davefier - Posted - 03/13/2026:  09:41:12

I am starting to educate myself on pre-war Gibsons for a potential future purchase of a conversion. I am trying to understand the primary differences in the pot assembly of a Mastertone vs. non-Mastertone versions. So far, I learned about the aesthetic differences, single vs. dual coordinator rods, and tone rings between Masterstones and non-Mastertones.

Question: Are the rims and resonators for pre-war Mastertones and non-Mastertone banjos produced in the same year essentially the same or were the Mastertone versions made with better materials? Also, are the pot dimensions the same (again, for the same year)?

Any help is appreciated!

BobbyE - Posted - 03/13/2026:  11:31:37

>>Question: Are the rims and resonators for pre-war Mastertones and non-Mastertone banjos produced in the same year essentially the same or were the Mastertone versions made with better materials? Also, are the pot dimensions the same (again, for the same year)?<<



I suppose a general answer would be, 'yes,' but be aware that Gibson was in the banjo business for a long time over several development stages of the banjo. It is almost necessary to consider each instrument on its own to know exactly what is going on with a specific instrument in mind. Tenor banjos, plectrum banjos, Banjo Ukes and RBs just to name a few common models, not to mention the different styles, (1s, 2s, (not Mastertones but could have MT style rims), 3s, 4s, 5, and Granadas and some I probably didn't mention)  for those models.   Floorsweeps where Gibson would use whatever was on hand to complete an order. Ball-bearing tone-ring types to arch-top to flatheads, thin rim, thick rim. Tone hoops versus tone rings. And then all the swapping back and forths of various parts that have been altered.  



Bobby

Edited by - BobbyE on 03/13/2026 11:38:06

Old Hickory - Posted - 03/13/2026:  11:46:56

Roger Siminoff's Gibson Banjo Chronology.

Earnest Banjo site Information on pre-war Gibson banjos by style.

I'm no expert, but I believe three-ply rims for sub-Mastertones and Mastertones were of comparable quality. Resonators? Well, the lower models only had back side binding and plain maple exteriors. I have no idea if the underlaying construction was the same. Mastertone resonators had nicer veneers and came in varieties of wood and decoration. See all the pages at the Earnest Banjo link above.

There was a change in the size of the one-piece flange soon after its introduction, after which I think the flange was the same through the rest of the pre-war period -- except for the amount the tooling changed over time from use and wear.

The Old Timer - Posted - 03/13/2026:  11:56:17

Even pre-war, the very lowest banjo models had super-thin rim thickness (usually). Like the RB-00, some of the Montgomery Ward models, etc. Not suitable for conversion to Mastertone by adding a tone ring.

But in general, the slightly "better" sub-Mastertone models like the later RB-1, RB-2, RB 10 and 11 (and the Kel Kroyden and Recording King parallels) had the same rim and resonator construction as Mastertones. That is why these models are so eagerly sought for conversion to Mastertones. I'm speaking of models essentially from 1929 on. Earlier than that the bottom of the line models might be smaller diameter, or have bolted shoes for the tension hooks to fasten through.

Same story for resonators -- typically made in same construction as Mastertones, but perhaps less lovely wood or binding.

If you're gearing up to buy a conversion, put specific questions here and you'll get plenty of advice about how it's built.

davefier - Posted - 03/13/2026:  14:01:25

Thank you for all of the replies. Very helpful. I have permission from my wife :) to buy another banjo next year for my 50th birthday so I am taking time to research and try different banjos this year, which is all part of the fun!