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The banjo
The celluloid on the fretboard & headstock has a faux Mother of
Pearl look also known as mother of toilet seat. Really.
Mass Street
Music
Repair Shop Spot: Vogue Tenor Banjo TLC

What better instrument to learn on that the very one your own father used to play? This past month Mass Street
Music luthier Mike Runyon resuscitated this beautiful 20s tenor banjo for customer Steve Griffeth.


Steve recently received the banjo from his dad, 91, who learned to play
from Steves grandfather though Steve said, Dad has a tin ear. Steve
doesnt play yet but is very excited to learn, which is why he brought
the instrument to us for repair in the first place.

When he brought the Vogue tenor in, it was pretty sound structurally, but
needed some cosmetic repair and TLC. The logo on the headstock had a
few pieces broken off as well.
Luckily he saved the pieces Mike said, so a full repair was done.
Mike then just cleaned the banjo and resonator up, retensioned the head,
gave it a new set of strings and set it up. It now plays like a dream.
Steves dad doesnt yet know he has had the banjo repaired itll be a
nice surprise.




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The beautiful resonator on the back of the Vogue Tenor banjo
Steves dad (L) with the Vogue, his uncle (M) and granddad (R)
throwing down on a tune
The original case still held a 20s banjo instruction book, opened to
the page on Syncopation click on the photo for a closer look
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Steve still had the pieces of the headstock logo, so Mike was able to
restore it. Beautiful!
Mike R (L) and Steve G with his newly TLCd Vogue Tenor