For those with a spare $35,000 set aside...

[TolerancEJ]

1929 Gibson Florenine Bass Banjo. The vendor's write-up says it's in museum quality condition. Unfortunately for us, it seems to be priced in that range as well. There is an Add to Cart button at the bottom of the write-up.

For fun, one day, maybe someone should call the Gibson Custom Shop & try to place an order for one of these.

http://bernunzio.com/product/gibson-florentine-bass-1/

[GM60466]

The only bass banjo I've ever seen

[lowendrv]

Here's another bass banjo
http://www.xstrange.com/bassbanjo.htm

[superdick2112]

The pics don't really show how big these things were - they were huge, and pretty rare....

Here is a link to a vintage ad showing the enormous size of the beastie....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:19...s_banjo_ad.jpg

[Diesel Kilgore]

There was just a post about loud acoustics the other day and someone posted a pic of a drum/banjo bass that they built.

Seems like the most logical way to go for a performance acoustic, or an upright.

[DeadHeadSF]

Originally Posted by lowendrv

Here's another bass banjo
http://www.xstrange.com/bassbanjo.htm

I wonder how that thing gets much sound with that flat-top bridge on it...

[VerryBerry]

Originally Posted by GM60466

The only bass banjo I've ever seen

Actually, Oteil Burbridge played an electric bass banjo for one number during The Tedeschi Trucks Band tour through US and Canada last summer. Saw them in Edmonton in July.

That was the first time I ever saw one too.

[TolerancEJ]

I've seen this online before, but I have no experience with it.
http://www.goldtone.com/products/det...00+-Banjo-Bass

[kreider204]

That's awesome. My father had a Gibson Mandobass at one point, that was pretty neat.

[Biggbass]

Price seems pretty outrageous compared to other Gibson banjos of that era. It's not an original 5 string, and the 4 strings of that era are still in the 2500-4000 range. Rare, maybe, overpriced, definitely.

[Primakurtz]

Paddle MUCH faster - I hear bass banjos!

[M.R. Ogle]

You know the difference between a banjo and a trampoline?


You take OFF your shoes to jump on a trampoline.

[king_biscuit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:19...s_banjo_ad.jpg

Lol! Gibson got started on the wrong foot never did really figure out the bass market.

[Munjibunga]

For $35K, you could have that banjo, or you could have these, with $1K left to spend on your wife.

[rapidfirerob]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

For $35K, you could have that banjo, or you could have these, with $1K left to spend on your wife.

I'd be ridiculously happy with one of these.

[mjac28]

Now that's a bass

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by rapidfirerob

I'd be ridiculously happy with one of these.

What's amazing about them is how the tops all have nearly identical figuring. Look at them closely.

[Mark Wilson]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

For $35K, you could have that banjo, or you could have these, with $1K left to spend on your wife.

With those three, who needs a wife? Amirite?

[jmclearnon]

^^^ I would definitely go the one on the right! Anyways imagine bringing that $35k bass to a gig.... far too much hassle

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by jmclearnon

^^^ I would definitely go the one on the right! Anyways imagine bringing that $35k bass to a gig.... far too much hassle

You get ALL THREE for $34K!