Gibson PB-4 Mastertone #9525-6

The style 4 inspired some enthusiastic prose from Gibson in its 1931 catalog: 

"Rich, radiant beauty is the key-note of this instrument both in tone and appearance.  It is the materialization of the dreams of the most distinguished artist, yet it is not too costly. . . The finish is a beautiful, compelling, Burl Walnut--hand-rubbed to the point of sparkling iridescence.  All metal parts Chromium plated, the best wearing plate known to science".

The majority of 1930s style 4 banjos were tenors and came with forty-hole archtop tone rings.  Circa 1929, however, Gibson started equipping some Mastertone banjos, typically plectrums and five-strings, with the new flathead tone ring which, according to Gibson catalogs of the period, provided greater "twang and sweetness" for plectrum and five-string tunings.  #9525-6 is one such banjo and has an original high-profile twenty-hole flathead tone ring.  The original shipping date of this banjo is unknown, but Gibson's shipping ledgers do show that it was returned to the factory for repair work in October 1937.  The resonator currently on the banjo shows the factory order number 9525-6 written over the partially-erased number 9583-3, suggesting that the needed repair involved the resonator and Gibson simply replaced the resonator with one from another style 4 banjo in inventory.

#9525-6 has now been converted to five-string with a neck by Steve Huber and a set of prewar Grover two-band tuners with large Catalin buttons:

Photos courtesy of an anonymous collector, who can be heard putting #9525-6 through its paces with his original composition "Nicomede".

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