Fairbanks/Vega Tubaphone Model Guitar Banjo (1921), made in Boston, natural lacquer finish, maple neck and rim, ebony fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
A wonderful example of the Vega/Fairbanks Tubaphone Guitar-Banjo, certainly one of the finest sounding "Guit-jo's" ever made. Maple 12" rim with bracket band and tortoise celluloid edge capping; Tub-a-phone tone ring and Kershner "Improved Unique" tailpiece. Dowel still carries "The Fairbanks Banjo By Vega" stamp, as well as three patents and the Vega star.
Laminated maple neck with ivoroid-bound ebony fingerboard, inlaid with dots and small shaped pearl pieces, one of which carries the engraved initials "G.S.", possibly the original owner. Close-fitting (pre-Vegaphone�no flange) two-piece back matching maple resonator with "The Vega Co." logo and the stamp of an old music store inside; certainly period, if not original equipment.
A very classy instrument and a rare find in this condition. These 1920's Vegas, and particularly the Tubaphones, are as fine a banjo-guitar as has ever been made, and great-sounding 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.
Overall length is 35 7/8 in. (91.1 cm.), 11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm.) diameter head, and 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm.) deep. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.).
Extremely clean condition overall; very little play wear. One ding on the back of the neck around the 11-12th fret area (possibly from an ill-fitting case) is the only real blemish. Slight thumbwear on the back of the neck in first position; otherwise finish is extremely well-preserved for an instrument of this age.
All original except for recent re-issue Grover-style two-band tuners; some minor marks visible from previous guitar style tuners. Hooks and nuts do not all match exactly, but are all period and very close (one really has to look to notice this)!
Set up with a new skin head; plays and sounds fantastic. With an old but not original HSC. Excellent + Condition.
