2010 Gibson RB-75 J.D. Crowe Blackjack 5-String Banjo - Used

$3,950.00

Details

This RB-75 J.D. Crowe Blackjack was crafted in 2010 by Gibson in Nashville. It’s part of a limited run and its genesis is a bit of a mystery. According to rumor, this banjo was going to be based on a 1940 gold-plated RB-75 that was special ordered by Mack Crow, an early three-finger-style banjo innovator from North Carolina. That banjo was the only gold-plated RB-75 that Gibson ever made. Also, much of the metal work was engraved, suggesting Gibson used hardware that was destined for a higher priced model. Anyway, for reasons that remain obscure, that replica never went into production. Instead, Gibson offered the model you see here. J.D. Crowe does indeed play an RB-75, but it doesn’t look anything like this. (Did Gibson just assume one Crowe, or Crow, was as good as another?)

The Blackjack has a number of unique features. Like the Mack Crow banjo, the metal parts are copper flashed, and then covered in thin satin gold plating. This gives the metal a darker sheen. The inlay on the headstock and fretboard is a pattern Gibson designed in the 1920s which was never used but has elements of the simpler Flying Eagle pattern. (J.D. Crowe’s 1938 RB-75 has Flying Eagle inlays.) The neck has a very distinct V-shape, which some players love, but a few find it hard to play. It also has a Sullivan 20-hole flathead tone ring.

Overall, this banjo is in fine structural and very good cosmetic condition. We just refretted it and set it up with a new head. This banjo has been played a lot the gold plating is worn here and there, which lets the copper show through.There are a few minor dents in the finish on the resonator, most likely from shirt buttons. There are railroad spikes at the 7th, 8th and 9th frets. The original J.D. Crowe signature truss rod cover is long gone and has been replaced with a brass one. The original Presto tailpiece broke, a not uncommon occurrence, and it was replaced with a Gold Tone Straightline Tailpiece. This banjo also has two Keith pegs on the 3rd and 4th strings. Includes the original Gibson hardshell case, which, for some now obscure reason, has has the word Gibson blacked out.