Gibson TB-12 #NSN, the "Mr. Hemmis"
In the late 1930s, Gibson attempted to revive flagging banjo sales with the introduction of the radical new line of top-tension Mastertones, much as they had tried to recapture the dying mandolin market in the mid-1920s with Lloyd Loar's Master Model series.
The top-tensions were innovative in a number of ways. The most obvious was their namesake head-tightening design; players no longer had to remove the resonator to make the frequent tension adjustments necessitated by calfskin heads, since the brackets were adjusted from the top of the pot rather than the bottom. Top-tensions also featured distinctive solid wood resonators which were flat on the inside but carved with a pronounced hump on the back. Other features of these radical new banjos were an easily adjustable armrest which could quickly be moved out of the way for head adjustment, radiused fingerboards, and bold Art Deco looks with large, geometric inlay patterns and a more guitarlike peghead shape. For present-day players, one of the most important features of these top-tensions is the fact that they were the only prewar Gibson banjos on which flathead tone rings were standard.
Top-tension Mastertones were offered in three styles: 7, 12 and 18. The middle model featured a walnut neck and resonator with chrome-plated hardware. The resonator finish on most examples was sunburst as depicted in Gibson catalogs, but some examples such as this one were produced with a uniform dark finish. This banjo also deviates from standard specs in that its tone ring and flange are nickel-plated rather than chrome. The inside of the resonator is slightly scooped out, another variations sometimes seen on original top-tensions.
Since the tenor neck is no longer with this banjo, the serial number has unfortunately been lost. The original owner, a Mr. Hemmis, bought the banjo in 1939. The pot is completely original and the five-string conversion neck was made by Dick Powell in the early 1980s. The original DeLuxe Kluson amber-button tuners are now installed on the conversion neck.
Photos courtesy of an anonymous
collector.
