Vega Tubaphone Guitar Banjo (1928)
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Item # 10488
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Vega Tubaphone Model Guitar Banjo (1928), made in Boston, Mass., serial # 90280, natural varnish finish, laminated maple rim and neck, ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This is a relatively rare late example of the Vega Tubaphone Guitar-Banjo, one of the best-sounding "Guit-jo's" ever made. The Vega company in Boston built these starting in the 1910s up through the late '20s (initially under the Fairbanks name) but only in small numbers compared to 5 and then 4 string banjos. These 6-string banjos did feature in some jazz bands of the 1920s, but seem to have been produced in ever-smaller numbers up into the Depression years. This one was made in 1928, when the jazz age was still roaring but banjo sales on the whole were about to take a steep decline.
The Tubaphone is a substantial instrument all around. The heavy laminated maple rim is fitted with the patented Fairbanks bracket band and tortoise celluloid edge capping, and of course capped with the incomparable Tub-a-phone tone ring. This one was made after the Fairbanks name was discontinued so the dowel carries just the Vega star stamp, as well as three patents. Pinned to the stick is a celluloid plate indicating it was originally sold by Carl Fischer of New York.
The laminated maple neck has an ivoroid-bound ebony fingerboard inlaid with dots and some engraved pearl pieces. The headstock has an engraved Vega star inlay and original Grover pancake geared tuners, a big improvement on the non-geared variety found on earlier examples. The vintage Tubaphone is always a very classy instrument; this one shows some wear overall but is a fairly rare find in any condition. These 1920's Vegas, and particularly the top-of-the-line Tubaphones, are as fine a banjo-guitar as has ever been made and great instruments for anything from vintage Jazz and Ragtime to Old-Time country styles.
"Play that thing, Mr. St Cyr!" - while with Louis Armstrong's Hot Five, Johnny St. Cyr used a six-string Vega very similar to this one, as did New Orleans great Danny Barker for much of his career. This one plays great and has all the sound needed for everything from solo fingerpicking to small-group ragtime to orchestral jazz.
Overall length is 36 3/4 in. (93.3 cm.), 11 3/4 in. (29.8 cm.) diameter head, and 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 26 in. (660 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This "Git-jo" is in a bit worn in but remains beautifully original, the with no alterations except a replaced bone nut. There is some average wear overall, but the thin original varnish finish has no large areas of loss. There is one deep scratch to the headstock face and some dings and dents. The plating has some average wear but all the hardware is original, including the special 6-string tailpiece and a full set of hooks and nuts.
The fingerboard (including the lovely engraved inlay) and frets are original and cleaner than many and this instrument plays very well with a very powerful sound It has kept its original Rogers Union Brand "Vega Quality" head intact for almost 95 years; it is a bit dirty but sounds excellent, you simply cannot get calfskin of this quality anymore. Even the original ebony-capped maple bridge is intact, as is the worn but functional original purple-lined hardshell case. Excellent - Condition.
This is a relatively rare late example of the Vega Tubaphone Guitar-Banjo, one of the best-sounding "Guit-jo's" ever made. The Vega company in Boston built these starting in the 1910s up through the late '20s (initially under the Fairbanks name) but only in small numbers compared to 5 and then 4 string banjos. These 6-string banjos did feature in some jazz bands of the 1920s, but seem to have been produced in ever-smaller numbers up into the Depression years. This one was made in 1928, when the jazz age was still roaring but banjo sales on the whole were about to take a steep decline.
The Tubaphone is a substantial instrument all around. The heavy laminated maple rim is fitted with the patented Fairbanks bracket band and tortoise celluloid edge capping, and of course capped with the incomparable Tub-a-phone tone ring. This one was made after the Fairbanks name was discontinued so the dowel carries just the Vega star stamp, as well as three patents. Pinned to the stick is a celluloid plate indicating it was originally sold by Carl Fischer of New York.
The laminated maple neck has an ivoroid-bound ebony fingerboard inlaid with dots and some engraved pearl pieces. The headstock has an engraved Vega star inlay and original Grover pancake geared tuners, a big improvement on the non-geared variety found on earlier examples. The vintage Tubaphone is always a very classy instrument; this one shows some wear overall but is a fairly rare find in any condition. These 1920's Vegas, and particularly the top-of-the-line Tubaphones, are as fine a banjo-guitar as has ever been made and great instruments for anything from vintage Jazz and Ragtime to Old-Time country styles.
"Play that thing, Mr. St Cyr!" - while with Louis Armstrong's Hot Five, Johnny St. Cyr used a six-string Vega very similar to this one, as did New Orleans great Danny Barker for much of his career. This one plays great and has all the sound needed for everything from solo fingerpicking to small-group ragtime to orchestral jazz.
Overall length is 36 3/4 in. (93.3 cm.), 11 3/4 in. (29.8 cm.) diameter head, and 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 26 in. (660 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This "Git-jo" is in a bit worn in but remains beautifully original, the with no alterations except a replaced bone nut. There is some average wear overall, but the thin original varnish finish has no large areas of loss. There is one deep scratch to the headstock face and some dings and dents. The plating has some average wear but all the hardware is original, including the special 6-string tailpiece and a full set of hooks and nuts.
The fingerboard (including the lovely engraved inlay) and frets are original and cleaner than many and this instrument plays very well with a very powerful sound It has kept its original Rogers Union Brand "Vega Quality" head intact for almost 95 years; it is a bit dirty but sounds excellent, you simply cannot get calfskin of this quality anymore. Even the original ebony-capped maple bridge is intact, as is the worn but functional original purple-lined hardshell case. Excellent - Condition.