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bands even in the early 1890s. Identification: "A" Style mandolins were symmetrical and shaped like a teardrop. The individual artist's touch on the . LG-0 | Introduced 1958 | Discontinued 1973, LG-1 | Introduced 1947 | Discontinued 1968, LG-2 | Introduced 1942 | Discontinued 1962, LG-2- | Introduced 1949 | Discontinued 1962, LG-3 | Introduced 1946 | Discontinued 1963, B-25 | Introduced 1962 | Discontinued 1976, FJ-N | Introduced 1963 | Discontinued 1970, F-25 | Introduced 1963 | Discontinued 1970, B-15 | Introduced 1967 | Discontinued 1970, Brazilian rosewood rectangular through bridges, 2 screws in the bridge with MOP dot covers, Basically the same as LG-1 with a mahogany top, Single plastic tortoise shell binding top and back, Narrow neck design with 14 degree headstock angle, Same basic guitar as LG-2 with average wood, Wood imperfections covered by a dark sunburst, Tall scalloped braces change to low-profile rough cut, Enlarged rectangular bridge with closed slot, Fire striped plastic pickguard teardrop shape, Last use of the Banner decal on headstocks, Basically the same as an LG-2 with better materials, Bottom belly rosewood bridges with adjustable saddles, Back, sides and neck finished in walnut stain, Body shape: 16 wide, round shoulder dreadnought shape, Top: Select spruce, 2-piece bookmatched with scalloped X-bracing, Neck: mahogany, single piece, unbound, 19 fret, dot markers, Bridges: Rosewood belly-down. For a period of time, this was the top of the line. Gibson hoped to score the same type of success that had occurred with Lloyd Loar in the 1920s: redefining the acoustic guitar for generations to come. The more economical Student Grade instruments were often ladder braced. The neck heal had a white plastic cap. These instruments live a bit outside that critique. Its price tag was $55 as compared to the Martin D-18 at $65 and D-28 at $100. Instruction * ConcertsJams * More Our 19th Year * Sign Up Now Serial number records exist for instruments built before 1975 and after 1980. The promotional material in the Gibson catalog of 1934 said: This greater body size produces a heavy, booming tone so popular with many players who do vocal and small combination accompaniment for both personal and radio appearances. An entire bin was a "lot" and would contain G Edward Porgie - Posted - 06/16/2021: 14:40:30. He lived in Illinois all his life. Wiley Morris of the Morris Brothers Hillbilly Band and Charlie Monroe (Bill Monroes brother) took to the instrument for its potential in the roots of Bluegrass music. Collector's Corner Though there appear to be exceptions, necks between 1912 and 1923 are 3-piece mahogany. Music Love. The numbers are preceded by letters: A, B, C, or D which indicate the series. 1908 into 1916: Elevated pickguards of plastic tortoise shell clamped to the body with a removable clamp and pinned to the bridge. Neck s/n DA5063 with L&B headstock inlay: T. Biggs : 1932 : 66-1: PB-3 : Shipped August 7, 1935: Gibson Shipping Ledger : 1932 : 66-2: PB-3: Flathead: 1-piece: The Gibson stamped on tailpiece cover. LoPrinzi Guitars Plainsboro, New Jersey AMF years (serial numbers: high 3,000 4,000s) Tom LoPrinzi was still with the company. There's a small snag in the outer pocket webbing - otherwise it's like new. Saga Bella Voce 70/80. There were 1229 made. The hardshell case had a green or red silk lining. Late 1974 gold covered recording pickups are replaced with humbuckers. Gretsch started a new serial number system. The L-5S was the first high end jazz solid body guitar. That way I'll be sure to hear it, since I will get a heads up when you post. (Numerical ID) Example: Serial number 0191456 = Harmony Standard Series guitar built in 2019. My understanding is that only 12 of these particular banjos were ever manufactured by Kay. S3M, Size 3 guitar with mahogany back & sides. A Style mandolins were symmetrical and shaped like a teardrop. S2R, size 2 guitar with East Indian rosewood back & sides, chrome tuners. Most have the patented L&H tailpiece shown in the inset. Gibson discontinued the A-3 around 1922. Because there are few of these instruments around, little has been written about them, though some did find their way into the hands of influential