Is Renee available to make a 5-string neck for it?

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Originally posted by The Old Timer

guitars.com/inventory/je3456-1...lorentine

A 1928 white holly PB flat head Florentine just came up for sale at Gruhn's. Posted here for general interest. Totally restored by Renee Karnes. Very pretty. Gibson factory replaced the 40 hole arch top tone ring in late 30s with what appears to be a Granada flat head tone ring (no engraving). $45,000.

Compare with the 1930 flat head All American tenor at Carters at $65,000.  https://cartervintage.com/shop/gibson-all-american-flat-head-tenor-1930/2HNZKboBt4j916GNZbuCqRWFSPa

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I would like to see the documentation that it was sent back in 1939 and the raised head tone ring was replaced with a flathead ring.  I may be wrong, but I'll bet in 1939 banjo players were not obsessing over whether a tone ring was a raised head or flat head.  I'll wager that most banjo players did not a pay attention or know the difference.

I contacted Renee a few years ago just asking for a rough estimate of a Florentine or All American 5 string neck. She said she was all booked up and not taking new orders, but "in general" such a 5 string neck from her would costs 5 to 6 times as much as a more basic model Mastertone neck, such as hearts and flowers or the like.

I think Richie Dotson has made some of these super fancy necks.

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Originally posted by BanjoLink

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Originally posted by The Old Timer

guitars.com/inventory/je3456-1...lorentine

A 1928 white holly PB flat head Florentine just came up for sale at Gruhn's. Posted here for general interest. Totally restored by Renee Karnes. Very pretty. Gibson factory replaced the 40 hole arch top tone ring in late 30s with what appears to be a Granada flat head tone ring (no engraving). $45,000.

Compare with the 1930 flat head All American tenor at Carters at $65,000.  https://cartervintage.com/shop/gibson-all-american-flat-head-tenor-1930/2HNZKboBt4j916GNZbuCqRWFSPa

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I would like to see the documentation that it was sent back in 1939 and the raised head tone ring was replaced with a flathead ring.  I may be wrong, but I'll bet in 1939 banjo players were not obsessing over whether a tone ring was a raised head or flat head.  I'll wager that most banjo players did not a pay attention or know the difference.

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I too am skeptical of such claims. If it really happened there should be shipping records as they exist for that era. 

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Originally posted by kyleb

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Originally posted by BanjoLink

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Originally posted by The Old Timer

guitars.com/inventory/je3456-1...lorentine

A 1928 white holly PB flat head Florentine just came up for sale at Gruhn's. Posted here for general interest. Totally restored by Renee Karnes. Very pretty. Gibson factory replaced the 40 hole arch top tone ring in late 30s with what appears to be a Granada flat head tone ring (no engraving). $45,000.

Compare with the 1930 flat head All American tenor at Carters at $65,000.  https://cartervintage.com/shop/gibson-all-american-flat-head-tenor-1930/2HNZKboBt4j916GNZbuCqRWFSPa

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I would like to see the documentation that it was sent back in 1939 and the raised head tone ring was replaced with a flathead ring.  I may be wrong, but I'll bet in 1939 banjo players were not obsessing over whether a tone ring was a raised head or flat head.  I'll wager that most banjo players did not a pay attention or know the difference.

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I too am skeptical of such claims. If it really happened there should be shipping records as they exist for that era. 

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Yes.  I am not accusing anyone of anything, but provenance is much more than someone, expert or not, just saying something happened.  Also, the fact that it was merely sent back to the factory does not mean that the work someone claiming was done.  I have a Coly Bisley single action army pistol that I know was sent back to Colt in 1958.  The letter from Colt Archives states that it was a .44 Cal when originally ordered, and it is now a .38, but that does not mean that Colt necessarily made that particular change.