Need some help. I looked at a banjo on Friday that looked like it was all original. There was a note on the case stating gibson 180. With a flashlight and the right angle I found a serial number on the back of the peghead, 1261736. The tone ring is a 20 hole.
Edited by - okbanjobill on 03/24/2025 13:47:50
the partial photo of the neck looks legit to me.
Thanks, need help dating and value
I'm not sure about the number you listed. Banjophiles does list an RB180 with the number 261736 as being made in 1965. I have no idea about the value.
The photos are inadequate but it least appears to be a real Gibson Mastertone long neck, intended to compete with Vega's Pete Seeger long neck in the 1960s. It never really caught on.
The market for a Gibson open back folk banjo from the 1960s is pretty small now, and getting smaller.
No guess what the asking price should be. I can't remember a comparable in the market ever.
You might contact Bernunzio Uptown in Rochester NY to see if they would consign it or appraise it (you have to pay for appraisals if you don't have them sell it). Another possibility is Music Emporium in Lexington Mass. Both are on line.
You might sell it here on BHO to the highest bidder. Let the market tell you what it's worth.
Good luck.
1261736 is '63, but those have pink lined cases, yellow is later. We need to see the back of the pot, the body. It's a Gibson RB-180 a little later than mine. Can you add a photo of the back of the pot? That would settle the date. As far as value, there's a good deal of uncertainty at the moment, recession-like uncertainty, and markets, like banjos, have slowed. So it depends on how fast you want to sell it. It's easy to do a google search on sold items. That said, the market for anything is lower than it was even two years ago. It'll come around at some point.
Edited by - 35planar on 03/24/2025 16:39:56
Yup, the last year of the thick rim was '63. So this is after, the slightly thinner rim where the tone ring overlaps a smidge. I had a '64, and sold it when I got my '61, solely because I didn't need two. Both sound great! I also have a '63 ODE, and a '61 "Pete Seeger Special" which is basically an PS-5 "Excel" or "Exel". I play long necks and to my ear, the thick and thinner rim RB-180s are very close in tone. Again regarding value. At market will sit for a while, below market will sell, but who knows the timeframe because the economy is a whacky rollercoaster at the moment.
These are located in Tampa and any reasonable offer would most likely be accepted.
Mark, did you see the pictures on the other post? It includes pictures of an ode
That I recall, the 180's logo was inlaid; the 175's a decal.
Of course the biggest difference between the RB180 and the RB175 is that the 180 had a tone ring.
Edited by - BanjoLink on 03/25/2025 09:12:04
What was the asking price?
That one looks to be in very good condition, the case as well.
All longneck banjos aren't in the demand that they once were.
The RB-180 was their top-of-the-line offering in that model, but even so it never sold in great numbers.
This is only speculation, but...
IF the condition is really good
and
IF you really, really want a longneck
then
I'd consider 1,300 (perhaps +/- 150 going either way) a good buy.
They are asking $1250.
quote:
Originally posted by BanjoLinkOf course the biggest difference between the RB180 and the RB175 is that the 180 had a tone ring.
There were a few differences but the biggest was that the Mastertone ring sat on top of the pot—the pot wasn't cut down to accept it. This makes for a larger air chamber than most other banjos.
Some of these like the OP had the Kluson Firebird tuners; others have Grover Rotomatics. Tailpieces can be the Waverly like the OP or Kluson adjustable.
My favorite version of the RB-180 was the Epiphone EB188 Plantation. As far as I can tell, only one or two batches were ever made in 1963–64. Here are a couple of pictures showing the different headstock and that extra deep pot. Gryphon Strings had one for sale last year.
Edited by - mikehalloran on 04/08/2025 12:38:50
quote:
Originally posted by mikehalloranquote:
Originally posted by BanjoLinkOf course the biggest difference between the RB180 and the RB175 is that the 180 had a tone ring.
There were a few differences but the biggest was that the Mastertone ring sat on top of the pot—the pot wasn't cut down to accept it. This makes for a larger air chamber than most other banjos.
Some of these like the OP had the Kluson Firebird tuners; others have Grover Rotomatics. Tailpieces can be the Waverly like the OP or Kluson adjustable.
My favorite version of the RB-180 was the Epiphone EB188 Plantation. As far as I can tell, only one or two batches were ever made in 1963–64. Here are a couple of pictures showing the different headstock and that extra deep pot. Gryphon Strings had one for sale last year.
Thanks Mike ..... didn't know that the tone ring sat on top of the rim. Epiphone is cool!
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