artists of the day. Rettberg & Lange (1898-1920) banjos were initially similar to Buckbee-made Introduced 1954, discontinued in 1978, reintroduced in the 1980s and still produced today. Information gathered from many sources but there are a few that need to be acknowledged: Dan Beimborns original Mandolin Pages web site and later contributions to the Mandolin Archive. This is the smallest model, chrome tuners. The Aria 921C was a good quality 5-string banjo made in the early 1970s. The following are a rough guide. The focus of the site is antique and vintage banjos and mandolins, but there are . They had dot markers on the fretboard and a moustache bridge with individual adjusters on each string. The one delivered first to Ray Whitley was not the model now seen as the beginning of the Super Jumbos, but a simpler 12 fret version. It took Gibson 2 years to develop their response: The Jumbo of 1934. . The A.C. Fairbanks Company (incorporated 1875) was succeeded in 1903 by the Vega Company (established 1889). The ones up until 1924 had either at best a ball bearing tone ring -- spring loaded ball bearings with springs to keep the skin heads tight. Gold script Gibson logo, Pickguard: Tiger-striped & teardrop shape, Finish: brown sunburst top finish, dark brown mahogany back and sides and neck, Body Binding: 7-ply top binding and single ply back binding, Tuners: Kluson Mfg Chicago and Pat. stamped into the plate in a circle around the attachment screws, plastic button usually white but sometimes black), Tortoise-shell teardrop pickguard replaced the tiger stripe material, Single bound top and back, multi-bound rosette, Mahogany neck but a few Maple necks with a single walnut stripe down the center (3 piece neck), Three layer w/b/w tops and single layer back binding, Mahogany neck block with beveled sides, changed to a mahogany neck block with square sides, Tuners were 3-on-a-plate Klusons with exposed gears and Kluson Mfg Chicago and Pat. stamped into the plate in a circle around the attachment screws, plastic buttons (usually white but sometimes black) and 1/4 diameter posts. 1978 $1079 Tobacco sunburst is dropped for Fireburst; Maple is now described as Natural. The appointments of the Southerner Jumbo included more top binding and an additional set of rosette rings. There is a Kay company logo on the headstock but absolutely no other identifying marks. There is a Kay company logo on the headstock but absolutely no other identifying marks. It was built for Hollywood singing star Ray Whitley as the worlds biggest and fanciest acoustic guitar. B. Schall (1878-1907) manufactured many unmarked banjos for To most people all banjos look (and sound) the same. Weve seen some serial number lists that are as much as 8 years out-of-sync with this list. Bodies: Rosewood, oak, mahogany, koa and maple. I have owned a beautiful Kay company banjo for over 30 years. This should be considered a guide to get you within a year of the correct date. The pot fairly screams Iida to me. It is important to note that there are exceptions to every rule and the following is only a general guide for identifying Gibson "A" Style mandolins. It was basically a slope shoulder dreadnaught like a J-45 or Southerner Jumbo and designed for the country and western market. Larger top braces used, and bigger solid wood bridge plate and larger bottom-belly bridge. They were available in steel string or classical. Instrumental. Example of custom shape is well represented below with the "Tennessee Banjo". The 1934 was single bound, front and back with dot markers on the rosewood fretboard and a horizontal script logo inlay on the headstock. Early 1970's block shaped no dot over the "i" closed "b" and . All listed sizes are for 12 fret to body models: These dimensions were similar for all Larson made instruments. serial number 8382, New York, circa 1920s, intricate abalone shell inlay to fingerboard and headstock which also bears the Company logo. These were Gibsons first flat-top cutaways. Thinner cog gears with no bevel on the edge of the cogs. teachers who sold them to students, some of which are tagged with the name of There are some examples of two piece bodies used with the transparent or natural finishes. It appears to be all original except for the bridge, which