Description
1960 RB-250 with FON 0-3405-39 reputedly owned by Bill Emerson while with the Country Gentlemen in the late 1960s.
The banjo was for sale through Penny Lane Emporium. Text reads:
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
