This is a Gibson copy banjo that was assembled out of various parts accumulated over time.
The neck is curly maple, the resonator is burled walnut, and closely resembles a style -4, except for the finish color of course. The only actual 'Gibson' part is the tone ring, which came from a '76 RB-250. The rim is a 3-ply maple, high quality part, most likely a Cox. There is a repro Gibson Mastertone label inside. The remainder of the metal hardware is a mixture of RK, Gold Star (Golden Gate) and Prucha parts. The tailpiece is a heavy-duty adjustable Presto style, like what came on the original issue Gold Star banjos. The tuners are 5-Star, with a Waverly 5th peg. The fretboard is rosewood, and has the style -1 gull wing inlay pattern. There are spikes installed for the 5th string capo.
If you like a slim, fast neck, you'll absolutely love this one. The frets are in great shape, with lots of playing life left. Has low action with the 5/8" Moon medium bridge.
The only real issue I see is two very small cracks in the flange near one of the resonator thumbscrews. They are hard to see without close examination, but definitely worth mentioning.
If you're looking for a great sounding Gibson-style banjo, without the huge price tag, this may be just the ticket.
(Please excuse the reflections in the resonator pics.)
Asking $1295 + shipping. PayPal accepted.
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