appears to be a banjo bridge crudely slotted for 8 strings, and the head, which is probably plastic. I would sure like to hear what it sounds like. Kay company banjos were normally not that high-quality but this one is different. Features: Carved curly maple body, with ornate multilayer binding, laminated maple neck, ebony fingerboard with abalone block inlays, gold-plated hardware throughout, two gold plated pickups with separate volume and tone, three-way selector switch. Starting in 1977, Gibson adopted the current date-based serial system which codes for the year and day of production. Labels say: A. It is not clear how many were made, but it is likely that there are less than 12. These digits should match the 4 digits found on the back of the peghead of your banjo. See more ideas about banjo, guitar inlay, ukulele. In some cases, teachers would The fingerboard was rosewood with 9 inlaid position markers. Generally harp guitars, L.H. George Youngblood of Youngbloods Music Workshop. Headstocks say LoPrinzi. The following numbers are the earliest known serial number for the year listed. side of the top of the peghead (see last set of pictures below). Bottom belly ebony bridge with pyramids on the wings, Silk-screened script @ 15 degrees +/-: The Gibson, 3 on a plate open gear tuners white or black buttons, Top and body becomes all mahogany amber finish, Extra bridge pin centered below 6 in a line, L-0 Flattened lower bout increased to 14, Reintroduced as the least expensive Gibson flat-top @ $25, Body depth 3 ? at the neck and 4 3/8 at the heel, Pearl dot makers and double dots on the 12th fret, Old script silk-screened diagonal logo: The Gibson or just Gibson, Some striped tortoise plastic pickguards after 1933, Some bright white plastic pickguards after 1933, L-00 introduced as Gibsons lowest price flat-top @ $37.50, Small round amber area of sunburst just below the soundhole, Striped tortoise plastic pickguards added, Dot position markers on the fretboard edge, A few with banner logos decals on the headstocks, Light amber top Sheraton brown back & sides, Old script silk-screened diagonal logo: The Gibson, Flattened lower bout increased to 14 (possibly, Soundhole, bridge and bracing moved to compensate, Similar to the L-00 but with heavier braces, Pearl dot fretboard markers double on 12, Gold sparkle inlayed around top & soundhole, Tailpiece adjustable bridge option discontinued, Speckled celluloid pickguard added as an option, Some had 2 top braces under the fingerboard extension vs. one, Rosewood fretboard rectangle inlays at 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 & 15, Pearl diamond inlays in the rosewood rectangles, Gibson pearl diagonal headstock inlay in rosewood, in Pearloid, Pearloid headstock veneer replace with rosewood, Bound headstock, pearl Gibson, pearl truss rod cover and notched diamond inlay, No headstock binding, black truss rod cover and elongated diamond inlay, Body depth 4 at the neck and 4 5/8 at the heel, Brazilian rosewood pyramid bottom belly bridge, The Gibson pearl angled logo inlayed on headstock, Nick Lucas Special white label with picture of Nick Lucas, 14 fret neck to body joints (phased in by this time), Trapeze tailpiece with adjustable bridge option. Sunburst was the only finish available for the J-45 until much later as the sunburst finish can hide flaws in the wood; this was a significant advantage during WW2 when clear wood was being used for the war effort. middle-sized, chrome tuners. CONTACT US; Headstock Shape. This moved the X away from the soundhole a bit. C-series Factory location: Hinsdale, New Hampshire from 1973 to 1979, D-series Factory location: West Sansei, New Hampshire from 1980 to 1981, The designation S refers to the body size: 2 & 3 (increasing with number value). I am the third owner, the previous owner researched it and, based on the serial number, headstock design and inlays declares it to be a 1976 Gibson RB 250 MASTERTONE model with the 20 hole metal tone ring. For example, one head might sound right for one player on a five string banjo, but be disappointing on another players tenor banjo. Yuletide. The swing distance is important because it dictates how large a turned piece can be on that particular lathe. On 12 fret to the body guitars, in