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Old 04-28-2017, 05:08 AM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rochester, New York
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Quote:
Originally Posted by darylcrisp View Post
well, I'm late for the show.
Pisgah are excellent for the $, I really like the Dobson tone ring in them. I tend to prefer 6lbs and under, so I have specific brands and models I like.

Was going to mention, if you wanted a real Vega that's been gone over and plays better than almost anything new, Bob Smakula is the man in W Va to check with.
His prices are very reasonable, and he knows his stuff. I had a 1928 that was outstanding, had a little wonder tone ring in it and came in under 6 lbs.

The white Oak models Deering is just offering sound great. Light, have a neat headstock inlay, and play beautiful.

Patrick will do you right.

d
A new Vega #2 was what I had in mind but at $3739 MAP, it was a little more costly than I wanted to spend. My Pisgah is coming in at $1740 shipped but, of course it isn't as fancy-looking as the Vega #2.

I think the Pisgah Dobson looks really cool and sounds nice in the videos and I was considering one of those with the ultra-cool-looking brass hardware. I asked Patrick about the brass tarnishing and he said it would and that he also offers pre-tarnished brass hardware that won't tarnish any further. I decided to go for a Tubaphone Tone Ring because at Pisgah banjo prices, why not? I also ordered the nickel finish on the tuners and all metal parts, including the Tubaphone Tone Ring, which with a nickel finish is $240, or a $140 more than the brass Dobson Tone Ring. I'm estimating my Pisgah will come in at about 8 lbs which is a nice weight improvement over my Deering Sierra at 11 lbs. The Deering gets downright uncomfortable to hold after about 30 minutes!

The Deering Vega White Oaks look interesting and are considerably lighter in weight than their similar regular Vega models. A guy on my Kingston Trio Place website sold his 1969 Vega Pete Seeger and bought a Deering Vega White Oak Longneck and loves it! The only thing I don't like about the White Oak Longnecks is that they have guitar tuners instead of planetary tuners but the banjos could be ordered with the planetary tuners, if desired.

Thanks for the tip on Bob Smakula, as a 1960s Vega Pete Seeger may be in my future.
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Last edited by SpruceTop; 08-06-2017 at 08:52 AM.
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