Featured Instruments: A Pair of 1920’s Gibson Banjos

This pair, a four string tenor banjo and an eight string mandolin banjo from the 1920’s, needed new heads and bridges and some TLC. They came to the right place.

Here’s a Gibson MB-1 and (maybe an enthusiast will help me out with this) a TB-1 or TB-3. They both feature rim-mounted pickguards and hinged backs that are able to be either closed or propped open with a small latch. When they arrived, both clearly needed new bridges and heads.

Below is the mandolin model as it arrived. Just look and the homemade bridge and collapsed old head. That’s not ever going to work.

A closer look reveals that the fretboard is separating from the neck.  Luckily, this was a minor separation and only needed a little glue and solid clamping pressure.

The tenor instrument was in slightly better shape but definitely also needed a new head and ‘The Works.’

Mandolin after competion:

Tenor after completion:

What an interesting pair. They sure gave us a glimpse back in time to the banjo makers in Kalamazoo, MI.