1926 Vega Style R Whyte Laydie Tenor Banjo

Overview: My friend Sue brought this in and I originally thought of keeping it for myself. That said, I only play tenor banjo at home or for recording and this fella, with its Whyte Laydie tonering and spin-on, aftermarket resonator, is way too loud and proud for that job, though it plays and sounds fantastic. It deserves to get gigged! It doesn't hurt that it also looks great, with that classic Vega restraint to the aesthetics. It's a short-scale tenor and thus ideal for the "American Celtic" folks who like to string these octave-mandolin-style (GDAE tuning) and use them for melody work. I've strung it and set it up for this tuning and the bright, crisp sound really brings every note out with clarity and definition.

Repairs included: I leveled/dressed the frets, added side dots, fit a new Remo Renaissance head, fit new Gotoh 4:1 geared tuners, fit a new bridge, cleaned it up, and set it up. It's playing bang-on and ready to go.

• Weight: 7 lbs 13 oz
• Scale length: 21"
• Nut width: 1 1/8"
• Neck shape: medium V
• Board radius: flat
• Depth at first fret: 29/32"
• Depth at seventh fret: 31/32"
• Head diameter: 10 15/16"
• Depth overall at rim: 3"
• Rim wood: ply maple
• Tonering: Whyte Laydie w/full bracket band, too
• Bridge: ebony/maple 3-foot
• Fretboard: ebony
• Neck wood: maple 2-piece
• Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 38w, 30w, 20w, 11 for GDAE tuning
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: small/narrow

Condition notes: I've replaced the tuners, head, and bridge. The rest is original. There are light signs of use here and there (light scratches, scuffs) but overall it is very clean for its age.

It comes with: It has an original hard case in decent shape.

Consignor tag: SCLK