Gibson MB-00
The mandolin banjo reached its peak of popularity
in the twenties, but as late as 1942 the Gibson catalog was proclaiming this odd
hybrid "a necessity in every banjo band for lead or obbligato--ideal for solo
playing".
Style 00 was the bottom of the Gibson banjo line and was introduced in 1935; this plain model remained in the Gibson catalog even after fancier models such as style 4 and the Granada had been discontinued.
Despite its mandolin neck, the pot of this MB-00 is identical to that found on the style 00 tenor, plectrum, and five-string models. The flange is the same one-piece pot metal type found on the Mastertone models of the period, the hardware is nickel-plated, the tension hoop is thin with flat bracket hooks, and the resonator is maple with a sunburst finish on the back and sides and single white binding on the back edge only. Style 00 banjos are seen with both the standard Gibson 5/8" three-play maple rim and a thinner, 1/2" rim. This example has the thinner rim. Style 00 banjos were not Mastertones and had no tone ring of any kind. Like many style 00 instruments, this MB-00 has no serial number and no Gibson label. The neck is maple with a sunburst finish to match the resonator, and the Gibson peghead logo is silkscreened in white.
Photos courtesy of
Wyatt Fawley.
