Banjos      

VB - 00018 1925 Vega Artist Plectrum Banjo     EXC +   This actually is a conversion and the best I've ever seen. The previous owner thought it had been done by Renee Karnes but had no documentation. Originally a Style M (tenor), a gorgeous plectrum neck with the Artist pattern engraved inlays and beautifully flamed maple has been perfectly fitted to the rim. All the hardware has been gold plated. The original dowl stick has been retained. The headstock inlay is perfect and the gold Planets work great. Lovely inlay on the heel cap. Stunning finish work on the resonator whose figure can be seen on the inside as well. The serial number 65275 is stamped into the inside of the rim as and also on the dowel. Gold clamshell tailpiece and a Wurlitzer label inside the rim. Big sound and great setup. Modern hard shell case.
Price:   $2250.00

GB - 00041 1925 Gibson TB- Granada Tenor Banjo     EXC-   A fine sounding banjo with a good recent setup and neck set. It has the nice purfling rings on the back of the back of the resonator which has been beautifully refinished and matching purfling on the inside of the rim and on the side of the neck. The grooved tension hoop is gold plated and engraved as is the two piece flange and the many holed tone ring skirt and tailpiece. There is no serial number chalked on the inside of the resonator but the serial number 8060-1 is stamped inside the rim. It has the hearts and flowers inlay pattern on the fingerboard and the "Mastertone" legend on the headstock and beautiful wood inlaid designs on the back of the headstock. The neck is beautiful flame maple. A preious owner removed the ball bearings and springs from under the tone ring and they are in the pocket of the newer 5 string hard shell case.
Price - Consigned at:   $4750.00

BU - 0004 ca. 1935 John Grey Banjo Uke     EXC   Very nice little banjo uke from the esteemed English maker John Grey. Birds eye maple back and blue striped maple sides.   10 1/4" head and 13 1/4" scale length. Maple rim and mahogany neck and dowel.   Resonator attaches with a single thumb knob. There is a dark grain line that definitely is not a crack in the heel of which we have large pictures. The letters R B E are stamped into the bottom of the heel. Friction tuning pegs with the number 13797 stamped into the back of the peghead. John Grey& Sons, London on the headstock. The piano shaped case is unique.
Price:   $795.00

GB - 00040 1926 Gibson TB-4 Mastertone Banjo     EXC   This is a fine example of a fairly rare model. It has an 18 fret 21" scale length tenor neck. Nut width = 1 1/8 inches. It has a great setup and is easy to play and sounds really good. It has the rare "Gibson" script in a pearl block on the headstock as well as the Mastertone block inlaid into the rosewood fingerboard at the 18th fret. Original Grover tuning pegs and original two piece flange and grooved tension hoop. And the classic 60 hole ball bearing tone ring. Mahogany rim, neck and resonator with a few scratches on its back. The serial number 8169- 22 appears both on the inside of the resonator and the inside of the rim. The label is in nice shape as well. And it has its original hard shell case which is a bit tattered but still functional.
Price - Consigned at:   $3450.00

GB - 00035 1935 Kel Kroyden (by Gibson) Conversion     VG++   Here's the real deal and you can hear it in the tone. You got your one piece flange full thickness rim same as a Mastertone without a tone ring. The flange is a Nashville Plating Co. replacement since the old one (included) was broken. And we had Larry Cohea install a Mc Peake flat head tone ring and a second co-ordinator rod (the KK rim is originally drilled for it but has only one installed) as well as a nice Wreath Pattern five string neck and then set it up perfectly with spikes at frets 7,8,9, and 10. It plays beautifully and sounds incredible. Gibson script on the headstock and Planet tuning pegs and the fabulous M.O.T. resonator with original lugs. Original case and tenor neck with original pegs, flange (and broken pieces), and brass rod 'tone ring' are available if you so desire.
Price:   $4950.00

PB - 00404 1924 Paramount Style C Plectrum Banjo     EXC   This is a fine example with good strong sound and great playability. Good neck, frets, etc. and wonderful condition. Nice old skin head. The dove pattern fingerboard inlay is Paramounts most beautiful in my opinion. The Cupid or Ludwig Van Beethoven on the first fret is a pleasureable puzzlement. And the high grade mahogany used in the neck and the maple capped rim and the resonator are beautifully accented by the colorful marquetry used throughout. Original Page tuning pegs in fine condition. Fancy headstock inlay. Carved heel. Lovely volute. (Don't ya just love volutes?) Original tailpiece and .... it's wired for .... light. (Perhaps you noticed) The serial number on the rim matches that on the dowel. The label proudly states "Piano Volume - Harp Quality Tone". No lie. Original Paramount double pocket blue lined hard shell case in pretty nice shape.
Price:   $1795.00

VB - 00015 1930 Vega Tubaphone #3 with Wildwood #7 Style Neck     EXC   Here's a fine sounding and playing and looking banjo for you. The 1930 Tubaphone rim which is serial # 88860 has been mated to a beautiful flame maple Wildwood neck that is finished to match the original flame maple resonator whose inside is also quite flamey and bears the Vega stamp. Exquisite Style 7 engraved inlays in the fingerboard and the Wildwood engraved inlay on the peghead. Original 4 piece flange and tubaphone tone ring. New Weatherking head . Newer planet type tuning pegs. Hard shell case. Great banjo for either old timey or bluegrass.
Price:   $2250.00

VMB - 00017 1922 Vega Tubaphone Style X Mandolin Banjo     EXC-   This may have been a custom order because it contains some of the features of the Style 9 series like the fancy marquetry on the bottom of the rim and engraved fingerboard inlays. Yet it clearly states Style X on the dowel stick. Nice engraved inlays on the headstock and original enclosed tuning pegs. Flamey maple neck and lovely carving on the heel cap. There is a solid expertly repaired crack on the heel. Bell Brand tailpiece. Seems to be a skin head that has been 'rubbed down'. Original hard shell case has seen better days. Good setup with nice comfy action and a fairly mellow (for a mandolin banjo) sound.
Price - Consigned at:   $1695.00

EB - 0007 Mid teens Clifford Essex 5 String Banjo     EXC   With its 11 inch rim spunover what looks like mahogany and a simple hoop tonering and nice skin head, this old feller gets a mighty sweet old timey sound. Scale Length is 26 3/4" and the nut width is 1 3/16" and the mahogany neck shows wear on the back and is very comfortable to play. Ebony fingerboard has lovely abalone and pearl inlays in it as does the headstock. The tuning pegs work fine. All parts appear original and match nicely and the 15a Grafton Street label proudly graces the dowel stick. Oversize chipboard case.
Price:   $1395.00

VMB - 00017 1922 Vega Tubaphone Style X Mandolin Banjo     EXC-   This may have been a custom order because it contains some of the features of the Style 9 series like the fancy marquetry on the bottom of the rim and engraved fingerboard inlays. Yet it clearly states Style X on the dowel stick. Nice engraved inlays on the headstock and original enclosed tuning pegs. Flamey maple neck and lovely carving on the heel cap. There is a solid expertly repaired crack on the heel. Bell Brand tailpiece. Seems to be a skin head that has been 'rubbed down'. Original hard shell case has seen better days. Good setup with nice comfy action and a fairly mellow (for a mandolin banjo) sound.
Price - Consigned at:   $1695.00

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Lowell Levinger - Proprietor