1928 Vega Little Wonder, just arrived
 

purchased from Bob Smakula and its a dandy.

W Fawley neck, original pot/hardware/dowel rod.

Really sweet, full of tone, and plays very well all the way up the neck(rings on notes, no thuds). Bob did a neck reset and has low action dialed in.

I have a soundclip(LauralBranch) i will try to load when i get home, work computers are blocking access.

http://smakula.com/images/Banjos/VegaLW85910/
from the Smakula site:
1928 Vega Little Wonder Rim with W. Fawley 5 string neck. So, when we received this banjo on a trade in, the finish was funky and the neck was not attached quite right, but we saw the potential for this banjo to be a gem. With a proper neck reset and a new French polish finish, this banjo now has the look of a classic Fairbanks-Vega Regent. The bound ebony fretboard has a 26" scale with dot position markers and a traditional star at the fifth fret that complements the one inlaid in the peghead. The blond maple neck (matching the rim) has some subtle figure for eye candy. New Gotoh planet tuners with a matching fifth make tuning precise. The 10-15/16" diameter rim retains it's original hardware with the exception of the tailpiece and the neck tensioning hardware. Quality reproductions take the place of the factory originals. Set up with a Remo Fiberskyn head, the tone is smooth and mellow. Perfect for solo playing or with a small ensemble.

Very nice piece. Amazing condition!

Chuck
it truly is in very fine condition, especially being 88 years old. keep in mind the neck is from recent years, a Wyatt Fawley neck(its beautiful in person and very friendly in the hands).

this thing has such a wonderful, old tone. no thunk, notes ring easy and clear all the way to fret 22. i was comparing it last night to my Reiter A flat scale and they are so similar in size, but the Reiter has a brass tone ring and a flavor of that. The Little Wonder tone ring has this full, deep quality.

i think the package came together so well due to Bob Smakula and his folks-this is what they do-repair/restore old instruments, and they do it very very well.

thanks for the reply
d

That's a beauty alright.

Looking forward to the sound clip.