Vega-Fairbanks Styles L (Whyte Laydie) and S (Tubaphone) Mandolin-Banjos
All the social events of any note in New York and Boston must have the latest society craze — the Tango Orchestra, in order to be a success. The dancers crave the Banjo-mandolin for the Tango tempo. Advertisement for The Vega Company, in The Crescendo, 1914.
In an era that seemingly delighted in musical inventiveness, it is not surprising that manufacturers hybridized the banjo and the mandolin....The mandolin-banjo is mandolin sized, and is strung, tuned, and played with a plectrum like a mandolin, but the body is that of a banjo. Karen Linn, in That Half-Barbaric Twang: The Banjo in Popular American Culture.
Vega banjos are among the most valuable instruments on the market, even though the original company no longer exists. Henry Rasof, in The Folk, Country, and Bluegrass Musician’s Catalogue.
... the system that was used on the great old banjos (Tu-ba-phones, Whyte Laydies, etc) made by the Vega banjo Company of Boston... Larry Sandberg, in Complete Banjo Repair.
The tu-ba-phone and Whyte Laydie could be considered equals as Fairbanks-Vega’s top lines.... George Gruhn and Walter Carter, in Acoustic Guitars and Other Fretted Instruments: A Photographic History.
Banjos built by the A. C. Fairbanks Company around the turn of the century are considered to be among the most beautiful musical instruments ever constructed. Classical violinists revere their Strads, Guarneri and Magginnis....But the old Fairbanks and Vega Whyte Laydies, Tubaphones, and Electrics, which serve as standard equipment for the old-time banjo player, stand alone as examples of what the great craftsman can construct .... The tone quality of these banjos, especially with the Whyte Laydie and Tubaphone tone rings, has set the standard for all open-backed banjos made since then.... Today, the old Fairbanks banjos have completed several phases: as prized new instruments, as dust gatherers lying in almost total obscurity in attics, and finally, as treasures to be rediscovered by musicians and to be valued both [sic] for their beauty, their heritage and their quality of tone. Jim Bollman, Dick Kimmel, & Doug Unger in “A History of Vega/Fairbanks Banjos.”
Evolution of the mandolin banjo: Instruments of the banjo family underwent a remarkable evolution from the late 18th to the early 20th century. Around the time of the Civil War, the banjo, previously primarily an instrument of African slaves, gained wider exposure. Minstrel shows achieved considerable popularity throughout the country and companies also toured Western Europe. The instruments themselves improved in quality as they gained popularity. The mid-1800's witnessed the appearance of the first professionally-built banjos. By the 1880's numerous companies were building banjos to a high standard of craftsmanship. Whereas earlier designs had varied considerably, an instrument with four long and one short gut string became standard. Wooden or occasionally metal rims were fitted with skin heads held in place by a tension hoop attached to the rim by hooked brackets. Within the parameters of this now-standard configuration, a number of innovations soon appeared.
The late 19th through early 20th century was the heyday of the banjo and witnessed the appearance of the great banjo companies. Most of these builders were in the Northeast, especially Boston. Many of the principals of these early companies were themselves renowned banjo players. A. C. Fairbanks, Fred Bacon, and S. S. Stewart are but a few of the virtuoso players who manufactured instruments commercially.
Images of A. C. Fairbanks (left), Fred Bacon (center), and S. S. Stewart (right)
Unlike the earlier minstrel musicians, these performers played primarily classical-style music and popular dance music of the time. As their skills as players evolved and as their audiences grew, they introduced refinements to their instruments to improve tone and volume. Not only did these improvements benefit their performances, it also stimulated demand among aspiring players for the instruments these virtuosos were producing. S. S. Stewart, in particular, aggressively promoted the banjo as a mark of refinement and taste in his musical publications and advertisements. This effort was largely successful. Banjos became extremely popular, especially among relatively well-to-do Americans. Thus, at the turn of the century, the banjo was king, both in the concert hall and in the parlors of budding musicians.
