Vega Little Wonder 5 String Resonator Banjo (1952)
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Vega Little Wonder Model 5 String Resonator Banjo (1952), made in Boston, Mass., serial # 98678, sunburst lacquer finish, laminated maple rim and resonator, laminated mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This is an authentic Vega 5-string from a time when nobody was making all that many banjos, not even the venerable Boston company usually considered (along with Gibson) the world's foremost maker. In the early 1950s the 5-string banjo in general was not a hot item; Earl Scruggs was building his reputation with Bill Monroe and beyond but was still a limited regional phenomenon compared to later decades. Most of the great banjo makers of the 1920s had gone by the wayside, leaving Vega and Gibson as the only two offering at least semi-professional quality instruments.
"Little Wonder" was Vega's tradename for a good quality but lower budget banjo since the 1910s. This early 1950s version is actually quite a professional grade instrument compared to most with a Vegaphone resonator and 1920s style 4-piece flange. The simple rim and tone ring construction marks it as their most basic model, but the construction is still to the same level as their highest grade products. This model feels and plays like higher grade Vegas, if with a bit less volume and "ring" due to the plain tone ring. The materials are top grade; the neck is laminated mahogany with an ebony fingerboard, the rim and resonator laminated maple.
This banjo has a fancier look and more professional than many student models, vintage or modern, even though the hardware is fairly basic. It has simple non-geared tuners and the classic "eagle claw" tailpiece, with the only ornament of note being the bound fingerboard Vega decal on the headstock. "A beauty in appearance, a wonder for tone and the highest quality for the price" read Vega's catalog description, and in this case they were not really gilding the lily.
Overall length is 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 3 in. (7.6 cm.) in depth, measured at rib. Scale length is 27 in. (686 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
This banjo shows only light wear overall and remains beautifully original and still an excellent value in an authentic period vintage 5-string banjo. The original finish is fully intact and unaltered with some light checking (mostly on the resonator back) and very minor dings and dents. There is a small melt mark (probably from a vinyl strap) on the back of the neck just above the heel. All hardware remains original, and the banjo is set up with an old skin head that sounds great. The frets are still in excellent shape, really this banjo does not appear to have been used much in over 70 years, a real find in an authentic resonator (or convertible to openback, if desired) 5-string banjo. It resides in a later HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.
This is an authentic Vega 5-string from a time when nobody was making all that many banjos, not even the venerable Boston company usually considered (along with Gibson) the world's foremost maker. In the early 1950s the 5-string banjo in general was not a hot item; Earl Scruggs was building his reputation with Bill Monroe and beyond but was still a limited regional phenomenon compared to later decades. Most of the great banjo makers of the 1920s had gone by the wayside, leaving Vega and Gibson as the only two offering at least semi-professional quality instruments.
"Little Wonder" was Vega's tradename for a good quality but lower budget banjo since the 1910s. This early 1950s version is actually quite a professional grade instrument compared to most with a Vegaphone resonator and 1920s style 4-piece flange. The simple rim and tone ring construction marks it as their most basic model, but the construction is still to the same level as their highest grade products. This model feels and plays like higher grade Vegas, if with a bit less volume and "ring" due to the plain tone ring. The materials are top grade; the neck is laminated mahogany with an ebony fingerboard, the rim and resonator laminated maple.
This banjo has a fancier look and more professional than many student models, vintage or modern, even though the hardware is fairly basic. It has simple non-geared tuners and the classic "eagle claw" tailpiece, with the only ornament of note being the bound fingerboard Vega decal on the headstock. "A beauty in appearance, a wonder for tone and the highest quality for the price" read Vega's catalog description, and in this case they were not really gilding the lily.
Overall length is 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 3 in. (7.6 cm.) in depth, measured at rib. Scale length is 27 in. (686 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
This banjo shows only light wear overall and remains beautifully original and still an excellent value in an authentic period vintage 5-string banjo. The original finish is fully intact and unaltered with some light checking (mostly on the resonator back) and very minor dings and dents. There is a small melt mark (probably from a vinyl strap) on the back of the neck just above the heel. All hardware remains original, and the banjo is set up with an old skin head that sounds great. The frets are still in excellent shape, really this banjo does not appear to have been used much in over 70 years, a real find in an authentic resonator (or convertible to openback, if desired) 5-string banjo. It resides in a later HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.