I couldn't find the link right away, but they also have this gorgeous TB-18 with a horrid neck

themusicemporium.com/products/...tone-1940

this one has a sketchy history. not trying to doubt steve , or anyone involved, but i wonder why the price doesn't reflect the odd story. i know we dont have shipping records for that era, so how do we know this story is accurate? I'm probably not ever going to be wealthy enough to add these level of banjos to my collection, but I do collect other things where the higher end items arent this pricey and know that when you're dealing with high end collectibles, a good story needs a lot of evidence to support it. The word of an expert does matter, but experts dont live forever, and can make mistakes, so whenever I see a collectible presented with strange backstories, i expect the price to reflect that more. its also odd to me that they dont show the inside of the insturment at all. 

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Originally posted by Pigeontown Banjo Co

This one just went up...

themusicemporium.com/products/...tone-1929

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I was the one who originally found that banjo. Story goes like this...

A friend called and said he had friends that had an old banjo that belonged to their father who had passed. They wanted to know what it was, value, etc. He asked if I would look at it, as I was messing around a bit with prewar stuff, had a couple Granadas, and a 1939 4. 

I was playing at an indoor show, and getting ready to go onstage in 30 mins when the wife and husband show up holding an old banjo case. First thing I notice is..its not a tenor case but a full size. Pretty good condition. I open it up, and here's a 5 string banjo, flying eagle pattern neck, old Remo head, old 70s bridge with the pearloid inserts, only 3 strings. It had an original hide head in the case. First thing I thought was a repro necked conversion, but when I look at the neck, it has the original friction 5th peg, original thin frets. I took it out of the case, turn it over, and its a 4...all original chrome plated 4, clamshell tailpiece, Chrome flange is a bit blistered, but still bright and flat. I knew I was looking at a museum quality original RB4..oh boy!

I asked if I could take off the reso..they didn't know it could be removed. It was a bit stuck but came off. The reso was in superb condition. Inside, I see a rim with a 40 hole archtop ring, no Mastertone decal. The rim showed where it had been originally cut as a flathead, but a piece had been grafted onto the top to accommodate an archtop ring. This was fairly common at Gibson, so no shock. A quick check on Banjophiles confirmed another 4 from that series was a flathead, banjos from the 9528 series were flatheads. I knew I was holding a treasure.

History..it had been a birthday gift from the fathers sister back in 1930-ish. She lived in Michigan. He had tried to learn it, played with a flatpick dixieland style but got nowhere, so into the closet it went. In the 70's, the son got it out, had the head and bridge changed, tried to learn to play Scruggs style, but didnt so under the bed it went..until Dad died, and the daughter got it..and now I was seeing it.

I let them know what I believed it was, took pictures, asked them if I could call an expert. After I played and got home I called (the late) Jim Mills. He flipped, and def wanted the banjo. Jim contacted the family and discussed the banjo, made them an offer, but unfortunately, they had also been in contact with Elgerly Instruments who wanted it on consignment. They offered more on consignment (a common tactic) than it was really worth, so the owners took it there. The real value at the time was in the $18-24K range because of the grafted rim, no decal, etc. Elderlys listed it at around $30K, and it sat. Side note..I could have likely bought it for around $18K but I already had a prewar 4 so I passed..stupid.

The banjo eventually went to Steve Huber who cut the rim back to a flathead, installed a correct period chrome prewar flayhead ring. It was purchased by Geoff Hohwald at the Banjo Warehouse. Here is the original ad... 1929 Gibson RB4 Pre War Original 5 string flathead banjo SN9529-1 w hardshell case | Reverb It was sold, and now its for sale again.

Jim Mills was really dissapointed the banjo had been cut and changed to a flathead..even though it was done with correct parts, and was originally designated as a flathead at the factory. The banjo in its original archtop configuration was a piece of history with real providence from the family. After conversion it was a nice flathead, but not original to its history.

I still kick myself for missing this one...

Here are the original photos at the show when I opened the case

Thanks, lazyarcher - that's a great story! I appreciate you taking the time to let us in on it.

wow! love hearing all this. thanks Dave!

Fascinating!

