Banjo Warehouse is one of the few specialty dealers in the country that consistently carries authentic prewar Gibson Mastertone banjos — the flathead and archtop instruments from the 1920s and 1930s that remain the gold standard in bluegrass. We also carry postwar Gibsons and vintage instruments produced through the final years of Gibson banjo production in 2010. Every Gibson we sell is professionally set up by our banjo tech Tara before it ships.

Why Gibson Mastertones Matter

Gibson’s Granada, RB-3, RB-4, and RB-75 Mastertones from the prewar era are the instruments Earl Scruggs, J.D. Crowe, Ralph Stanley, Sonny Osborne, Bill Emerson, and Jim Mills built their sounds on. The flathead tone ring — introduced by Gibson in the late 1930s — produces the focused, cutting tone that defines bluegrass banjo. Prewar flathead Mastertones are the holy grail of bluegrass banjos, and the finest examples regularly sell for $25,000 and above.

Geoff Hohwald has been studying, buying, and selling Gibson banjos for more than 50 years. He can tell you the difference between a 1929 archtop and a 1937 flathead by ear, explain what makes a particular tone ring exceptional, and give you an honest assessment of any instrument’s condition, originality, and value. That knowledge is what you’re getting when you buy a Gibson from Banjo Warehouse.

What We Carry

Our Gibson inventory typically includes prewar Mastertone tenor conversions — original-rim instruments with prewar flanges that have been converted to five-string — alongside original five-string Mastertones when we can find them. On the postwar side, we carry Gibsons from the 1940s through the reissue era, including the RB-250, RB-3 Wreath, RB-4, RB-18 Top Tension, Granada, and Sonny Osborne Chief models produced before Gibson ended banjo production in 2010. Post-1987 Gibsons are reissue instruments — well-made and collectible, but distinct from the original prewar models.

Every used Gibson we list is described honestly, including all wear, repairs, replaced parts, and any non-original components. We never misrepresent condition or originality.

Buying a Gibson from Banjo Warehouse

We ship free within the United States. Every instrument is double-boxed and arrives ready to play. If you’re not satisfied for any reason, we offer a 7-day return window. We also buy and trade — if you have a Gibson you’re looking to move, call Geoff directly at 404-218-8580.

Gibson Mastertones move fast. Join our email list to be notified when new instruments arrive — these are the banjos that sell before they make it to the website.

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Don’t see what you’re looking for? Call Geoff at 404-218-8580 — he usually has several Gibson banjos in stock that haven’t made it to the website yet, and he loves to talk banjos.