Hello. Over the past year I have acquired two unlabeled, Gibson built, tenor banjos. I'd like to know if these tone rings have an official model name or style name. Both have the same style tone ring. It is a tube, like the ball bearing tone rings. But these tone rings lay flat against the rim and have no holes drilled in them. Both banjos have the same shape headstock as the Oriole banjos. The rims are 3/4" thick (though each is a different depth). And, neither rim has a Gibson water slide decal. Photos provided.
Edited by - Newl Post on 04/02/2023 14:00:15
More Photos please.
From your picture, the tonering looks similar to the "Trap Door" ring but without holes. Could be Gibson used them on your banjos. Gibson did lots of werid stuff & non documented things. They may have been made for a certain store or teacher for their students.
Tom
Thanks Tom. I noticed that they were like the trap door banjo tonerings. So far all the trapdoor banjos I have seen had the ball bearings in the rim that the tube rested on. I'm still inexperienced with Gibson banjos, though. I didn't realize that Gibson had done a lot of undocumented builds. Thanks or that info.
Those look like nickel plated 1/4" steel rods to me. Sometimes, Gibson used brass — a magnet will tell you which yiu have.
Placed on the inside edge of the rim, they emulate an archtop, on the outer edge, they become a flat top.
Many Kalamazoo and other Gibson banjos have these, The ones I've pulled are usually rusty where they've been in contact with the skin head. I wire-brush the rust off, turn them over and rub a beeswax candle on them to keep the head from sticking. I've done many.
Gibson used these on the 100 series through the 1970s.
Edited by - mikehalloran on 04/01/2023 15:21:21
Lincoln,
All the trap door banjos I have worked on ( made 5 string necks for & new heads) don't have ball berrings, the ring just sat on top of the rim, unlike the BB 11" rim banjos later.
To me it looks like bigger than 1/4" tonering Mike, but it's hard to see.
The Trap Door banjos had 1/2" tube tonerings with holes.
You won't know for sure till you disassemble them.
I had an unmarked Gibson, 10 1/2" rim, with a tone tube on it. The tubing was big, like 1/2" diameter, and very dull silver-looking, almost looked like pewter color.
I believe the banjo was an early 1925, shoe bracket, hex flange, and had a resonator...all just a little smaller than "standard" Gibson stuff....like i said, it was a 10 1/2" rim
I think you have the Tone Tube ring like RioStat mentioned. I had a 1926 TB Gibson that had that Tone Tube ring in it. You can see more of the ring on yours like what I have. The 1/4" doesn't show near as much unless it is the archtop ring. May be I'm not seeing it as good as others. I've had both at one time. I also had a Oriole that had the 1/4" ring.
quote:
Originally posted by TLGLincoln,
All the trap door banjos I have worked on ( made 5 string necks for & new heads) don't have ball berrings, the ring just sat on top of the rim, unlike the BB 11" rim banjos later.
To me it looks like bigger than 1/4" tonering Mike, but it's hard to see.
The Trap Door banjos had 1/2" tube tonerings with holes.
You won't know for sure till you disassemble them.
Thanks for the reply Tommy. I'm kinda new to Gibsons. So my experience is limited. I was basing my thought that the tube tone rings were called ball bearing tone rings on the three trap door banjos I have. Each has ball bearings in the rim & holes drilled in the tube. I added a photo of the tonering from this post removed from the banjo.
quote:
Originally posted by mikehalloranThose look like nickel plated 1/4" steel rods to me. Sometimes, Gibson used brass — a magnet will tell you which yiu have.
Placed on the inside edge of the rim, they emulate an archtop, on the outer edge, they become a flat top.
Many Kalamazoo and other Gibson banjos have these, The ones I've pulled are usually rusty where they've been in contact with the skin head. I wire-brush the rust off, turn them over and rub a beeswax candle on them to keep the head from sticking. I've done many.
Gibson used these on the 100 series through the 1970s.
Thanks for the reply Mike. I added a photo of the tonering in this postremoved from the banjo. It is a 1/2" tube.
quote:
Originally posted by roydsjrI think you have the Tone Tube ring like RioStat mentioned. I had a 1926 TB Gibson that had that Tone Tube ring in it. You can see more of the ring on yours like what I have. The 1/4" doesn't show near as much unless it is the archtop ring. May be I'm not seeing it as good as others. I've had both at one time. I also had a Oriole that had the 1/4" ring.
Thanks for the reply Roy. I added a photo of the tonering from this post removed from the banjo. It is the 1/2" tube. Are these just called tube tone rings? Is there an official name for them?
I am not sure, but that is what I consider them to be. You don't see them that often! I think they give a different sound, (Tone) then the 1/4" rod style rings. Like I mentioned I had a Gibson TB-2 at one time and I wish I had kept it! I made a five string neck for it with the TB-2 inlays but made it a double cut peghead style.
Lincoln,
The 1st photo shows the "tube" ring on the head & the rim below doesn't have any holes or ball berrings.
So, you have 3 more "Trap Door" banjos with Ball Berring & Tube tonerings ??? What size is the head/rings/rim ?
Tom
Edited by - TLG on 04/02/2023 15:48:24
