So I've been waiting for many months to find a Vega Little Wonder locally but haven't had any luck. I don't want to buy something from eBay and risk something being wrong with it. So the question is should I buy this Vega Professional[0]? My main concern is resale value, they don't seem to be as sought after as the Little Wonder thus a lesser value? Do you think this is an OK deal? Do any of you own one? How does it sound?
Thanks for helping.
[0].
"Vega Vegaphone Professional Tenor Banjo c.1927
10-15/16" rim, Tuba-phone tone ring, pie section resonator, individual flanges.Finish wear on back of neck, other light wear. VGC+, newer HSC $1050"
I have on of these (or else its very similar). They don't have as round a tone as the Little Wonder but I found that they are a nice banjo to play and it was my first banjo (except mine was a shortneck 17-fret). It cost me around €850 so that's around the price that this is going for. It won't be money wasted as it is a good banjo in my opinion but I would be looking for something with more of twang off it (eg The Little Wonder, The Artist, Epiphone Recording King).
If your main concern is re-sale value you probably souldn't buy much. Bernunzio's had a couple of Little Wonders in stock last time I looked. There was one in the Mandolin Cafe classifieds a couple of days ago too. They were all under $1000.
I have bought banjos both from dealers and on eBay, good and not so good from both. Since your main concern is resale value, I would definitely recommend eBay. Many of the basic tenor banjos frequently for sale on eBay turn out to be pretty good, but probably will need setup work (so will the ones from dealers). Look for Vegas, Bacons, and others from the 1920s. If you don't like the banjo, you can list it back on eBay and, on average, get back exactly waht you paid, minus shipping and relisting fees. On the other hand, if you buy from a dealer, you will not be able to resell for anything close to what you paid, probably more like half as much, because you will have to sell it on eBay. The particular banjo you are looking at has been on the dealer's web site for quite a while, at least six months I believe.
Do you live near Madison? If so, you could play the instrument. Wil Bremer is great to work with (he owns Spruce Tree for those not familiar with him) and will be glad to work a deal with you as far as a conditional buy goes. He will have that banjo well set up too (I know, I have one from him.) This is the difference between ebay and a dealer, you have some ability to address problems and you should get an instrument that is honestly described, at least from those dealers like Will or Bernunzion's (http://www.bernunzio.com)
$1050 is a fair middle retali price ($1200 may be an upper limit) and it will not lose value at that price if you decide to sell or trade. They are still sought after as conversion instruments but usually those buyers want a bargain ($850 in this case) and will buy an instrument with a warped neck. this one chouls be in good shape.
I would take that tubaphone over the little wonder any day, myself. The little wonders are "plunkier", and I go for more ring, personally.
Most of the little wonders on eBay go for between $300-$400, depending on their condition. And BTW, if you look at this discussion: http://thesession.org/discussions/display/14560, there is a member on the site who may be interested in selling a little wonder.
As far as eBay goes, I have gotten some great banjos from eBay (at last count, I've bought 7 banjos on eBay, including one of the two that I play on a regular basis). If they have good photographs, you can pretty much tell what you're getting, and where a banjo is mostly parts put together to make the sound (as opposed to craftsmanship in a fiddle or something), the biggest things you have to worry about are:
- warped neck
- worn frets or fingerboard
- high action (which can usually be adjusted, unless it is from a warped neck)
If the banjo looks pretty good in the pictures, the chances are it's pretty good (although, a good setup is as important as the banjo).
I do agree with bjbutler, when you buy from a dealer, you're likely to be paying more than you would be able to get back if you tried to sell it. (Not always the case, however... My Paramount could easily be sold for $500 more than I bought it for from a dealer).
And if you're interested, I have a 60's Vega (Ranger Tenor) that I just did a neck repair on for a friend. I'm getting ready to sell it for a lot cheaper than the banjo you're looking at. It's a good banjo to learn on, and it's in great shape, but it's probably not a long-term instrument, the way that the Vega Pro would be. (Although, John Carty played it recently and liked it... he'd like it more now that I fixed the neck and lowered the action) It definitely leans toward a ringy sound, not plunky, so it depends on what you're after. Anyway, send me a private email if you're at all interested... I planned to put it on eBay this weekend some time...
Thanks for all the replies. I think I'll go test out the Professional and see if I like the sound. If I do I'll see if I can trade a couple things to get the price down a bit.
Mike,
I do live in Madison. I'm glad to hear you've had good experiences with Spruce Tree. I don't suppose you know any good teachers in Madison?
Pete,
Thanks for the offer but I'm looking for an instrument from the 20s or 30s.
I live in Fond du Lac and am not up on the teachers in Madison. I know there are some, ask Wil Bremer when you look at the banjo. There may even be someone at his shop who teaches.
Shall this be my first Banjo?
Shall this be my first Banjo?
So I've been waiting for many months to find a Vega Little Wonder locally but haven't had any luck. I don't want to buy something from eBay and risk something being wrong with it. So the question is should I buy this Vega Professional[0]? My main concern is resale value, they don't seem to be as sought after as the Little Wonder thus a lesser value? Do you think this is an OK deal? Do any of you own one? How does it sound?
Thanks for helping.
[0].
"Vega Vegaphone Professional Tenor Banjo c.1927
10-15/16" rim, Tuba-phone tone ring, pie section resonator, individual flanges.Finish wear on back of neck, other light wear. VGC+, newer HSC $1050"
http://www.sprucetreemusic.com/vegaphprof969.jpg
http://www.sprucetreemusic.com/miscinst.html#tenor
# Posted on July 28th 2007 by whangee
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
I have on of these (or else its very similar). They don't have as round a tone as the Little Wonder but I found that they are a nice banjo to play and it was my first banjo (except mine was a shortneck 17-fret). It cost me around €850 so that's around the price that this is going for. It won't be money wasted as it is a good banjo in my opinion but I would be looking for something with more of twang off it (eg The Little Wonder, The Artist, Epiphone Recording King).
