Work Page 11-23
Fairbanks by Vega
Tubaphone Special
The "Anthony Colucci"
The banjo in the ad, is this banjo.
A few months back I bought this instrument and when Fedex delivered, they delivered an empty box.
I thought it was stolen, filed the claim, and was paid in less than a week, which was very strange.
Freight claims are not known to be speedy.
I posted the story and wrote it off to bad luck.
Then last week a banjo friend , Dan S., spotted it for sale on ebay.
Thanks Dan!
I wrote the seller and told him the story and he pulled it and worked out a deal with me.
They were liquidators that buy damaged goods from shippers.
Many thanks to Brent D., for allowing me to buy it from him at a discounted rate so that it could be brought back to health.
He told me 90 percent of the time , that things pop out of a box and fall through the conveyance system only to be found later.
The box goes down the line and if it is open, it's taped shut and sent on, nothing is checked for weight discrepancy.
I liked that story better than "stolen" so we will go with that.
When it did fall through it popped open the heel cap only. no damage to carving or neck.
The bonus was the dowel was also loose so will get rese in the repair.
There is also a poorly made star at the 5 fret that will be replaced as well as a few dots that were not MOP.
And a couple coats of nitro lacquer over the original patina on the neck and rim and resonator, to preserve it..
Other than that, I will keep it as original as I can.
****************************
17 fret extended
Gold plated, with a unique "Non Vega" style engraving
The Tubaphone "Special" model, at least ones I have come across are not standard size rims.
They are 11- 1/2" ,28 bracket.
Standard would be 10-15/16" or 11-13/16"
Friction tuners with MOP buttons.
Torch inlay in peghead
Spin-on resonator with an "Americanized" signature of "Tony Colucey"
Common practice then and now as an attempt to downplay ethnic backgrounds.
The resonator was damaged in the fall, there is a slice through the case and the resonator, show in the pics.
I will repair it but it will be visible.
A few months back I bought this instrument and when Fedex delivered, they delivered an empty box.
I thought it was stolen, filed the claim, and was paid in less than a week, which was very strange.
Freight claims are not known to be speedy.
I posted the story and wrote it off to bad luck.
Then last week a banjo friend , Dan S., spotted it for sale on ebay.
Thanks Dan!
I wrote the seller and told him the story and he pulled it and worked out a deal with me.
They were liquidators that buy damaged goods from shippers.
Many thanks to Brent D., for allowing me to buy it from him at a discounted rate so that it could be brought back to health.
He told me 90 percent of the time , that things pop out of a box and fall through the conveyance system only to be found later.
The box goes down the line and if it is open, it's taped shut and sent on, nothing is checked for weight discrepancy.
I liked that story better than "stolen" so we will go with that.
When it did fall through it popped open the heel cap only. no damage to carving or neck.
The bonus was the dowel was also loose so will get rese in the repair.
There is also a poorly made star at the 5 fret that will be replaced as well as a few dots that were not MOP.
And a couple coats of nitro lacquer over the original patina on the neck and rim and resonator, to preserve it..
Other than that, I will keep it as original as I can.
****************************
17 fret extended
Gold plated, with a unique "Non Vega" style engraving
The Tubaphone "Special" model, at least ones I have come across are not standard size rims.
They are 11- 1/2" ,28 bracket.
Standard would be 10-15/16" or 11-13/16"
Friction tuners with MOP buttons.
Torch inlay in peghead
Spin-on resonator with an "Americanized" signature of "Tony Colucey"
Common practice then and now as an attempt to downplay ethnic backgrounds.
The resonator was damaged in the fall, there is a slice through the case and the resonator, show in the pics.
I will repair it but it will be visible.
Dowel out, ready for reset
Lets get started
Smoothed up and ready for inlay
2 coats of fresh nitro. Ready to re- assemble
Neck completed and installed
1" slice near the center, through the case.
heel cap crack shown
New Star, Fret removal, then will come the otherinlay
All new inlay installed and leveled
Rim assembled, resonator repaired
Strung to pitch, settling in
And then through the resonator.
24 hr. set.
Board wear common to pro level players that put 100s of gigs on an instrument
Cleaning the shoe band and hardware
Refretting
Good action on 3/4" bridge
Thanks for looking and sharing.
VM
Tony in later years, on the Vegavox