1920s Gibson TB-1 Trap Door Tenor Banjo

I didn't have time to snag a video clip of this guy, but suffice to say it sounds great. This has the "vented-hoop over ball bearings" tonering design. It's a "been in the owner's family for ages" instrument and was here to get spruced-up -- a new Renaissance head, fret level/dress, and setup for DGBE/Chicago tuning.

Like pretty-much all Gibson banjos, the tone is poppy and bright with a straightforward, fundamental tone. I think of it as a "springy" sound -- clean and to the point but with a little lingering sustain that makes it feel more lush and pliable than most other brands. Nothing but an old Gibson banjo will do that, from my experience. They've just got that... thing. Check out this '23 TB-Jr for an idea of the sound (though -- not as crisp and loud as this).

The "trap door" gizmo is also a nice way to go from a sweeter/quieter tone to a louder/punchier one on the fly. It really does work and it keeps the footprint of the instrument nice and compact.

Other nice features on this guy include the original ivoroid pickguard (I love to have one on a tenor!) and the wire-style armrest. Gibson was ahead of the curve of practicality at the time, fitting mandolin or guitar-style tuners to the headstock. Why they stopped? Tradition! Poor them...

These have dang-short 19" scale lengths which means string gauges need to be pushed-up to have decent tension and a good "feel." I have this strung with 32w, 22w, 16, 12 gauges for DGBE at the moment.