# Posted on July 28th 2007 by 52Paddy
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
If your main concern is re-sale value you probably souldn't buy much. Bernunzio's had a couple of Little Wonders in stock last time I looked. There was one in the Mandolin Cafe classifieds a couple of days ago too. They were all under $1000.
# Posted on July 28th 2007 by Steve L
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
check out allen hopkins site, i think he has a couple of little wonders for sale, set up and ready to play, and is a gentleman to deal with.
http://www.cft-jhopkins.supanet.com/index.htm
# Posted on July 28th 2007 by molloy
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
I have bought banjos both from dealers and on eBay, good and not so good from both. Since your main concern is resale value, I would definitely recommend eBay. Many of the basic tenor banjos frequently for sale on eBay turn out to be pretty good, but probably will need setup work (so will the ones from dealers). Look for Vegas, Bacons, and others from the 1920s. If you don't like the banjo, you can list it back on eBay and, on average, get back exactly waht you paid, minus shipping and relisting fees. On the other hand, if you buy from a dealer, you will not be able to resell for anything close to what you paid, probably more like half as much, because you will have to sell it on eBay. The particular banjo you are looking at has been on the dealer's web site for quite a while, at least six months I believe.
# Posted on July 28th 2007 by bjbutler
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
if it we're me , i'd go for the style M with 17 frets, you don't have to have the resonater to be heard, it's a banjo!
# Posted on July 28th 2007 by Dont
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
whangee,
Do you live near Madison? If so, you could play the instrument. Wil Bremer is great to work with (he owns Spruce Tree for those not familiar with him) and will be glad to work a deal with you as far as a conditional buy goes. He will have that banjo well set up too (I know, I have one from him.) This is the difference between ebay and a dealer, you have some ability to address problems and you should get an instrument that is honestly described, at least from those dealers like Will or Bernunzion's (http://www.bernunzio.com)
$1050 is a fair middle retali price ($1200 may be an upper limit) and it will not lose value at that price if you decide to sell or trade. They are still sought after as conversion instruments but usually those buyers want a bargain ($850 in this case) and will buy an instrument with a warped neck. this one chouls be in good shape.
Mike Keyes
http://www.mikekeyes.com
http://www.banjosessions.com
# Posted on July 28th 2007 by mikeyes
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
All three instruments are reasonably priced on a retail basis, and the same condition statements hold.
Mike Keyes
http://www.mikekeyes.com
http://www.banjosessions.com
# Posted on July 28th 2007 by mikeyes
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
I would take that tubaphone over the little wonder any day, myself. The little wonders are "plunkier", and I go for more ring, personally.
Most of the little wonders on eBay go for between $300-$400, depending on their condition. And BTW, if you look at this discussion: http://thesession.org/discussions/display/14560, there is a member on the site who may be interested in selling a little wonder.
As far as eBay goes, I have gotten some great banjos from eBay (at last count, I've bought 7 banjos on eBay, including one of the two that I play on a regular basis). If they have good photographs, you can pretty much tell what you're getting, and where a banjo is mostly parts put together to make the sound (as opposed to craftsmanship in a fiddle or something), the biggest things you have to worry about are:
- warped neck
- worn frets or fingerboard
- high action (which can usually be adjusted, unless it is from a warped neck)
If the banjo looks pretty good in the pictures, the chances are it's pretty good (although, a good setup is as important as the banjo).
I do agree with bjbutler, when you buy from a dealer, you're likely to be paying more than you would be able to get back if you tried to sell it. (Not always the case, however... My Paramount could easily be sold for $500 more than I bought it for from a dealer).
And if you're interested, I have a 60's Vega (Ranger Tenor) that I just did a neck repair on for a friend. I'm getting ready to sell it for a lot cheaper than the banjo you're looking at. It's a good banjo to learn on, and it's in great shape, but it's probably not a long-term instrument, the way that the Vega Pro would be. (Although, John Carty played it recently and liked it... he'd like it more now that I fixed the neck and lowered the action) It definitely leans toward a ringy sound, not plunky, so it depends on what you're after. Anyway, send me a private email if you're at all interested... I planned to put it on eBay this weekend some time...
Pete
# Posted on July 28th 2007 by Reverend
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
Thanks for all the replies. I think I'll go test out the Professional and see if I like the sound. If I do I'll see if I can trade a couple things to get the price down a bit.
Mike,
I do live in Madison. I'm glad to hear you've had good experiences with Spruce Tree. I don't suppose you know any good teachers in Madison?
Pete,
Thanks for the offer but I'm looking for an instrument from the 20s or 30s.
# Posted on July 29th 2007 by whangee
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
No worries, whangee.
The pre-war banjos are definitely better banjos
I play a '34 Paramount and a 20's Orpheum. Good luck with the Vega Professional! I think you made the right choice.
Pete
# Posted on July 29th 2007 by Reverend
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
Whangee,
I live in Fond du Lac and am not up on the teachers in Madison. I know there are some, ask Wil Bremer when you look at the banjo. There may even be someone at his shop who teaches.
Mike Keyes
http://www.mikekeyes.com
# Posted on July 29th 2007 by mikeyes
Re: Shall this be my first Banjo?
I've just got a Gibson 18 fret off ebay for 800 dollars 1929. It's great. Sandy
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by Sandy Holdom