This Deering-built Vega ‘Bluegrass Wonder’ was a custom order. These are the lightest professional-grade resonator banjos available, with a bright warm tone for historic fingerstyle or bluegrass.
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Here is a very nice openback banjo based on a 1930’s Vega No.2 tone ring and hardware.To the untrained eye, the neck looks “period” or “original” but is actually more elaborately inlaid than the original Tenor neck would have been …that said, a great way to get a “historic” banjo without paying the premium of a true vintage instrument.
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Here’s a 1968 Vega Folklore banjo in great condition. Folklore banjos were a very popular, affordable banjo model in the 50’s and 60’s. They aren’t extremely bright and have decent bass.
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During the 1970s and 80s there were a number of master Luthiers building replicas of Gibson banjos. Real Gibsons were in short supply and many felt the quality was not up to standards so many of these makers made a living building these lovely handmade copies at knock down prices compared to a new Gibson Mastertone.
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There has been some discussion on the hardware used on this banjo. The RB-250 did not come factory in gold but that said, in 1962 Gibson would fill virtually any custom request. The hardware shows none of the pitting typical of re-plated hardware. Also the cost to upgrade after the banjo was built would have been huge so we are going on the theory that this was a custom order. Tailpiece: I found several of these gold-plated tailpieces in the boxes of 1960s Gibson hardware I acquired when Gibson Canada shut down in 1979. So I am assuming they were stock Gibson issue for at least a few of their gold plated banjos, though I’ve never seen any. I gather they were made by Elton but am happy for input from anybody out there who knows more.
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