Stew mac phone number full#
A full restoration won't add much to the value of the instrument unless, you are a well-known resto-shop with a proven track record of 'doing it right'. Personally, I prefer to fix issues like the separated binding, missing 5th string peg, tailpiece, bridge, etc., and give it a good cleaning. The vintage 5-string market places a premium on 'patina' but that is a variable. No big problem, simply find an original tailpiece and you're done. An original bridge might be a little difficult to find.they were 'throw away' items.and fun to find but do not add significant value to the instrument. They are easily and commonly replaced.and both are currently "wrong" for this banjo as it might have come from the factory.
It may have been taken out immediately by the first owner, but it was born as a 5-string.īridges and tailpieces mean absolutely nothing to the definition of what kind of banjo it might be. That notch in the side of the hole is not put in there by a machine, it is formed when the 5th string peg is driven into the hole (may have been started with a file, it does look very clean). Now, maybe he took it out before it got much wear, but it's really clean. Yeah, but that hole is so clean I don't think it ever had a peg in it. Once polished, that patina is gone forever, but would the polish be the final touch on the instrument - sort of like waxing a vintage car? What do you think? Should I get it NOS, get it looking good, or just get it playable with a light restoration?
I was thinking of using a nitro-safe minimal chemical polish on the wood, but again I have a problem. However, this instrument is in almost untouched condition (except for wear from play and age) and I have a sort of moral dilemma here - should I polish the metal parts or leave the patina? Same goes for the wood. I wouldn't go as far as replating or parts replacements, but usually stopped before I hit 90% of looking like new. I would usually just get them up to "as new" including polishing parts to remove patina and make it look NOS. In the past, all my instruments were strictly "player's" instruments and were, in many cases, already extensively modified. Now, I have restored other vintage instruments in the past and have no problem restoring this one (I will even go with a traditional, rather than a mounted head) but have a sort of dilemma as to how I should approach it. He gave me the instrument under the stipulation that I restore it and send him a picture. My second question concerns the restoration. I know Fender did weird stuff like this in the early days, back when players were more concerned about their instrument playing well, rather than looking good. It has a Vega 4 string bridge and a no-name 4 string tailpiece so I'm wondering whether this was one of those cases where it was a "custom" instrument from the factory back in the day cobbled together from parts.
My first question is whether Vega made tenor banjos at that time? The neck is a five string neck, but I am 99% sure that it never had a peg installed in that spot. However, I still have a few questions, so hopefully someone can help me out.
Stew mac phone number serial#
3 banjo from a fan at a show and have determined age (by the serial number) and the model by comparing it to other images and listings online. I was recently given a 1909 Vega Tubaphone No.