For Sale: 1925 Gibson TB-4

This is a well loved but unmolested examples of one the most aesthetically pleasing banjos to ever leave Kalamazoo, Michigan. This TB-4 has been extensively played for a very long time but thankfully whoever was enjoying it didn’t see the need to modify anything.

Being a Mastertone from 1925, this banjo is equipped with its original “Shotgun” ball bearing tonering. It has a two piece flange that has held up nicely over its near century of existence. The only issues with the rim hardware is that one of the resonator attachment screws is missing, and that the original Presto Tailpiece warped and broke. I’ll put what’s left of the original Presto in the case, but I replaced it with the most beat up modern Presto style tailpiece I had on hand and it blends in nicely with the look of the instrument.

The mahogany has a few issues with pointing out. There is a crack in the outer ply of the resonator wall, and that outer ply is loose from the resonator back in a few spots. Also, the blue interior of the case bled onto the binding in a couple spots. The interior of the resonator appears completely structurally sound though, and I have opted to let the next owner choose how or if to deal with what I’ve just noted.

The neck has the much beloved hearts and flowers inlay pattern and the “Mastertone” logo at the peghead. The tuners are Ludwig planets, which look great, work quite well and appear original. There is a chunk of missing binding on the upper reaches of the bass side of the fret board. There is extensive fretware all over the neck, which is causing some buzzing. I have elected to leave that alone as this is a prime candidate for a high quality conversion neck. However, this is an excellent sounding tenor banjo and it would be well worth refretting should the future owner desire.

Come in the original, very beat hard shell case. Thanks for looking and feel free to reach out with any questions.