In 1980, five musicians went into the Arch Street Studio in Berkeley, CA and Bluegrass recording history was made. “The Bluegrass Album” featured Tony Rice, J.D. Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Doyle Lawson, and Todd Phillips, and the songs they recorded redefined the direction of bluegrass music for the next generation. The banjo pictured on the cover and recorded on the Bluegrass Album was a prewar RB-3 that has been with Saga for more than 30 years. Without question, that banjo produced some of the finest examples of banjo tone that have ever been recorded.
After five years or development, Saga has introduced a faithful recreation of that legendary banjo: the Gold Star GF-100JD. Like the original RB-3, the Gold Star GF-100JD features a traditional V-shaped neck, a deep arch/tapered wall resonator, and a no-hole, cast, machined flat tone ring. The result is a banjo that truly pops and sings across the room. It truly captures the classic tone heard from JD's picking on "The Bluegrass Album." It also plays nicely thanks to an expert setup from the Telluride Music Co. team.
This Gold Star GF-100 JD Crowe Bluegrass Album banjo is more than capable of driving any bluegrass ensemble. It includes a deluxe hardshell case.