Prewar Gibson banjo

Modern reproductions of RB-75 and RB-250. Original Gibson RB-11 banjo from 1938.
Gibson RB-1 (1933), RB-00 (1940), PB-3 (1929) banjos at the American Banjo Museum
Gibson RB-1 (1933), RB-00 (1940), PB-3 (1929) banjos at the American Banjo Museum
Gibson RB-7 (1938) banjo and Gibson RB-4 (1929) "floor sweep" banjo at the American Banjo Museum

Gibson manufactured banjos in the years before World War II. They are differentiated from later Gibson banjos by their scarcity. Banjo sales plummeted during the Great Depression, for lack of buyers, and metal parts became scarce into the 1940s as factories shifted to support the war.[1] As parts became scarce, non-standard versions came out, made from a variety of leftover parts, called floor sweep models.[2]

  1. ^ Lastelick, Luke (7 December 2022). "Pre-War Gibson Banjos - A Global Gold Standard". The Roundup. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  2. ^ Gibson RB-4 - 1929 (Plaque beneath museum exhibit). Oklahoma City, OK: American Banjo Museum. banjo differs from typical Gibson production in 1929 and was completed in 1930s from parts found around the Gibson factory - a 'floor sweep' model