FON 9488-56. This Gibson banjo arrived to us as a tenor, in its original state. It started life as a tenor banjo equipped with an archtop tone ring, and both the original tenor neck and archtop tone ring are included in the sale.
It was recently converted to a 5 string bluegrass banjo and currently features a no-hole Curtis McPeake archtop-to-flathead conversion ring, delivering a great flathead sound without cutting or altering the original rim. Because the rim remains completely unmodified, it could still be cut for a full-weight flathead tone ring or returned to its original archtop configuration.
The banjo retains its original metal hardware, with the exception of the modern tension hoop, and is fitted with prewar Grover Pancake tuners and a really nice Huber neck.
If you've been looking for a great-playing, great-sounding Style 3 Gibson with a one-piece flange in excellent condition, this one is definitely worth a look!