❌SOLD❌ Deering Vega Senator Open Back 5 String Banjo, 2008

The Deering Vega Senator open back 5-string banjo recalls the early Vega banjos that were so prominent from the 1880s and into the first decades of the 20th century.

The Vega Senator banjo is the perfect “crossover” and parlor banjo. It is a light-weight, classic open back banjo, with a warm, woody tone with a lightweight tone ring that adds just enough punch and high-end clarity to play bluegrass with your buddies but warm, fat and woody enough to play in your parlor as a classic clawhammer or fingerstyle solo instrument.

The Vega Senator is built around the famous Whyte Laydie modified tone-ring used on the historic early 20th century Vega Senator banjo. The Senator was an “economy” version of the full Whyte Laydie versions that was modified into a simpler Spun-Brass-and-rod tone-ring to save money and fit into a price point. It turned out that this lighter weight tone ring was a tonal success and this banjo has become a favorite of collectors.

The Vega Senator has become favored choice of old-time / clawhammer and fingerstyle players looking for a lightweight banjo with top-end clarity and snap normally not heard on a typical open back wood ring banjo – but also a lovely round tone with enough ring and sustain up the neck to play bluegrass but without the back-breaking weight of a typical Bluegrass instrument.

Here we are looking at a gently used Deering Vega Senator built during 2008 at the Deering shop in Spring Valley, California. It has been cleaned, adjusted and set up by Anne Hartman here at The Twelfth Fret, so it plays well and sounds great.

The original Deering ‘bump’ hard shell case is included.

Here’s the builder on the Deering Vega Senator:

“A spun brass tone ring, ideal for Old Time, Classical, Folk, Civil War music, over 100 years of Vega tradition and Deering’s innovative approach to banjo crafting went into the creation of the Vega Senator model. The spun brass tone ring gives it a bright yet warm tone.

The Senator has the time honored vintage Vega peghead profile, and a rich warm brown stained maple neck with adjustable truss rod and a 3-ply rim with dual coordinator rods. The hard, dense, naturally beautiful ebony fingerboard is inlaid with pearl dots, and a Vega star at the fifth fret.

This open back Vega Senator has the ease of playability that all Deering banjos are noted for, and the light weight desired by many banjo players without sacrificing sound quality and sustain.”