a break with tradition, the Larson brothers frequently inlayed the 10th fret instead of the ninth. There are no manufacture's labels or stamps on it. Between 1975 and 1979, Gibson worked with Dr. Michael Kashas acoustic theories for guitar and Luthier Richard Schneiders design applications to create a unique instrument for the Gibson acoustic lineup. The hurricane of September 1938 destroyed the companys ability to manufacture anything. Slanted mid 1940's Gibson Logo. Frets refers to the number of frets that are clear of the body. This technique of supplying interchangeable saddles/bridges was not new, it had been used by Selmer in France for their Maccaferri style instruments since the 1930s. All Rights Reserved. Jul 15, 2021 - A study of banjo head peg heads. It shared many features with the L-5 archtop electric acoustic: The neck was basically an L-5 neck in scale, section and detail. Worthy of mention is the Jumbo Deluxe, though it is believed that only 3 were ever made in 1938. the bins that were used to move instruments from . There can easily be more numbers within each year listed. The Southerner Jumbos were the most expensive flat-top guitars Gibson offered at the time. Dark stained plain birch back and sides. Some FONs for 1942 include 7116-7119, 7434, 7705, 7721, 907, 910, 923, 928, 2004-2006, 2059, 2098, 2110, 2119. Late 1930's Thicker Gibson Logo. The flood of returning soldiers with a broader world-view brought new musical tastes and new hopes for the future. string peg perch is typically carved out from the side of the neck as shown 2. This was adapted to the mandolin over the next few years. Identify vintage banjo fleur de lis inlays on headstock & carved heel. See the notes below. The second type of headstock, as you can tell by its name, is the angled or tilted-back headstock. The 1970s are viewed by many collectors and players as the low point of Gibson manufacturing. The Advanced Jumbo has been described by some as the finest no compromises most powerful flat-top guitar Gibson ever designed and built. About Larrive Guitar Labels Yet somehow, there's a certain cool factor to this one. The USA distributors in the 60s and 70s used their own serial number systems and we do . Kay company banjos were normally not that high-quality but this one is different. The 1975 price was $1,999. The top and back bindings were black plastic with red line highlights. The necks were 1-piece mahogany V shape with a Brazilian rosewood fretboard at 12 radius. Prairie State instruments have the patented rod and/or tube reinforcing, occasionally found on other Larson built guitars. See also: Gibson J-160E for more historical context. As a vintage instrument dealer, I see no collectors market for banjos like yours. Any dealer would want to find this as part of an estate sale and put it out to see what the market would bear - but none would have high hopes for its value. The bridge were early simple rectangular with through-saddles. It also had a black veneered headstock (front and back) and a black inlay in the back of the neck. 340 Rosewood back & sides, MOP, colored wood appointments & a Tree-of-Life fretboard inlay. Other similar details include: single-cutaway body, ebony fingerboard with block inlays, flowerpot headstock inlay, L-5 tailpiece with contrasting silver on gold with L-5 engraving (changed to TP-6 in 1978) and multilayer body binding throughout. 1955: Gibson stopped scalloping the bracing it was faster to produce but not as strong. Other attempts by Gibson to make-do with the materials available to them include laminated maback and sides finished in a dark mahogany stain and a few were built with a laminate maple back and a mahogany top. Some J-45 models with non-bookmatched two piece Adirondack spruce tops and some examples with four piece tops. Many have no identification at all. Martins 1st steel string: 1922, 18 Mahogany body after 1917, no volute on headstock, 40 Rosewood body, MOP top & soundhole but not neck base, 41 Rosewood body, MOP top & soundhole but not neck base, 1969+ D-only, 42 Rosewood body, MOP top, soundhole & neck base but not sides, 45 Rosewood body, MOP top, soundhole, neck base & sides, S (1967 on) 12 fret neck, slotted headstock, Dyer (1906 1923?) When it came out in 1942 it was the