Gruhns Guitars has acquired Uncle Dave Macon’s 1930s Gibson Custom RB from the estate of Earl Scruggs. Guitars.com is Gruhns website. The banjo has an amazing history!
Wow!! That is the banjo I most identify with Uncle Dave. Happens to be the same banjo that appears in my Avatar. If only I had….
Amazing piece of musical history.
To me, that would almost be worth a 1000 mile drive to Nashville to get to play a tune or two on it.
Thanks for bringing that to our attention.
That didn’t last long. — Anyone know what the price was?
Listed at $50,000 !!!
Now to figure who bought it. Museum or private? We may never know.
They may have sold it again, but it was part of the estate sale they handled with numerous instruments etc from Earl's collection guitars.com/earl-scruggs-colle...truments.
guitars.com/inventory/ja7023-c...custom-rb
It is still up for sale
So...question to the group:
If you purchased this for $50K, would you play it?
Not at all related to this banjo, but I ran across a signed album at a garage sale years back, need to located it
What would make it custom - is it the finish? And could you routinely request custom features from Gibson?
Interesting banjo!
Part of the custom is the dowel stick instead of a coordinator rod, supposedly because he needed to grip it when spinning, tossing, and catching it. I wrote Gruhn's just now asking if it was a tone hoop...I'll post their reply unless someone on BHO knows. I'd absolutely play it! But I'd keep the old strings in the case pocket, as Earl never changed them when he bought it from his son Doris, according to Gruhn's description.
Edited by - 35planar on 04/26/2025 08:29:01
quote:
Originally posted by 35planarPart of the custom is the dowel stick instead of a coordinator rod, supposedly because he needed to grip it when spinning, tossing, and catching it. I wrote Gruhn's just now asking if it was a tone hoop...I'll post their reply unless someone on BHO knows. I'd absolutely play it! But I'd keep the old strings in the case pocket, as Earl never changed them when he bought it from his son Doris, according to Gruhn's description.
Ask Gruhn's for a quote on installing co-rods, scooping the neck, and installing a tone ring. That should get a response 
Hilarious Brian!
Gruhn's just wrote back that it's the "original brass hoop".
Guess I'll keep playing my '63 RB-170, closest I'll ever get to that sound. : )
Edited by - 35planar on 04/26/2025 08:59:57
Uncle Dave's banjer?
"Glory Hallelujah Damn!"
I’m curious about the apparent on-off-on again sale listing. Did someone buy it then return it, or ???
Were they using Phillips head screws in the 1930s? Clearly something happened as the truss cover screws were replaced.
This banjo was on display at The Earl Scruggs Center. Earl's grandson loaned it to them. I took this photo of it.
Edited by - Randy Escobedo on 04/27/2025 07:35:32
I'm so happy they posted such great photos of the banjo!
quote:
Originally posted by Joel HooksWere they using Phillips head screws in the 1930s? Clearly something happened as the truss cover screws were replaced.
If I had to guess, I'd say somebody adjusted the truss rod at some point.
quote:
Originally posted by Andy FitzGibbonquote:
Originally posted by Joel HooksWere they using Phillips head screws in the 1930s? Clearly something happened as the truss cover screws were replaced.
If I had to guess, I'd say somebody adjusted the truss rod at some point.
So not all original, that should knock the value down a 10 or 20k ;-)
If I remember right Uncle Dave ordered FIVE of these special banjos from Gibson at once; he kept each one in a different tuning to suit the tunes in his vast repertoire. They got sold off or given away or lost over the years. Brother Oswald with Roy Acuff also had one -- might possibly be one of the two at Gruhns.
Gibson simply wasn't making open backs any more at the time Uncle Dave ordered these. He had been a Gibson endorser and his photo was in Gibson catalogs.
I think Phillips head screws were introduced in the mid 30’s for industrial applications and recall seeing Gibson banjos from the 40’s using Phillips head screws to attach truss rod covers.
It seems like the use of Phillips head screws as the original fasteners to be a little early.
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