Bradford & Company Hawthorn® RB-7 Style Top Tension banjo
Our Bradford & Company built RB-7 style top tension banjo is our pride and joy and it is built in the style of the classic 1937-41 Gibson RB-7 top tension resonator banjos. Our Hawthorn top tension banjo has a Red Maple (curly maple) neck and a solid, carved Curly Maple resonator with a flat inside surface. Our favorite tone ring and rim combination is the Huber HR-30 tone ring and Huber Engineered Rim, but virtually any tone ring and rim combination is available. Our RB-7 style model has a full, rich and clear tone all the way up the neck and is plenty loud. Great for melodic banjo styles as well as straight ahead Bluegrass picking. Top tension banjos are known for their versatility, Scruggs style, melodic style, single string, or chord playing, soft or loud, in the X or Y position. Many great players such as Bill Keith, Wes Corbett, Sammy Shelor, Ned Luberecki, and Noam Pickelny, and many other have favored top tension banjos.
Our Bradford & Company built RB-7 style top tension banjo is our pride and joy and it is built in the style of the classic 1937-41 Gibson RB-7 top tension resonator banjos. Our Hawthorn top tension banjo has a Red Maple (curly maple) neck and a solid, carved Curly Maple resonator with a flat inside surface. Our favorite tone ring and rim combination is the Huber HR-30 tone ring and Huber Engineered Rim, but virtually any tone ring and rim combination is available. Our RB-7 style model has a full, rich and clear tone all the way up the neck and is plenty loud. Great for melodic banjo styles as well as straight ahead Bluegrass picking. Top tension banjos are known for their versatility, Scruggs style, melodic style, single string, or chord playing, soft or loud, in the X or Y position. Many great players such as Bill Keith, Wes Corbett, Sammy Shelor, Ned Luberecki, and Noam Pickelny, and many other have favored top tension banjos.
- Virtually any commercially available tone ring can be ordered including Huber, Tennessee 20, Blaylock, JBS, Prucha, Sullivan and others.
- Cooperman Vermont hard rock maple three-ply rim assembled with hot hide glue
- Optional Tony Pass Thinskirt® birch block rim ($200 upcharge)
- Red maple (curly maple) neck
- Evo gold frets standard
- Bone nut
- Dual action truss rod
- Rosewood fingerboard with classic slotted Bowtie inlays or the big block style inlays usually used on the Gibson RB-12 an RB-18 but sometimes used on the Gibson RB-7
- Hefty 12 inch radius on fingerboard as used on the original RB-7 Gibson top tension banjos from 1937 to 1941
- No finish on back of neck (speed neck) optional
- Period correct carved solid back maple resonator, flat on the inside
- Dark cordovan color with slight burst finish standard, Gibson "Argentine Gray" finish optional
- Our own proprietary Eco Brass top tension hoop and Eco Brass reinforced flange for extra threads
- Nickel plated hardware or polished brass hardware (photos above of raw brass hardware)
- Rickard 10-1 ratio Cyclone tuners (photo above) , Five Star, Waverly tuners or the reissue Kluson die cast Bowtie style tuners with the Keystone tuner buttons optional
- Kat Eyz McCormick Spice maple bridge with snakewood top, pegged, arched, compensated bridge standard
- AMB head standard; Virtually any commercially available head can be ordered including Remo, Five Star, Huber, and American Made Banjo Compan
- Premium Hardshell Case or optional Custom Tweed Embroidered Ameritage Hardshell case
- Full warranty to original purchaser
- Prices start at $5,750.00
- You can hear our endorsing artist Wes Corbett play his Hawthorn RB-7 style with the Molly Tuttle Band at at banjo camps across the country
Bradford & Company Fine Instruments
6020 Main Street | Kansas City, MO 64113 | 816-283-0400
info@bfstrings.com
11-6, Tues-Fri, 12-4 Sat, Closed Sun and Mon
6020 Main Street | Kansas City, MO 64113 | 816-283-0400
info@bfstrings.com
11-6, Tues-Fri, 12-4 Sat, Closed Sun and Mon