1923 Gibson TB-5 5-String Conversion

Gibson started building banjos in 1918, and in early, the banjo was rapidly evolving with design changes from year to year. In 1923, they introduced the high-end Style 5 to solidify the company's identity as a premier banjo maker. At the time, players needed a louder banjo to fit in with louder brass instruments. The "trapdoor" resonator rolled out in 1923 as a means of increasing the volume and cut, thereby improving the banjo's versatility. This intriguing design involved a hinged plate on the back that can be opened or closed to make the tone louder or softer.  In the 1920s era of Vaudeville and Dixieland jazz, tenor banjos dominated the scene. But since the '30s, the 5-string has taken over! Because of that, there is a cottage industry of builders and banjo enthusiasts devoted to rigging old tenor pots with 5-string necks. At some point along the way, this 1923 Gibson TB-5 was outfitted with a 5-string neck, and the results are very special! We're not sure who did the conversion, b