Gibson J.D. Crowe RB-75 submitted 2/25/2007 Submitter Majorbanjo Where Purchased JDMC Year Purchased 2002 Price Paid 2900 ($US) Sound Sounded great. It was a little tight and green at first, but with about 6 months of playing really opened up into a fine banjo..from video recording it sounds as good as any new banjo I've owned. Sound Rating 10 Setup Set up was good..the gibson frets were a little bigger than I was used to and had I kept the banjo any longer I would have had the frets dressed to tone them down a little, but the action was great in any position. Setup Rating 9 Appearance Perfect. Flying eagle inlay is one of my favorites and this was executed flawlessly..the concentric rings on the reso were perfect there were no finish flaws..the banjo was very well put together. Appearance Rating 10 Reliability Great...I had it for two years with no problems... Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service not evaluated. Customer Service 10 Components great Components Rating 10 Overall Comments I don't know why folks give gibson a hard time..this was as fine a new banjo as I've owned.....I sold it to buy a Huber and sometimes wish I had it back.... Overall Rating 10

Gibson Gibson 30's Style 11 submitted 2/25/2007 Submitter Majorbanjo Where Purchased Traded a Huber for It Year Purchased 2004 Price Paid Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter Sound This banjo sounds better than any other banjo I've ever heard. I traded a Huber Kalamazoo for it and I wouldn't take $10,000 for this thing. Sound Rating 10 Setup Perfect the neck is an early 90's neat neck made out of walnut that it plays like a dream. The ring is a Huber triple gold and this thing is a Monster... Setup Rating 10 Appearance A lot of wear nice patina...arm wrest has the brass showing through it and it's just a gem....love it...best part is the smell...nothing smells like an old banjo.... Appearance Rating 10 Reliability Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service Customer Service 10 Components Old and beautiful...lasted over 70 years...I'm sure they'll outlast me....The frank neat neck is a dream... Components Rating 10 Overall Comments The best banjo hands down I own...if were stolen I'd go crazy buying and converting 11's or 1's until I found one that would match it...I've since aquired another style 11 that's almost as good as this one and certainly better than any new banjo I've ever played...these things are the bargain of the century in banjos...I'm just glad everyone doesn't know about them.....keep buying new banjos folks.....you'll never know what you're missing..... Overall Rating 10

Gibson 60's RB-100 submitted 2/25/2007 Submitter Majorbanjo Where Purchased Guitar and Banjo Shop Beaumont Texas Year Purchased 2002 Price Paid 900 ($US) Sound This banjo is all original...meaning it still has it's brass tone hoop and has not been cut for a flathead tone ring. The banjo sounds so sweet the way it is I have no reason to mess with it...this is one great sounding banjo with plenty of volume. I've had folks here me play it and claim they had no idea that it didn't have a tone ring. I'm going to keep it this way. Sound Rating 10 Setup It's got light strings a grover bridge and a clear 5 star head just like it did when I bought it...I haven't changed a thing and in my opinion it doesn't need changing...there is significant fret wear from heavy playing but it still frets great....a previous owner has added a second coordinator rod and a sliding 5th string capo Setup Rating 10 Appearance looks great..understated with the sunburst resonator fly swatter peghead with dots inlay but I think it's beautiful Appearance Rating 10 Reliability It's still working fine....must be reliable..40 something years old now... Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service not evaluated. Customer Service not rated Components great..still work...I even borrowed a tuner from the peghead when one went out in one of my newer banjos.....they all still work fine... Components Rating 10 Overall Comments Great...Great....inexpensive banjo....you get a lot of banjo for the money with these old RB-100s....it sounds so great rigt now I cannot imagine how good it would sound with a full flathead tone ring...If it were stolen i'd get another one....I see them all the time...they're going for $1,000 or better now and I'm sure they'll continue to rise... Overall Rating 10

Huber VRB-3 submitted 2/25/2007 Submitter Majorbanjo Where Purchased Steve Huber IBMA Year Purchased 2005 Price Paid a lot ($US) Sound Great Sounding New banjo. Picked out of a bunch of Great sounding Hubers at their booth at IBMA...they all sounded great this one sounded a little more open...like it had some age on it.... Sound Rating 10 Setup Great Set up ....action was fairly low with 5/8's bridge it played like butter..the neck in the lower register is very thin and took some getting use to in order to keep from pushing the 4th string off the 3rd fret...but within just a short time it felt like an old glove..... Setup Rating 10 Appearance flawless in appearance..antique nickel and antique finish and antique binding and the inlay was perfect...it looks incredible...this is my sitting on the couch banjo the one I'm the most comfortable playing....when I grab one of my other banjos it takes a little adjustment...this one is like an old freind... Appearance Rating 10 Reliability been great so far don't anticipate issues... Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service haven't used it... Customer Service not rated Components top notch....love the components...although I have had problems with waverly tuners on a Gibson banjo I owned these are working fine.... Components Rating 10 Overall Comments A mighty fine new banjo...sounds great, plays great....if it were stolen I'd probably get a Lancaster now that they no longer make the Vintage series....the Lancaster is basically the same banjo with different cosmetics.... Overall Rating 10

Osborne Chief Maple submitted 2/27/2006 Submitter Majorbanjo Where Purchased Private individual Year Purchased 2006 Price Paid 3600 ($US) Sound great sound typical brightness that is characteristic of a professional level maple banjo the 1st thru 3d strings are particularly strong..rings up the neck, I'm very pleased with the sound. Sound Rating not rated Setup Set up was perfect, 5/8 bridge...I use medium light strings 10, 11, 12, 20, 10...banjo is effortless to play. Setup Rating not rated Appearance Best looking banjo I've ever seen Appearance Rating not rated Reliability banjo is very stable and always sounds great no matter the weather conditions....almost never needs retuning.. Reliability Rating not rated Customer Service Sonny Osborne, Frank and leon neat are very responsive and great folks to do business with.....Sonny is committed to ensure the Chief's are right. Customer Service not rated Components All components are of the highest quality. the Neat speed neck is a thing of beauty and is the best playing neck I've ever played. Components Rating not rated Overall Comments The quality of this banjo and the integrity and character of Sonny Osborne....his customer service and personal involvement make buying and owning this banjo....priceless. Overall Rating not rated