Vega Whyte Laydie Guitar Banjo (1925)
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Item # 6286
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Vega Whyte Laydie Model Guitar Banjo (1925), made in Boston, Mass., serial # 66100, natural varnish finish, laminated maple neck and rim, ebony fingerboard.
This is a fairly rare and rather beautiful Vega Whyte Laydie Banjo-Guitar. This model features all natural maple construction with ebony laminates thru neck and on headstock and heelcap, with a heavy ebony fingerboard. There is an inlaid pearl Vega star in head and mixed dot-and-diamond pearl fingerboard inlay. The hardware includes the patented Vega bracket-band rim with Electric/Whyte Laydie tonering and special 6-string tailpiece. This is as fine an openback banjo-guitar as has ever been made and a great sounding instrument 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.
Overall length is 35 3/4 in. (90.8 cm.), 11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm.) diameter head, and 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 13/16 in. (46 mm.). A clean example overall; the only notable alterations are the tuners (1950's Waverly strips) and the binding on the treble side of the fingerboard has been cleanly replaced. All other hardware is original; the nut is more recent and the bridge is a very fine repro of the Vega original. There are a couple of small chips in the very end of the fingerboard, and some light wear overall. A very good player, currently set up with a plastic head so the sound is rather bright and penetrating. Overall Excellent Condition.
This is a fairly rare and rather beautiful Vega Whyte Laydie Banjo-Guitar. This model features all natural maple construction with ebony laminates thru neck and on headstock and heelcap, with a heavy ebony fingerboard. There is an inlaid pearl Vega star in head and mixed dot-and-diamond pearl fingerboard inlay. The hardware includes the patented Vega bracket-band rim with Electric/Whyte Laydie tonering and special 6-string tailpiece. This is as fine an openback banjo-guitar as has ever been made and a great sounding instrument 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.
Overall length is 35 3/4 in. (90.8 cm.), 11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm.) diameter head, and 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 13/16 in. (46 mm.). A clean example overall; the only notable alterations are the tuners (1950's Waverly strips) and the binding on the treble side of the fingerboard has been cleanly replaced. All other hardware is original; the nut is more recent and the bridge is a very fine repro of the Vega original. There are a couple of small chips in the very end of the fingerboard, and some light wear overall. A very good player, currently set up with a plastic head so the sound is rather bright and penetrating. Overall Excellent Condition.