kayakeradam - Posted - 07/28/2026:  18:14:22

Hey folks,
I have a possible trade for a banjo. The guy tells me he has late 1920s Wurlitzer 4 string with 19 frets.

I'm a bluegrass guy so I know next to nothing about the 4 strings. Would an instrument like that be suitable to tune like a tenor and play some jazz?

Also, any sense of what that banjo's monetary value would be? I believe I've read that Wurlitzer is one of the brands Slingerland stamped on their banjos in that era, but no idea if that's a good or bad thing.

Thanks in advance!

tdennis - Posted - 07/28/2026:  20:27:18

Wurlitzer instruments made by Slingerland are decent beginner/intermediate banjos. Without pics or an exact model it would be difficult to appraise, generally they would command a very modest amount, (+-$175). Your description would indicate a tenor banjo.

OldFrets - Posted - 07/29/2026:  04:46:07

Wurlitzer banjos came from a variety of sources, including Slingerland, Stromberg-Voisinet, Lange, and others.

A 19-fret 4-string banjo is a tenor and would be fine for jazz.

kayakeradam - Posted - 07/29/2026:  07:57:19

Thanks for the feedback. I totally understand that a value is hard to guess without photos and FONs and whatnot. I haven’t even seen the thing yet. But what I’m hearing is that it’s likely to be in the neighborhood of $200. Since the thing I’m trading is likely to fetch $400 to $600, depending, it won’t be a like-for-like trade. That’s helpful.

Yeah, I really just didn’t know what ballpark we’re playing in. I’ll let you all know what happens.

I saw Squirrel Nut Zippers this past spring and now I’m kind of curious to play some jazz with a flat pick.

kyleb - Posted - 07/29/2026:  09:47:13

i wouldnt expect to even get $175, no one is buying these. Realistic private sale value would be $50 to $100. Unless its a gibson you could convert or you know the tenor market well, my advise to any bluegrasser is to avoid buying tenors. 

Edited by - kyleb on 07/29/2026 09:48:05

Dan Gellert - Posted - 07/29/2026:  18:46:28

You could just take the thumb string off your 5-stringer, and play it as a plectrum banjo. The standard tuning is CGBD (standard C), but there's no reason you couldn't use open G (I think there are a few plectrum players who prefer "high bass" tuning). If you play guitar or uke, there's also "Chicago" tuning (DGBE). I've seen that used on tenors as well as plectrums.

DSmoke - Posted - 07/30/2026:  08:17:14

As someone who specializes in tenor banjos, don't accept a value from someone who doesn't know the market. Without knowing any details of the Wurlitzer banjo it is impossible to provide a value. There were many different styles of Wurlitzer banjos, some more desirable than others.