More pictures

That is a pitiful looking 5 . The tone ring don’t fit the label looks fake to me the resonator maaaay be legit but I doubt it . My 2 cents is there is not a Gibson part on it , but what do I know ? I lost an argument with my wife once in Cade's cove over what was she said was rhododendron and what I said was Mount Laurel? The park ranger told us , as in every body in ear shot .. I was wrong . I Could be again .

The closest that resonator MIGHT BE is a post 1970 RB 250, but the rather fat lip above the shelf in the resonator wall looks "wrong" to me. Gibson resonators always has a rather thin and sharply curved lip above the binding. Gibson never made a hearts and flowers inlaid neck for an RB 250, if you choose to believe the resonator is indeed RB 250.

I agree the Mastertone sticker looks wrong. The peghead looks wrong. The tone ring inner foot isn't touching the rim, which it should be (unless it's one of Bill Porter's "tone bell" jobs). The wood rim is MUCH too dark. The tailpiece is obviously not a Gibson factory equipment at any time. The peghead shape and especially the "Gibson" inlay look wrong.

Other telltales to look for are the "Dohler mark" in the underside of the flange (often obscured by the neck heel, or "Gibson" cast into the underside of the flange peeking out of either side of the neck heel, the general shape of the neck heel, the type of binding on the fingerboard matching the binding on the resonator, the routing around the truss rod adjustment, appearance of neck heel with neck removed (type of cutting of the unstained wood of the heel).

Gibson didn't use those Planet style tuning pegs.

I would feel safe in saying it's a parts banjo with PERHAPS a few Gibson parts included.

Mountain laurel usually grows a bit higher than rhodies and the rhododendrons have bigger and darker leaves

From my limited experience, the inside of the resonator looks wrong for 70s RB-250.

I agree there's no way to establish from the photos that anything in this banjo is actually Gibson. The neck almost certainly is not.

That don't even look like a good bunch of parts...

Unless you can get it for next-to-nuthin', I'd be walkin' away...

The peghead might as well say “Gisbon.”

Heard LOUD and clear, figured as much just wanted confirmation, thanks all!

Got stuck "In-Line" for 2 hrs. while they cleared debris from that road that goes through Cades Cove. No bears, no nuthin, just waitin.

The question is "how could you not tell the difference between Mountain Lauren and Rhododendron"?