most expensive Gibson flat-top in the line. Considering that Gibson was using a double X bracing for most of its other flat top guitars during that period, these instruments, with their modified fan bracing, stand out as some of the better sounding Gibsons of the time. They are available for binding that is .060 and .090 binding. During the period of 1902 to approximately 1909 the mandolins sported tailpiece covers with a curly top and internal white labels with an image of Orville Gibson holding a lyre mandolin. This is a high-quality instrument. At the time, the Nick Lucas model was the largest flat-top Gibson offered. Please see the, Epiphone: Current Serial Number Information, Gibson J-35 & Advanced Jumbo Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson Jumbo Deluxe and J-55 Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson J-45 and J-50 Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson Southern Jumbos and Country Westerns, Gibson J-160E Flat-top Acoustic-Electrics, Gibson CF-100 Flat-top Acoustic-Electrics, Gibson MK Series Flat-top Acoustic Guitars, Gibson L-5S Solid Body Electric Guitars, Guitars & Stringed Instruments General Information, Care & Feeding of a Wooden Musical Instrument, Identifying Vintage Guitars, Banjos & Mandolins, 41530 Transition from 12 to 14 fret necks, 1 Banjos from various contracted builders, 2028 Earliest reference to Forrest Dale VT, 30620 Symphonie, Sultana, and Senorita introduced, 35341 Gretsch purchases Fred Bacon Banjo Company. I visited his place once when I was kid (probably mid - late 1970's) and his finished basement was filled with guitars, banjos, lots of different instruments. The tradition had been Bug style mandolins: bowl-backs with flat or bent tops. Sunburst finish changes slightly: a cremona brown fading from the center amber to a reddish brown perimeter. RRRR = Ranking number (may be more or less digits) Example: 3021234 = Samick Korea / 1993 / February / unit 1234. The later pickguard clamps have a stamped patent date of July 4, 1911. Edited by - rfvelk on 12/26/2013 17:31:36, Blake507 - Posted-12/26/2013: 22:24:21. The Jumbos had a slight V shaped neck with the Gibson truss rod and a pointed French heal somewhat unusual for Gibson. better-grade offerings frequently had notched, rather than grooved stretcher Intermediate Grade and Best Grade were generally X braced with laminated braces for added strength. Dimensions: 16 wide, 10 1/4 long and 4 1/2 deep. 1976 $929 In June of 1976 the price rose to $999, and two new finishes were added: tobacco sunburst and natural maple. The L-series is very difficult to properly identify and date as they were inconsistent in their appointments and the catalog descriptions do not always agree with the actual instruments produced. At the time, the Nick Lucas model was the largest flat-top Gibson offered. Only about a dozen were made. The current bridge height and neck angle was reached around 1910. I'm thinking it was made by the Iida folks for a NAMM show or something. The concept behind the J-45 was a high quality, affordable, big-sounding acoustic flat-top guitar. To confuse matters, they also manufactured Bacon banjos that had been developed by Fred Bacon: the Professional, the Orchestra and the Blue Ribbon. It was Gibsons most prestigious solid body (and therefore expensive, with a couple of exceptions). Timing is everything In 1969 the Gibson parent company: Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) was acquired by the South American brewing conglomerate: E.C.L. Mythology has it that the Southerner Jumbo was specifically targeted at the Southern market honoring rising Country music trends. During the war years women played a greater role in manufacturing while young men were fighting overseas. Though you were told there was only12 of this model made, it will not be any more valuable than if there 10,000 made. MK-99 models were handcrafted and signed by Richard Schneider. It was available in red, black or two-tone sunburst finish, fleur-de-lis under The Gibson; Handel inlaid tuner buttons prior to 1916 (WWI) with a dotted + in each button. Many banjo manufacturers, in addition to making banjos under their own names, Download Old Banjo stock photos. That being said, and allowing for the large numbers of prototypes and other Gibson anomalies, the following can be used s a guide to help get close to a proper model identification and its year of production. 