I'm not a collector, as such, but I do appreciate the breadth and depth of variations in quality instruments. I have a Stelling MasterFlower which is an excellent example of precision in luthiery. And it sounds great as well!
My second banjo is a JP Hopkins Woodie. It's also a beautiful instrument and represents the whole category of tone-ring-free banjos which are much under-rated IMHO. Lovely, warm, balanced sound, light weight and wonderful playability.
Then there's the Tranjo 6.0 which has been several 1,000km with me on the back of my motorbike as well as several trips overseas. Every one should have one!
What I don't have is an example of the classic, Gibson tone-ring style instrument. I know Huber, Sullivan, Deering, etc, etc make these but a fair dinkum Gibson needs to be added to the collection to round it out.
The price seems to be around $5,000 for equivalent quality (that's what my Stelling and Hopkins were worth when I bought them). So what do you recommend as being "typical" of the brand? I'm tempted by the ESS simply because I'd like to have something that the great man had a direct input into, but then you could argue for a Granada. What do you think?
PS I'm a High School teacher so ... money is no object!!!
PPS If you think Huber, for example, is a better example of the MasterTone style banjo than Gibson, then don't be afraid to say so - but this thread is really asking "Which is the Gibson model most typical of the classic Gibson tone, make, quality?"
PPPS Not counting pre-war!!! Current models only. Before they're all gone.