u/Andrei0213

The caseback is clearly marked 63B176, but the hands look like the black hands used on the 63B177 instead of the lume-filled hands normally seen on the 63B176.

It also has a Frank Lloyd Wright embossed leather strap, which seems unusual. Could this be a transitional model, a parts swap, or has it been modified? Any insights would be appreciated.

It' a T850R banjo，as same as the Goldstar GF-85.

This is a Tokai T-850R banjo from 1981, made in Japan. It was produced in the exact same year and factory as the famous '81 Crowe. Its export counterpart for the overseas market is the Gold Star GF-85.

Celebrating 250 years of liberty.

As a Christian from China, I pray that America returns to Christ.

Because of Jim Mills’ videos, I became fascinated with the sound of pre-war Gibson banjos. In my mind, the ideal pre-war tone has a strong metallic edge, a loose and open character while still keeping every note clear and distinct, a wide dynamic range, and never sounds muddy.

The sound of 1960s–70s Gibsons, such as the RB-250, feels a bit warmer to me, with more of a woody character. I’ve been trying to set up my own banjo to capture that pre-war sound, but I can’t seem to achieve both a bright tone and a wide dynamic range at the same time.

I’m in China, and the banjos available to me are mostly made by factories that manufacture instruments for companies such as Gold Tone or Recording King. Even though the specifications are quite good, they’re still not American-made instruments. If I ever get the chance, I’d love to experience the sound of a genuine pre-war Gibson banjo for myself.

Of course, the player is a huge part of the equation as well. I’ve only been playing banjo for a little over six months, so compared to someone of Jim Mills’ caliber, I still have a very long way to go!

I recently bought my first Mastertone-style banjo. It has the same specifications as the Gold Tone OB-Standard, but I can’t seem to get that pre-war banjo tone I hear in Gold Tone’s official demo videos.

Could this be a problem with my right-hand technique and picking attack? Or is it more likely that the banjo in their official videos was set up differently from mine?