Can anyone please tell me if the 84 crowe gold star had burled gold the same as the 81 model[ as mentioned by Russ Carson].any information would be appreciated.
You can try asking @desertrose, he probably knows more about the old Gold Stars than anyone else on the Hangout
The 84 Crowe model Gold Star had a burnished gold flange and tailpiece,
a shiny gold tone ring and the tension hoop and armrest were engraved
with a mix of burnished and shiny gold. I don't know that the 84 is exactly
the same as the 81 but I think they're the same or very similar.
Burnished might not be the right word. Matte may be more accurate.
Edited by - bill t on 10/21/2026 06:19:19
Here's definition of "burnished" from Google
google.com/search?q=definition...&ie=UTF-8
Gibson contributed to this confusion way back in their 1920s banjo catalogs, bragging on the "hand burnished" gold plate on the Granada and Style 5. As anyone knows who has tried to keep their gold plate clean, if you do ANY rubbing/polishing on it, it wears right off. So I think Gibson's claim to "hand burnished" gold is another creative idea from the "marketing" geniuses who wrote the catalog.
Edited by - The Old Timer on 10/21/2026 07:13:38
I can't answer the OP's original question... but for context, here are a few pics of the metal bits on my 1981 JD (#15):
Edited by - TimFoster on 10/21/2026 08:25:43
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