30, 1909. The standard "Huber' shape, the popular "Double Cut" shape or the "Fiddle Cut" shape. A head on a long neck open back banjo might sound completely different on a 12-string banjo. Never seen one with an inlay on the back of the neck. Some early necks were cherry before 1912. Banjo serial numbers: During the 1920s, Gibson instruments were made in lots of 40s (for the most part, this procedure continues today). Maybell was a Slingerland brand name. 562 Standard size with rosewood back & sides, MOP and colored wood appointments. The 1975 price was $549. It was available with a brown finish and came as a snakehead or paddle headstock. Go back. The only available finish was sunburst until 1954. CUSTOMER SERVICE. Schall hardware is pretty unique and the fifth The Gibson LG series of flat-top guitars were developed as the natural evolution of the earlier L-Series. Manchester University, Instruction * ConcertsJams * More You'll find Epiphone serial numbers in the standard places. . The fretboard was bound but without extension and The Gibson was stamped into the tailpiece cover. Gold War era logo - This type is called "Banner logo". One of the advantages of choosing a banjo made in a small shop environment is the easy availability of customization. The Lyon & Healy peghead shape used on most of This was quickly reduced to avoid model confusion between the J-45s and the more expensive Southerner Jumbos. Serial numbers are addressed elsewhere on the web site but can be found also on Gibsons website and George Gruhn & Walter Carters book: Gruhns Guide to Vintage Guitars. Hard-case rugged and gig-bag light! Bound rosewood fingerboard with small fret wire, clamshell tail piece with Morris inscribed. beautiful banjo. The soundhole had an additional thick white purfling ring. If you count the plies in the rim it is about 12 or 13 which is what I have seen in a lot of Asian banjos. By the end in 1985-86, Gibson was basically down to the Les Paul model alone. The back braces were tall and thin and Gibson scalloped the top braces. In 1926 Gibson introduced the L-series guitars with the L-0 at $35 and the L-1 at $50 (1928 prices). Example: S3021234 = Samick Korea / 1993 / February . There were 5226 made. So far as I can find Gibson appears to have only made "Stewart" instruments for a couple of years in the early 1930s. department to department had 40 cubbyholes. The appointments matched the MK-35 but the bracing was modified to accommodate the additional string tension of 12 strings. The passage of time confuses matters even further: They made some non-SilverBell models that had been developed in the 1930s that bore the B&D label like the Seniorita, and some later Gretsch SilverBells that carried only the Bacon label. Thanks for the history, I always love the story. The Gibson Southerner Jumbo was introduced in 1942 and discontinued in 1978. mikehalloran - Posted-12/27/2013: 17:21:06. The last of the Mark Series was built in 1979. The back and sides were still mahogany but the Southerner Jumbo had a dark wooden stripe separating the 2 back pieces. The sides and back were tinted mahogany with a sunburst red spruce top. Identify vintage banjo fleur de lis inlays on headstock & carved heel . It will be interesting of one of the BHO members has a vintage Kay catalog with that particular banjo. Yes, paging Scott to the Collector's Corner, please. Take a closer look at the serial number found on the back of the headstock and reference the guide below. For example: In general: Bacon serial numbers begin in 1906 (1 and 2 digit) and run consecutively until the sale of the company to Gretsch in 1940 (5 digit). Prices were typically 30-40% more than other Gibson solid bodies; the Les Paul Recording, LP Custom and SG Custom. So, take a look and . For example, the serial number 90237XXX corresponds to a production date of 1/23/97. 1930s-40s R S Williams and Sons built "Stewart" 1940s R S Williams and Sons built bird's eye maple archtop 1940s R S Williams and Sons built bird's eye maple archtop headstock 1940s R S Williams and Sons built bird's eye maple archtop back Gibson. Ironically, the script logo on the headstock was old-style. Not many were sold and the production run was therefore limited to 2 years. 