Obviously the banjo found a buyer when it was offered at $85,000. And it presents beautifully.

"Someone" who can afford it will end up with a real trophy.

Remember the SHOCK in the banjo world when Butch Robins paid $6000 for his?

By the looks of the ad pictures, the 5th peg has been replaces, spikes added to the neck, and perhaps the resonator has been refinished. Its a great banjo, but not the original museum piece it was.

I had a chance to play both the 1929 and 1940 today. I didn't expect the store to let me anywhere near them.

I loved the 1940 -- it has a deep bass sound -- the 4th string 2-5 slide sounds amazing and the 3rd string 2-3 slide/hammer also stands out. The G at the 17th fret rings in tune.

The 1929 looks really nice but didn't sound great to me. I think it wasn't setup correctly. I'll go back in a few weeks and give it another try before some collector puts it in a vault for 20 years.

If I had a billion dollars, I'd buy the 1940.

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Originally posted by Pigeontown Banjo Co

This one just went up...

themusicemporium.com/products/...tone-1929

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Hmmmmm ..... if I'm going to shell out that kind of money, I wouldn't want to have to tell a story, but Dave's post really puts it in better perspective.  Ultimately, if the banjo, as found would be worth, say 40 k now (just guessing), then you are buying a flathead tone ring for $35,000.  I think Steve is an expert and trustworthy, but I still have questions about original flathead rings that pop up out of nowhere.

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Originally posted by lature

I had a chance to play both the 1929 and 1940 today. I didn't expect the store to let me anywhere near them.

I loved the 1940 -- it has a deep bass sound -- the 4th string 2-5 slide sounds amazing and the 3rd string 2-3 slide/hammer also stands out. The G at the 17th fret rings in tune.

The 1929 looks really nice but didn't sound great to me. I think it wasn't setup correctly. I'll go back in a few weeks and give it another try before some collector puts it in a vault for 20 years.

If I had a billion dollars, I'd buy the 1940.

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The set up being so-so would make sense, considering the 5 string clamshell looks like it was strung up like a tenor banjo tailpiece...

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Originally posted by BanjoLink

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Originally posted by Pigeontown Banjo Co

This one just went up...

themusicemporium.com/products/...tone-1929

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Hmmmmm ..... if I'm going to shell out that kind of money, I wouldn't want to have to tell a story, but Dave's post really puts it in better perspective.  Ultimately, if the banjo, as found would be worth, say 40 k now (just guessing), then you are buying a flathead tone ring for $35,000.  I think Steve is an expert and trustworthy, but I still have questions about original flathead rings that pop up out of nowhere.

 

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I think the fact it's an RB with an original 5 string neck makes the value so high as well

Just FYI: The original flathead chrome ring didn't come out of nowhere. We (Banjo Warehouse) took it off of a Florentine. 
 

quote:Originally posted by BanjoLinkquote:Originally posted by Pigeontown Banjo CoThis one just went up...

themusicemporium.com/products/...tone-1929Hmmmmm ..... if I'm going to shell out that kind of money, I wouldn't want to have to tell a story, but Dave's post really puts it in better perspective. Ultimately, if the banjo, as found would be worth, say 40 k now (just guessing), then you are buying a flathead tone ring for $35,000. I think Steve is an expert and trustworthy, but I still have questions about original flathead rings that pop up out of nowhere.
 

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Originally posted by GeoffHohwaldBanjoWarehouse

Just FYI: The original flathead chrome ring didn't come out of nowhere. We (Banjo Warehouse) took it off of a Florentine. 
 

quote:Originally posted by BanjoLinkquote:Originally posted by Pigeontown Banjo CoThis one just went up...

themusicemporium.com/products/...tone-1929Hmmmmm ..... if I'm going to shell out that kind of money, I wouldn't want to have to tell a story, but Dave's post really puts it in better perspective. Ultimately, if the banjo, as found would be worth, say 40 k now (just guessing), then you are buying a flathead tone ring for $35,000. I think Steve is an expert and trustworthy, but I still have questions about original flathead rings that pop up out of nowhere.
 

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Well that changes things, as far as it being a bonafide prewar ring!