And, in later interviews, Elden indicated that he started making trumpets in 1935. He also said that #560 was made in 1936.Ī subsequent letter from Elden Benge, he was communicating with the owner of trumpet #500. In a letter by Al Feldner, he reported a conversation Donald Benge stating that he started making horns in his basement starting with #525 in 1935. The above table was constructed based on the work of Joe Lill on his Benge Resource Page * Donald Benge was killed in a car crash in 2007.
Sequence for Chicago and Early Burbank Large Bore Trumpets
sold to Leisure Time Ind., Moved to LAĬo. It has a rolled bead of brass that acts as a small yet effective variation on a tone ring providing the instrument’s sound more punch and drive. The Little Wonder is one of Vega’s prewar open-back models.
#Vega little wonder banjo mandolin serial numbers plus#
I think such "Little Wonder" five strings would be rare birds, but I'm still of the thought their might have been a few, even very few, made.Co. Vega (used, 1927) Little Wonder tenor banjo Tag No39-1068Used 75120, in very good plus condition with worn original hard shell case. Referring to a later catalog from the mid 1950's, it appears that Vega was still calling one of their banjos available in either "tenor, plectrum or five string" a "Little Wonder." The banjo pictured is a tenor, but has the same appointments of the banjo I remember seeing Jones holding in the photo I recall. Of course, so few Vega five string banjos were even being made by then-even tenors and plectrums were falling on hard times- they surely would be few in number. If Grandpa Jones' banjo was from either the late thirties or early forties, my guess is that it probably did have a different designation on the dowel stick. My general thought however is that at some point in time there probably and possibly was a transition made on the designation on the instruments. I have never seen an original five string Little Wonder in my fifteen years in the business, but I have seen many Regents, even though the 1928 catalog does not mention them.Īndy, I guess I'm pretty much in accord with you certainly regarding the 'teens and 'twenties instruments, and your experience with Vega banjos certainly speaks for itself. I believe that the Regent is what they were referring to in the catalog you reference, as it was identical in specification to the Little Wonder except for the name stamped on the dowel stick. However, by the time Vega started using the Little Wonder name, the specifications of the five string Regent banjos were devolving to those of the Little Wonder. And, considering that Vega seemed to be willing to fulfill any request that walked in the door, it's possible that there are some five strings out there that are stamped Little Wonder. That was my fourth (banjo)." In the next couple of years, someone from the Vega company, who saw me holding it, wrote and said, "We believe that you have one of our 'Little Wonders,' and we would like to make you a better banjo." They did, and put my name in the neck of it." Furthermore, it seems to me I've seen a picture of Grandpa Jones somewhere playing that banjo - with a star with points in the upper part of the peghead-one without his name on the fingerboard-in the Pete Seeger instruction book perhaps? I certainly could be wrong and and I am more than willing to stand corrected. After I had commented, on an Armed Forces Network broadcast, that one tune would sure sound good on a banjo, a boy from England brought me one he had liberated from Special Services. 220-221: "When I went overseas, I took my little green Gibson guitar but no banjo. First, I take note of the fact that the 1928 Vega catalog that was reproduced a number of years ago lists the Little Wonder model as available in "Tenor, Plectrum, Regular, and Mandolin styles." Then there is this information from Grandpa Jones in his biographical book, Everybody's Grandpa, pp. Andy, there is at least one bit of anecdotal information that may suggest Vega did make a Little Wonder five string.
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