction for $25,000.
I think that's right. Is that the banjo that somebody drilled the holes in the tone ring
out a little larger?

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too my knowledge no,,it is as in tact as possible to original,,, and steve did get it for 25K,, owned by john hartford ,, and before that by roger sprung

I just looked at an archived BHO thread, "Hartford's RB18 at Christie's", archive # 162510,
and if one reads down that thread a little, it talks about the condition of the banjo, and
that the holes in the tone ring have been enlarged slightly . I am not in any way an old
Gibson banjo expert, and I don't know how accurate that thread information is.

i have heard and seen talk of enlarged holes in the tone ring but not any official verification yet .

How does one get "official verification" of this sort of thing?