1979 $1149 Antique Sunburst added to Fireburst, Cherry Sunburst and Natural. MB -- mandolin banjo. It took Gibson 2 years to develop their response: The Jumbo of 1934. Another useful See LG-0 for materials and dimensions. The selected tuners varied randomly by model and year. Gibson believed that these choices would allow them to focus on their more profitable lines. Introduced August 1942 and J-45s are still available today. STONE BANJO CO - PEGHEAD SHAPES. Free or royalty-free photos and images. Gibson Banjos 1925 and Later: . Made in USA. It appears that they experimented right up to the point of discontinuing the line. peghead shape. The Jumbo 55 (J-55) was introduce in late 1939 and discontinued in 1942. Ebony Fretboards were generally thicker than other builders. Heads have different effects on different kinds of banjos. Factory numbers (when the exist) appear in pencil inside on the block where the neck meets the body. 1952: The headstock gold decal logo was replaced by an inlayed pearl script and crown. A2-Zs were theoretically made during the Loar period of 1921-25, but only between 1923 and 1924. The strings are tightly wound at the headstock so the banjo player can form cords along the fingerboard. Tstyle of tuner lasts into early 1943 (FON 2221 last documented series with this tuner style), Late 1942 poplar neck blocks (Late 1942 FON 2119 with FON 2143 being the last documented series with mahogany neck block.). Between 1974 and 1984 production of Gibson guitars was slowly being shifted from Kalamazoo MI to Nashville TN. Width at nut 1 11/16, scale 24 3/4. Martin introduced their versions of acoustic-electrics: the D-18E in 1958 and D-28E in 1959. This was expanded in 1935 to about 1/3 of the top area. Manchester University, All Forums Since Spruce was needed for the war-time effort, some J-45s in 1943 have a mahogany top. Good size logs of spruce were government controlled during the war and were not easily available shortly after. Martin Guitars seemed to take note of the successful sales of the Gibson acoustic-electrics J-160E and CF-100Es. Several other forces were at work for change: Introduced 1963, these were designed as dual-purpose instruments. It was during the years of 1977 through 1986 that most of the high-end lines at Gibson were discontinued: The ES-350T, L-5S and the Mark Series among them. 2: The Histories of Cool Guitars". JM, jumbo size guitar with mahogany back & sides, chrome tuners. See Martin Serial Numbers for a dating information. The final production versions had a double-braced red spruce top and rosewood back and sides with a sunburst finish. Jun 24, 2020 - The Art of Banjo Headstocks. The 2nd delivery to Ray Whitley was the more refined 14 fret SJ that is so well photo-dicumented. The somewhat radical headstock shape was discontinued at Gibson with the Mark Series but appears to have been an influence on the young Paul Reed Smith who later used a similar shape for his electric instruments. Customers can choose from these shapes or provide an alternate. The first Gibson J45 guitars were only slightly different from the discontinued J-35. The further down the headstock the peg is, the shorter it will be. In late 1 the use of factory order numbers was discontinued. The body dimensions basically match the LG-series: 14 1/8 wide by 19 1/2 long by 4 1/2 deep. There are also examples of A-2Zs without the Z on the lable but still sporting the black perfling line. Wyatt Fawley's banjo, model for the "Retrotone" banjo design : 1949 : 3399-86 -100 : 1-piece: Dots : I/N Auction 2/2007 with flathead ring from 1963 RB180 and 1959 RB100 neck : 1949 : 3399-90: RB-150: . It marked the beginning of a new era for Gibson. Depending on the selected source, there is disagreement about these numbers. Gibson Banjo Serial Number Factory Order Number Information; Pre-war banjos, Flathead, Mastertone. They were well suited for orchestral arrangements as well as individual play and accompaniment. These had black plastic laminate headstock overlays with Bacon engraved in blockletters and a small, metal plate engraved Bacon Folk Model. You have your choice of 3 different peghead shapes.