GIBSON RB-250 MODIFIED 5-STRING RESONATOR BANJO WITH CASE – USED 1961

Description

This instrument is in Good-Condition showing signs of wear & age which include the following; Nicks/dings/scratches throughout, some fret wear (though still usable), slight tarnishing on armrest, very minor tarnishing of metal hardware & some minor finish checking throughout.

This instrument also comes with a hardshell case which is in Fair-Condition showing scuffs/nicks/fabric degradation & the handle is a belt style one as the original appears ti have been broken off at some point.

Though this is the original neck, the headstock was modified and completely reshaped. Though it cannot be confirmed who performed this, the modification was most likely done by Gibson or a dealer as it was definitely done by a skilled luthier either when the instrument was new or still young. The reason for this modification was that the new headstock shape for the 61′ RB-250 was highly disliked by players at the time and Gibson/dealers were not able to sell them. So, many dealers/players reshaped the headstock on these banjos. However, Gibson is known to have done this as well.

The tone ring is  no-hole tone ring so it’s not consistent with tone rings used by Gibson on these models and it must have been changed at some point.

Spikes installed at 6,6,8,9,10,11,12 (!)

The owner of this banjo bought it from the Country Gentlemen after show in the 60’s. The band members who sold it to him told him it was Bill Emerson’s banjo although he was not at that gig that day.

We inspect each and every instrument we ship out for maximum playability. We adjust the action and adjust intonation when needed. If you would like a specific adjustment, just add it to your order notes and we would be happy to adjust to your liking. 

Serial Number: 0-3405-39

SPECS:

Scale Length: 26-1/4″

Neck: Mahogany

Fingerboard: Rosewood

Resonator: Mahogany with Concentric Rings

Brackets: 24

Tailpiece: Gibson Clamshell

Bridge: Maple with Ebony

Nut: 1.19″

Tuners: Planetary Style with Keith Tuners installed on 2nd & 3rd Strings

Frets: 22

Inlays: Bowtie

Armrest: Nickel-Plated

Truss Rod: Yes

Binding: Ivoroid

Finish: Gloss

Hardshell Case Included (Fair-Condition)

Important information if shipping outside of the USA:

Please note: To help insure the future availability of certain materials used in the construction of this instrument, additional fees and/or documentation may be required when shipping this item outside of the USA. This is due to the CITES treaty, which regulates international trade of certain materials like rosewood, abalone, and pearl. If you purchase this item to be shipped outside of the USA, we’ll determine whether the regulations apply to your order, and will contact you with more information if necessary