In 1929 Gibson produced this PT (Plectrum Tenor) and it was marketed as "2 banjos in one" with a scale that could either be played as a plectrum or tenor. 125 total Royal PT banjos were produced and only 2 Florentine's are known to exist. The Florentine was available in a few different colors and this -1 is in "White Holly". The original Vibrato Tone-Master mute system has been removed by a previous owner and a gold plated machine screw is in place on the armrest. The Florentine obviously features extensive carving and painting with "Christmas Tree" binding complete with the fancy "ice cream cone" on the Gibson peg head veneer. This Florentine is equipped with a full weight 20-hole tone ring complete with the Florentine engraving. Many original flathead banjos from this era had a cut label (Earl Scruggs' banjo and many more) as they were prepared for an archtop ring but then were modified to receive the newly designed flathead. The hardware shows the gold plating with Florentine engraving with fantastic patina. The original 2-band engraved tuners with pearl buttons are also present along with the original #522 Geib and Schaefer case with zippered inner lining. An added note: The original owner of #9284-1 was Salvatore di Giorgio, a native of Sicily whose name was changed to Salvatore de George upon his immigration to the United States. Mr. de George lived in the Reading, Pennsylvania area and died in 1977; the banjo remained in his family until the summer of 2020. This banjo is listed in Gibson's factory shipping ledgers as being returned to Wittich's Music House on April 8, 1948 following an unspecified repair; Wittich's has been identified by researcher Joe Spann as having had locations in both Reading and Hazelton, Pennsylvania. 9284-1 is an exceedingly rare, original example of a prewar flathead Gibson Mastertone. If you have any questions or desire additional pictures, don't hesitate to ask. Thanks for looking!
