In the 1920s, style 2 was the fanciest non-Mastertone in the Gibson banjo line. This 1926 example has a 10 1/2-inch maple rim with bracket shoes and a “serpentine” flange, seen only on style 2 banjos of 1925 and 1926. The hardware is nickel-plated and the wood is straight-grained maple; the tone ring is a simple tubular design. The fingerboard inlays were also used on Gibson’s Nick Lucas Special flattop guitar of the period. The tailpiece on this example has been replaced. #8266-7 (see Gibson banjo serial numbers vs. factory order numbers) is currently set up for use in traditional Irish music with the GDAE tuning.
Here’s a sound sample of this banjo with a calfskin head:
And here’s one with a plastic head:
Photos courtesy of Tash Ó Treasaigh.