Most of those 55K Gibson banjos are the old "Mastertone" series. The vintage Gibsons with Mastertone tone-rings are the Pre-War Martins of the Banjo world, but any of the vintage Gibsons fetch a premium. Deering has a wide range of instruments from the entry-level to high end, and is generally considered to be the beginning of the professional level banjos. In the higher end mass market banjos I prefer the Stellings, the have a very distinct sound, but are out of my price range considering my meager skills.
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"What have I learned but the proper use for several tools" -Gary Snyder
Bourgeois DR-A / Bowerman "Working Man's" OM / Martin Custom D-18 (adi & flame) / Martin OM-21 / Northwood M70 MJ / 1970s Sigma DR-7 / Eastman E6D / Flatiron Signature A5 / Silverangel Econo A
(Call me Dan)
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