Gibson Tenor Banjo: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This banjo was made by Gibson Inc., of Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1923. It is a Four-String Tenor Banjo, Style TB-3, serial #11196A-42A, with a maple hoop, 22 brackets, maple neck with mahogany finish, ebony fingerboard with pearl inlay and 20 frets, tuning machine pegs. Stenciled on the peghead:

“A very popular model, incorporating the full-floating, non-friction tone-tube and other Mastertone features which give it the characteristic brilliant, powerful, snappy and far-carrying tone that is the joy of the dance orchestra Tenor-banjoist’s heart. Select ebony finger-board; other wood parts best quality maple, finished in beautiful, rich, dark mahogany with the neck blending from mahogany to clear natural maple finish. Japan pearl ornamentation, and position dots. Braced extension finger-board with twenty frets: 19-inch scale. Gibson special specification strings. All standard Gibson mastertone features, including ball-bearing tone-tube, tension-tube, etc. Completely equipped with Gibson arm-rest, finger-rest and tone-projector. Length, 29 inches; weight packed for shipping, 18 pounds.”

”One of the instruments which helps to maintain the Gibson reputation for offering the most in quality, durability and tone for the least cost."

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1923
• maker: Gibson Co.
• Object Name: banjo
• Physical Description: maple (overall material)
• Physical Description: animal skin (overall material)
• Physical Description: ebony (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Physical Description: perloid (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 29 1/4 in x 11 1/4 in x 2 3/4 in; 74.295 cm x 28.575 cm x 6.985 cm
• place made: United States: Michigan, Kalamazoo
• ID Number: MI.78.05
• accession number: 1978.0845
• catalog number: 78.05
• Credit Line: Gift of Edith M. Lawall
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.