Banjo News
The Pre-War Collection: 6 Tenor Conversions from $3,999 to $11,499
Feb
It took us over a year to assemble this collection. Six pre-war banjos. Six different personalities. Three have already sold.
All of them delivering that unmistakable pre-war tone that players spend their whole lives chasing.
Here’s the thing most people don’t realize: you don’t need $50,000 to get pre-war sound. Original 5-string flathead pre-war Mastertones command serious money because they’re rare – Gibson made far more tenors than 5-strings back then. But the pots, the flanges, the resonators – they’re the same. A professional tenor conversion gives you so much of that authentic pre-war character at a fraction of the price.
That’s what this collection is about.
The Collection — Three Remain
1926 Gibson TB-3 Ball-Bearing Conversion – $3,999.99 — SOLD
This banjo has sold. Browse the remaining three pre-war banjos.
The oldest banjo in the collection. This 1926 two-piece flange TB-3 features Gibson’s original ball-bearing tone ring – a unique sound you won’t find anywhere else. Frank Neat built the 5-string maple neck with diamonds and squares inlay. Original pot, resonator, and hardware. Came to us from Colombia in excellent condition.
Serial: 8168-12
1930 Gibson TB-4 Mastertone Archtop Conversion – $9,999.99
A 1930 TB-4 Mastertone from Gibson’s golden era. Original rim, original one-piece flange, original archtop tone ring. The walnut resonator and flying eagle inlays make this one a looker. Professional 5-string neck. The original flange is not currently installed on the banjo but will be included with purchase. It requires minor repair.
Serial: 9554-45
View the 1930 TB-4 Mastertone →
1932 Gibson TB-3 Mastertone Conversion – $11,499.99
The crown jewel of the collection. This 1932 TB-3 Mastertone has its original one-piece flange and raised-head archtop tone ring – 93 years of character in one instrument. Frank Neat converted it to 5-string with a mahogany neck featuring flying eagle inlays. Spikes at 7, 8, 9, 10. All original hardware and resonator.
Serial: 115-8
View the 1932 TB-3 Mastertone →
1936 Gibson TB-1 Conversion – $4,999.99 — SOLD
This banjo has sold. Browse the remaining three pre-war banjos.
This 1936 TB-1 came to life with a 20-hole flathead professional tone ring. Original pot cut for a flathead ring, original one-piece flange, original maple resonator. The professional conversion neck features stunning Flying Eagle inlays. This one sounds extraordinary across all registers.
Serial: 781-2
1940 Gibson TB-11 “The Willard Brown” – $5,499.99 — SOLD
This banjo has sold. Browse the remaining three pre-war banjos.
This TB-11 has a story. Shipped from Gibson on December 10, 1940, it stayed in one family for 73 years before entering the banjo market. Frank Neat did the 5-string conversion with a Tennessee 20 tone ring. The original green pearloid resonator is a head-turner. We call it “The Willard Brown” after its original owner.
Serial: F688-6
Late 1930s Recording King Tenor Conversion – $4,499.99
Here’s a sleeper. This Recording King Model #731 was made by Gibson at Kalamazoo for Montgomery Ward in the late 1930s. Same factory, same craftsmen, different headstock. The Huber HR-30 tone ring makes this one sing, and the original sunburst maple resonator has that pre-war look. The replacement 5-string neck from Don Bryant has a modern truss rod for easy adjustments.
Why Tenor Conversions?
Let’s talk money for a second.
An original 5-string pre-war Gibson Mastertone – if you can find one – will cost you $50,000 or more. That’s because Gibson made far more tenor banjos than 5-strings in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. The tenors were for jazz and orchestras. The 5-strings were niche.
But here’s what matters: the pot, the flange, the resonator – that’s where so much of the pre-war mojo lives. A professional conversion by someone like Frank Neat gives you a proper 5-string neck on an authentic pre-war pot.
As for tone rings – some of these banjos have their original raised-head rings, which sound excellent. Others have been upgraded with modern professional rings like the Tennessee 20 or Huber HR-30. Either way, you’re getting serious tone from an authentic pre-war instrument.
Fraction of the price. Real pre-war craftsmanship.
That’s the value proposition of a tenor conversion.
Questions?
Three of the original six have already sold. These banjos don’t come around often, and they don’t get replaced when they’re gone. If you’ve been waiting for your shot at a pre-war Gibson, three remain.
Call Geoff directly at 404-218-8580 or stop by the shop in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Every banjo ships free to the continental US with a 7-day approval period.
Browse the Pre-War Collection — Three Remain →
