Vega Banjo

Deluxe model. "Tubaphone." Boston, MA, Serial #: 58492. Top of the line, gold plated. Very rare, valuable instrument. Rip in head. Length: 95cm. The width of the neck of this isntrument at the nut is 1.25". The diameter of the skin head is 10 15/16" and the diameter of the rim 11 3/8". This banjo freatures a number of patent dates inscribed on it, including 1890 and 1893.

The Vega Company was a musical instrument manufacturer that dawned operations in Boston, Massachusetts in 1881. The company began under Swedish-born brothers, Julius and Carl Nelson, and a group of associates including John Pahn and John Swenson. The founders had previously worked for a guitar shop run by Pehr Anderberg that made instruments for another Boston musical instrument company called John C. Haynes. Nelson had served as foreman of guitar and mandolin manufacturing at Anderberg's shop. Subsequently, Julius and Carl Nelson bought out the other founding associates and established the Vega company. The Vega Company is best known today for its banjos, such as the Vegavox model they co-developed with famous plectrum player Eddie Peabody. Vega continued to build and sell A.C. Fairbanks banjos after it acquired that company. Vega initially labeled these instruments A. C. Fairbanks, then switched to Fairbanks banjo by the Vega Co., then eventually to just Vega.

The Meisel Collection. This instrument is being sold from The Meisel Collection assembled over a period of forty years by an accomplished attorney from Princeton, New Jersey. The owner traveled the world in search of rare, interesting, and handsome instruments to fill a collection that until now was displayed in his beautiful Princeton home.

Please note: The items in the Meisel Collection are being sold F.O.B. Princeton, New Jersey. The recommended shipper is the U.P.S. Store, 174 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ 08542 which has extensive experience shipping fragile auction items. The Store can be emailed at store2026@theupsstore.com or called at 609-924-0759. The auction house makes no commission on shipping; payment for shipping is made by the buyer directly to the shipper. Although buyers are free to use any shipper they choose, we have found this shipper to be fair and reliable.

Condition: More detailed condition reports and additional photographs are available by request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is in very fine condition. Please message us through the online bidding platform or email Guernsey's at auctions@guernseys.com to request a more thorough condition report.