Gibson Retro 4 submitted 11/5/2006 Submitter Mike Casey Where Purchased Fuller's Vintage Guitar Year Purchased 2006 Price Paid 4900.00 ($US) Sound The banjo has a very bright tone in the treble range and the bass is full and rich, not pinched or mushy sounding. It has a definate walnut tone quality with the expected snap to the notes. Sound Rating 9 Setup The setup was perfect. Of course the head tension did need touching up as new heads will, but everything else was on the mark. I have the head tuned to an A or just shy of it. The action was 7/64" as advertised and there are no rattles or buzzes. The neck is fit so the third string tracks down the center of the neck (below the 5th fret) which I like to see in a banjo. Setup Rating 10 Appearance This is one fine looking banjo. The fiddle peghead shape and the Mastertone inlay below Gibson is really a great touch. The pehead finish is antiqued to give it a really beautiful effect. The binding is antiqued as well and it adds a great matchup to the walnut finish. The finish is flawless inside and out. The resonator has two concentric rings, but they are not the wood purfling style. The walnut in the resonator is figured but not what I would call burl walnut. It looks really nice with the antiqued concentric rings. The neck wood is really nice and mine has a some figure to the wood up by the fifth fret. The Chrome metal plating is very very flashy. It is well done and really stands out on the walnut. I think just about anyone would say this is a fine looking banjo. Appearance Rating 10 Reliability I'd owned the banjo 4 days and played it at one of our regular jobs on a Friday night. It was exceptional sounding over our PA and I was very happy with the way it stayed put. I didn't have any tuning problems as sometimes happens with new banjos. The banjo was absolutely perfect with and without the capo. There are no dead spots. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service The standard Gibson warranty applies. Customer Service 10 Components The neck on this banjo is absolutely perfect. It has the smaller fret wire and they are perfectly fit and shaped to play comfortably with the low action. The neck has a very comfortable feel to it and it feels a little smaller though I haven't actually compared it to my other banjos to be sure. Regardless, the neck is as good as any neck I've ever played. The neck to rim fit as mentioned above is superior. Whoever did it took care to get it right which I appreciate very much. The tone ring is what I believe to be the now standard Gibson issue as are the flange, stretcher band and Presto tailpiece. I did not take it apart to verify this, but it sounds much like it. The chrome plating is really well done and it really has that blue luster you expect from a good chrome plating job. Components Rating 10 Overall Comments This is one fine new Gibson banjo and one I think Gibson will sell out of the 40 unit run pretty quickly. This is how a new banjo should be in every way: woods, fit, finish, sound and playabilty. In a word, it is a classy banjo and it sounds as good as it looks. Overall Rating 10

Gibson Deluxe RB-5 Archtop submitted 6/9/2004 Submitter Mike Casey Where Purchased Fuller's Vintage Guitar, Houston Year Purchased 2004 Price Paid Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter Sound This is a new banjo and has not been played in yet, but it is a very strong banjo. It has that distinctive Gibson two piece flanged, 40 hole archtop sound. I played it over the PA at a recent festival and it was very much a presence. A veteran banjo picker who knows I usually play a flathead asked me after the show when I'd switched to a archtop. He was not listening where he could see the stage during our show. Sound Rating 9 Setup The banjo setup from the factory was excellent. All that was needed was a tweak to the head tension. New heads tend to loose some tension during transit. Setup Rating 8 Appearance This is perhaps the best looking banjo Gibson makes. The superior grade woods, the bindings and the gold plating and engraving all combine on this banjo to make this a special banjo. Even the inside of the rim is bound with the wood purfling. It is a striking banjo in every sense of the word Appearance Rating 10 Reliability This banjo is so well made it is totally reliable. The metal parts are engraved beautifully and they are of the highest quality. The finish and gold plating are beautiful to behold and are well done. The inlays are tight with little if any filler that I can detect. It is a very solid, well made banjo. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service Haven't had to use it. Don't know. Customer Service not rated Components The metal parts, the woods, the bindings, the finish and the workmanship are all superior. I do not believe any shop anywhere could do a better job. This is an outstanding banjo. Components Rating 10 Overall Comments This is a reissue of the historical and famous RB-5 Deluxe archtop from the late 20's. It is only available from Fuller's Vintage Guitar in Houston, Texas. If you like the archtop sound and great workmanship you might consider such a banjo. It is a one fine banjo from headstock to tailpiece. And the neck plays like a dream. Overall Rating 10

Gibson J.D. Crowe RB-75 submitted 5/3/2004 Submitter Mike Casey Where Purchased fuller'svintageguitar.com Year Purchased 2004 Price Paid 3500 ($US) Sound I played two of these banjos before I selected the one I wanted. Both were very good and the selection process was hard. The sound is more like an old Gibson than a new Gibson. It has that certain dry, crack often associated with the pre-war banjos. It is a loud banjo but it has a sweetness to the tone that keeps it from being harsh. It is full, rich and loud. My experience with Gibson's goes back to 1970 and during that time I've owned and played both pre-war (archtops) and later model flatheads. Sound Rating 10 Setup The factory setup suffered some in the transit from Nashville to the springtime temperatures and humidity in Houston. I had to tighten the head (several times), reset the neck relief and dress two frets that were causing slight buzzes. Overall the setup was good from the factory. The usual weathering in of the banjo was normal and it has now setteled in and continues to improve. Setup Rating 9 Appearance This is a new look for Gibson from their old style inlay pattern to the burnished copper flashed gold plating. The style 6 tonering, the Granada armrest and the tailpiece are engraved. The plating is not the usual bright shiney type, but more subdued. It looks as though it was brushed on. I think the old style copper flashed plating process adds to the look and the tone of the banjo. The biggest impact feature to me is the Appearance Rating 10 Reliability This is a Gibson Mastertone. It is reliable, stable and I'd play it without a backup banjo anytime. Reliability Rating Customer Service I have not had to use the standard Gibson warranty. Customer Service not rated Components This is an excellent banjo featuring what I think is the best tonering Gibson offers, the J.D. Crowe. The copper flashed gold plating on a mahogany banjo is new for Gibson and I think should have been done as a regular production banjo long ago. Components Rating 10 Overall Comments This is a fine banjo from A to Z. If you're looking for a great looking and sounding Gibson banjo, an old sounding banjo, I'd recommend you give this model serious consideration. Overall Rating 10