1973 Gibson RB-250 Mastertone 5-String Banjo – Includes Hard Case – Used Very Good
The Gibson Mastertone is the banjo that bluegrass was built on. When Earl Scruggs joined Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in 1945 and introduced the world to three-finger picking, he was playing a prewar Gibson Mastertone, and the instrument's association with that defining moment in American music has never diminished. The RB-250 is the production Mastertone model that working bluegrass players have reached for through the decades — not the most ornamented or the most expensive Gibson banjo, but built on the same fundamental platform and capable of the same power, projection, and tonal authority that defines the Mastertone sound. This 1973 example was built at Gibson's Kalamazoo, Michigan factory — confirmed by the gold Kalamazoo sticker and Made in USA stamp inside the resonator — before the company's move to Nashville in 1984. The Kalamazoo era instruments are well-regarded by serious players and carry the construction details that define a proper Mastertone: mahogany neck and resonator, three-ply rim, two-piece flange, single-bound ebony fingerboard with ribbons and bows inlay pattern, fiddle-cut headstock, and the full-weight tone ring that gives a Mastertone its characteristic explosive volume and bottom end. The head is clean, the ebony fingerboard is beautiful, and the frets are in great shape with only minimal wear in the first position.
This banjo plays like butter and sounds fantastic — the kind of instrument that has a lot of tone and soul built up over fifty years of being a real working banjo. The metal parts show honest aging and patina consistent with that history and are in good structural shape throughout. We would recommend a thorough cleaning of the pot hardware at some point — disassembling the pot and cleaning the aging from the metal parts would make this banjo shine considerably brighter — but it is not necessary for playability and is purely a cosmetic consideration. The banjo has a bit of a vintage smell, as instruments of this age often do, and the case carries some of that character as well. Set up and ready to go.
- Make: Gibson
- Model: RB-250 Mastertone
- Configuration: 5-string resonator
- Serial number: 73209097
- Year: 1973
- Country of origin: USA (Kalamazoo, MI)
- Rim: 3-ply mahogany
- Tone ring: Full weight Mastertone
- Flange: 2-piece
- Head: Clean
- Resonator: Mahogany, single bound
- Neck: Mahogany, fiddle-cut headstock
- Fingerboard: Ebony, single bound, ribbons and bows inlay pattern
- Scale length: 26-1/4"
- Frets: Nickel silver, minimal wear in first position
- Tuners: Grover
- Hardware: Nickel, honest aging and patina throughout
- Modifications: None
- Condition: Used Very Good – clean head, beautiful ebony board, minimal fret wear first position, hardware with honest aging and patina, pot cleaning recommended for cosmetic improvement
- Includes: Hard case (carries some vintage smell)
Ships carefully packed and insured for full value. International buyers are welcome — please contact us for a shipping quote before purchasing.
About Mill River Music
Mill River Music is an independent, human-powered music shop located in downtown Northampton, MA, run by a team of players, enthusiasts, and certified repair technicians. Every piece of used gear we sell is personally inspected, tested, and set up before it ships — we don't list it until we'd be happy to play it ourselves.
As Martin and Taylor certified techs, we hold our guitar work to a high standard, and we're committed to full transparency about the condition of everything we sell. No surprises.
When you buy from Mill River, you're supporting an independent local business that genuinely cares — about gear, about players, and about doing things right. We're here every step of the way. Reach out anytime.
