1929 Vega Vegaphone Soloist Tenor Banjo

1929 Vega Vegaphone Soloist Tenor Banjo

High-End Player Grade • Jazz- Age Professional

$2,400

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT HISTORICAL AMERICAN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
This is not your typical surviving example of a Jazz-Age tenor banjo.

This is a 1929 Vega Vegaphone Soloist instrument, built in Boston at the height of the American tenor banjo.

The Vega Vegaphone Soloist was not Vega’s starter instrument. This was the second-most expensive model in Vega’s Vegaphone line. Built for professionals and priced accordingly, these instruments were marketed toward dance musicians, theater orchestra players and jazz musicians seeking the hottest new sound of the 19 teens and 1920s.

This particular Vegaphone Soloist is best classified as a high-end Player Grade instrument. This banjo was most likely played every day as soon as it left the Vega factory, and will continue to reward banjo players for a century more. There are certainly cosmetic signs of its age and use, but this Vega has been professionally assessed, cleaned, inspected and detailed by Blue Note Music. We love this instrument’s visual appeal, and even its signs of age help tell the story of this beautiful Vega.

Inspect the photos closely. You will see what we mean.

Pearled inlays on the headstock.  
Beautifully decorated ebony fingerboard.  
Period-style gold- finished Vega hardware.  
Signature maple construction and resonator.  
You can even see remnants of the original Vegaphone/Tubaphone decoration around the resonator edge.

Of course, what makes it truly special is that it’s original. It’s 19 years old.

To own and play this instrument is to own and play an important piece of American history. This is the same model of banjo you would find in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History collecting dust behind glass. There is an example of an approximately 1929 Vega Soloist currently on display at the museum as part of their Musical Instrument Gallery.

Yep, it’s that cool.

Pretty much any Vega Vegaphone is going to be special to jazz musicians and vintage collectors. But the Vega Vegaphone Soloist holds particular importance because of its historical presence.

VEGA VEGAPHONES

Why Vegaphones Matter
The 1920s was the defining decade for tenor banjo. From dance halls to theater pits to NYC jazz clubs, professional musicians wanted tenor banjos. Vegaphones were professional standards during that era, and they still are today.

Blue Note Music will not be handing this instrument out to researchers for academic documentation. It’s being offered for sale because this banjo should be played.

Played and enjoyed by someone who understands what makes it special.

If you are a serious tenor- banjo player or collector, a vintage- instrument aficionado, or simply a musician who wants an instrument with nearly 100 years of genuine history in its backstory, this is an opportunity to own a premium-quality instrument with unparalleled musical pedigree.

This Vega Vegaphone Soloist was built in 1929. It was built to be played.

-played every day for nearly 100 years

-by professional musicians.

-by you.

Specifications:   
 19xx Vega Vegaphone Soloist Tenor Banjo  
Serial number currently unavailable.  
VB neck.  
 Ebony fingerboard with pearl decoration  
Pearl headstock inlay  
Ebony veneer armrest.  
Chrome resonate tunnel with gold hardware  
Maple resonator.  
 Original Vega Model SB tag present.  
 Includes free Blue Note Hardshell case.

Blue Note Music has taken the liberty to conservatively rate this instrument as High-End Player Grade due to its current condition and presentation. Upon discovery we will update with the serial number.