This banjo conforms to the standard description of the Gibson RB-4, having the “flying eagle” mother of pearl fingerboard inlay pattern and the double-cut headstock design inlaid in mother of pearl that has turned a golden hue with the “Gibson” script logo and a series of 9 pearl decorations whose designs can only be referred to as “flying Eagle” The word “Mastertone” is etched into a rectangle of pearl at the 21st fret position.
All metal parts are bright nickel-plated. The interior of the rim has the double coordinator rods, the Gibson Mastertone label, the 20-hole flathead tone ring, the serial number stamped in the rim and the “Patent Pending” stamp. The heel cap is grained ivoroid and so are the top and back binding on the side of the resonator. The back of the resonator is inlaid with twin concentric rings of multi-colored wood marquetry that contrasts nicely with the one-piece attractively burled walnut back. In the prewar period, although most RB-4 banjos of the era 1925 to early 1929 were mahogany, from the fall of 1929 until they were cast off into the ether in 1939 their back and sides were very much this sort of burled walnut. So this is a case of history repeating itself and treating itself, and you reap the benefits.
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