1930 Vega Tenor Banjo
The photos of this beautiful 1930 Vega Little Wonder sum up any description I will give. This Vega must have been kept in its case for most of its life as it shows little signs of being played. As with all of my banjos this one also has been disassembled, polished, and put back to factory settings. The maple neck and rim have the same serial number (94627) which dates it at the year 1930 (86 years old) and I’m guessing the pie crust resonator is original also. The 3 piece maple neck is straight and I have the action set low, so it plays very easy on the fingers. The geared tuners are original ‘Grover Pat’ which all work fine and the head stock bears the Vega Star MOP. The bone nut also looks original which adds to the distinct bright sound, the bridge is the new type maple & ebony tip.
I have replaced the head with a clear Remo 10 15/16″ as it will enhance the sound better resting on the little wonder tone ring. The nickel plating on the tension hoop, tone ring, hooks & nuts are in excellent condition which is rare for an 86 year old banjo. The original presto tail piece was damaged so this is a new nickel plated Presto replacement. The engraved flange plates are also in excellent condition, usually the Little Wonder model has the plain flange plates. The maple pie crust resonator is in excellent condition and really adds a punch to the sound from this banjo.
Overall a fine vintage banjo and one worth owning, professionally setup and comes with a hardshell case. Banjo is now Sold
I have added a video to let you hear how the vega sounds, the action is low and lovely to play.