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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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