1922/2000s Vega Tubaphone Conversion 5-String Openback Banjo

Overview: This is an interesting banjo! It has a big, 11 3/4" Vega Tubaphone rim from 1922 (likely off of a tenor banjo -- big rims were all the rage in the early '20s) with a modern, Vega-style, repro neck finished in satin. The neck is a little on the wider and deeper side compared to vintage Vegas and fits more with the "modern old time" aesthetic and handling. It originally had frets up to the pot just like an old Vega, though someone took them out and filled the slots at some point to make a "demi-scooped" neck. Fair enough! The neck only has the markings "LEG" on it and I'm unsure of who made it. Wherever it came from, it's a quality build.

It's very loud, full and even, and has excellent sparkle. This one will definitely cut in a jam environment. To get more of the "tubby" big rim sound out of it, one will need to slack the head a little more and give it some more damping than I have (you can see a bit of foam damping the string afterlength and a small block of foam to cut-down on overtones behind the dowel in the photos). If you're a fan of the chipper and clean Tubaphone thing, though, this does it, of course!

Repairs included: I leveled and dressed the frets, adjusted the truss rod (yes, it's buried in the heel, unfortunately), compensated the bridge, cleaned it up, and set it up. It's playing spot-on and ready to go and comes with an extra 5/8" bridge to set the action to 3/32" rather than the quick, 1/16" setup I have it dialed-at right now.

• Weight: 8 lbs 0 oz
• Scale length: 26 1/4"
• Nut width: 1 3/8"
• Neck shape: medium-fuller C/very soft V
• Board radius: flat
• Depth at first fret: 0.86"
• Depth at seventh fret: 0.92"
• Head diameter: 11 3/4"
• Depth overall at rim: 2 5/8"
• Rim wood: ply maple
• Tonering: Tubaphone
• Bridge: ebony/maple
• Fretboard: ebony
• Neck wood: maple
• Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 10s
• Truss rod: adjustable
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: medium

Condition notes: There's a little wear and tear to the rim's finish and hardware and the newer Remo head had some gunk on it that I cleaned-off so it's a little worn-in, too. The end of the fretboard has had frets removed to make a "demi-scoop." I suppose I could convert that into a full scoop if desired.

It comes with: It has a gigbag of some sort, as I recall.

Consignor tag: BCOK