Gibson TB-1 #EA-5055, the "Guy F. Tostevin"
This
fully original TB-1 was
shipped from the Gibson factory on April 12, 1939 to John J. Billek, a Gibson
teacher-agent in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Its original owner was Guy F.
Tostevin (December 31, 1923--October 29, 2005), whose initials appear on the
truss-rod cover. #EA-5055 is a catalog-standard late 1930s
style 1 banjo with dot fingerboard inlays
in place of the earlier fleur-de-lis pattern; the original Geib "red-line" #511
case remains with the banjo and contains a leather pick pouch marked "Gibson
Souvenir".
Photos courtesy of the family of Guy F.
Tostevin.
