countrygent - Posted - 04/01/2025:  13:04:53

Hi all,



I recently found an amazing deal on what appears to be an original 5 string Tubaphone with a 12” pot. It is in great condition except for some loose binding at the end of the neck. Based on the elliptical inlay at the 12th fret and the gryphon inlay for the age (1920 I believe) I am guessing this was a custom order. I would love any and all information or insight folks might have on it. It won’t let me post photos of it from my iPhone (must be JPEG?) so I have posted the link to the closed listing below.



reverb.com/item/88322220-tubap...=88322220

Edited by - countrygent on 04/01/2025 13:25:44

Elliptical inlay

Banjo headstock and neck

Full banjo

 

AndrewD - Posted - 04/01/2025:  13:22:45

You just posted that to make us all feel jealous, didn't you. Enjoy.

Joel Hooks - Posted - 04/01/2025:  13:37:19

A great deal on a conversion banjo! Should make a nice player once you get the binding sorted out.

csacwp - Posted - 04/01/2025:  13:45:54

Yep, that neck isn't original. Still a good price, though.

Edited by - csacwp on 04/01/2025 13:46:02

countrygent - Posted - 04/01/2025:  13:51:09

What are the visual characteristics folks are using to determine the neck is a conversion and not original? I am not arguing, just looking to learn more.

csacwp - Posted - 04/01/2025:  14:32:10

quote:

---

Originally posted by countrygent

What are the visual characteristics folks are using to determine the neck is a conversion and not original? I am not arguing, just looking to learn more.

---

Just about everything about it is wrong.

• Inlays are wrong for the model, and the engraving isn't Vega work


• Binding too thick


• Neck looks a little too narrow, especially at frets 1-5


• Pip and nut aren't right


• Looking at the back of the neck, center lamination is too thick


• Wrong number of frets for the indicated pot size


• Punched four-string tailpiece is another hint

Pauls Pretty Good Stuff - Posted - 04/01/2025:  14:57:49

Good price??? It's a steal at twice that price...and free shipping! I gotta spend less time reading books.

jbalch - Posted - 04/01/2025:  15:26:43

Great deal! The rim & resonator alone are worth plenty. The neck - although a repro looks serviceable and playable.

BTW: I think the proper head size for this would likely be 11 13/16" Not 12" as advertised.

writerrad - Posted - 04/01/2025:  18:09:42

Is the pot 12 inches or a little less than 12 inches, 11 inches and 13/16th like many Tubaphones.

BTuno - Posted - 04/02/2025:  08:30:08

Didn't these originally have a mahogany neck? Mine is a big rim tubie Style M like this one. I added a 5 string mahogany neck, and a tight fyberskin head. Its my #1 player; very powerful, great presence!

Fairbanks Dogwood-style conversion neck

 

PrairieSchooner - Posted - 04/02/2025:  08:40:53

Wow; VERY nice! A Tubaphone is my dream 'jo, conversion or not!

mikehalloran - Posted - 04/02/2025:  08:50:03

First off, WTG on the purchase. The pot and resonator are worth more.

Joel pretty much beat me to the punch.

Although the catalogs stated that the Professional Artist pot is 12", the head size is actually 11 13/16". Those 30 brackets are the giveaway. An original 5-string or plectrum neck has a 28" scale. By using a standard 22 fret neck blank, the bridge will be too close to the middle of the head for many of us. OTOH, you may like the mellower tone.

The neck inlays are inspired by an early Whyte Laydie NO 2. Although the 1912–1918 Tubaphone NO 3 had similar inlays, those necks were mahogany with carved heels. Nice enough work but not an accurate copy of any Vega neck. Lord knows where that 4 string tailpiece came from but I'd leave it alone.

An original Tubaphone plectrum or 5 string neck on this pot has a carved heel; guitar and tenor necks do not. That didn't change till after Vega standardized on the 10 15'16" (11") in the late 1920s or early '30s and went to machine carved necks except special orders.

Sometime around 1918 through mid 1923, the NO 3 headstock changed to the older Imperial Electric torch. Below is my circa '20–'21 NO 3 plectrum. In late '23, it went to the inlaid VEGA with the introduction of the Vegaphone in late 1923. My cir. '25 NO 3 Tubaphone original 5 string is the other headstock (Gryphon Strings picture after I sold it to them).

Edited by - mikehalloran on 04/02/2025 08:58:44