Is it a 1925 Gibson 11942-38 MB-JR

[Bob Dickinson]

I picked this up in a trade for a broken Martin Guitar. I need help determining age and value.
It's in reasonable condition. Yeah, it's a 4 string, open back.
I'll try to attach some images of it here.

Thanks,
Bob

[dhergert]

That number should place this banjo's production in a pre-1925 time frame. I'd guess 1923 or 1924. Gibson built non-Mastertone style banjos such as this one from 1918 to 1924.

Value? Soft on the market. Again a guess but probably $300<$1K depending on condition and economy.

[Jim Garber]

I think it is a TB-jr, not MB. I have one like yours. Not a trapdoor. IDK if they made trapdoor juniors. I have to put a new head on mine and it is a pain since, because of the fb extension, you have to take off the neck.

[allenhopkins]

This one's currently listed at $425; optimistic, IMHO.

I'd guess that either Gibson put the wrong label on the instrument, or they took an MB-Jr. shell and put a TB-Jr. neck on it somewhere during the manufacturing process.

[Jim Garber]

Ah, sorry! I looked at this on my phone and didn't see the label.

This one's currently listed at $425; optimistic, IMHO.

Optimistic? "This listing sold on 6/18/2016" -- of course, it is possible it sold for less than the asking price.

[dhergert]

The OP's banjo is a 4-string banjo...

Could this be one of Gibson's "Melody Banjo"(s), basically a short-scale 4-string mandolin-tuning banjo with 20 frets? (Although typically the Melody banjos had much shorter mandolin-scale necks.)

[Jim Garber]

The OP's banjo is a 4-string banjo...

Could this be one of Gibson's "Melody Banjo"(s), basically a short-scale 4-string mandolin-tuning banjo with 20 frets? (Although typically the Melody banjos had much shorter mandolin-scale necks.)

That is why I find it odd that it is labelled MB-Jr. Knowing Gibson, tho, I am not surprised if they put a tenor banjo neck on an mandolin banjo. Maybe it was later and they had all these extra parts they wanted to get rid of. I don't think it is a melody banjo. I don't think they ever made melody banjos in the Junior line. In fact this banjo looks just like this one on Reverb which has a TB label.

Here is a photo of a trapdoor melody banjo for comparison with the OP's. I tried to get the heads to match up in size:

[dhergert]

Yup, thanks Jim. Massively different scale lengths... The OP's banjo is definately not a Melody banjo. As we always say, anything is possible historically with Gibson.