The challenge to the banjo’s supremacy came from an unlikely source. Throughout much of the 1700's
and 1800's, the mandolin had been an instrument associated with Italy,
especially Naples. Its half-an-egg shape, with rounded back and canted top, lent it a soft sweet tone. These round-back mandolins
coexisted amicably with the 5-string banjo, as numerous pictures of
tuxedoed collegiate and civic banjo clubs from
the period testify.
Brown University Banjo Club with mandolinist (highlight)
Meanwhile in Michigan in the 1890's, Orville Gibson developed a mandolin with carved, arched top and partially-arched back that was to revolutionize the instrument. His designs were influenced by violin construction. By 1908,the instrument improved substantially over the original Orville Gibson design, producing a brighter and livelier tone. Although subsequent improvements were added (mostly, after Gibson had sold the company that would retain his name), this basic form of the Gibson mandolin became the standard. The development and wide availability of this new and improved version of the mandolin in the first decade of the new century placed it in direct competition with the banjo. In the early 1900's, led largely by the marketing people at the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co., Ltd., of Kalamazoo, Michigan, an effort was initiated to establish the mandolin as the instrument of the well-bred middle class. In many ways, this marketing effort paralleled Stewart’s earlier and highly successful approach to stimulating interest in the banjo. The mandolin, however, was aimed more at the middle- than the upper-class. To generate demand for their mandolins (not to mention mandolas, mando-cellos, and mando-basses), The Gibson Co. organized touring mandolin ensembles, such as the Gibson Melody Maids, and promoted the development of local mandolin groups through its network of dealer/instructors. The mandolin had much to recommend it to the masses. It lacked the tuxedo snobbery that had come to be associated with the classical banjo, required fewer adjustments than the gut-strung and skin-covered banjo, was easier to play, and rapidly gained popularity with amateur musical ensembles. The Gibson Co. certainly encouraged this trend. This type of promotional activity was very successful and, by the 1920's, the mandolin largely displaced the banjo as the instrument of popular fashion.
Gibson Melody Maids
Another change, however, was in the wind. Popular music was evolving. Different musical trends with overlapping time frames came and went. The popularity of instruments varied with these trends and their periods of ascension and decline overlapped and intertwined. In the 1910's a tango craze overtook America. Tango music was typically performed by dance bands that included brass and percussion instruments. The post-WWI era was also the jazz age. Jazz and other forms of music popular at the opening of the century and shortly thereafter required a type of sound that mandolins were not equipped to deliver. The growing prominence of orchestral dance music, including the tango, further altered musical tastes and instrument preferences. As professional musical ensembles consisting of more and louder instruments became popular, the limited volume of the mandolin placed it at a disadvantage and its favor further waned. It could not compete with the brass and percussion instruments used in many bands. Attention again focused on the banjo because of its capacity for playing loudly. Many older banjos were strong enough to convert from gut to steel strings, whose use was adapted from the mandolin. Playing banjo with a plectrum, which could produce considerable volume, coincided with this change in strings.
Despite these favorable omens, a significant barrier blocked the return of the 5-string banjo to preeminence. There were many accomplished mandolin players who were less than eager to learn an instrument requiring substantially different musical skills. They had mastered playing an instrument tuned to fifths. Manufacturers recognized this and, so, produced banjos with tunings similar to those of the mandolin. These took on a variety of forms. “Tango” or “tenor” banjos became popular and were prized for their superior volume and cutting tone. They were tuned to fifths, like a mandolin, but had a longer scale length and thus a different pitch range, typically that of a viola rather than violin. Some 4-string mandolin-sized banjo-family instruments such as the “melody banjo” were manufactured. However, they lacked the double-course strings of the mandolin that some musicians preferred.
Mandolin banjo played solo (left) and in a Gibson banjo ensemble (right).
It is not surprising that manufacturers should eventually arrive at the idea of combining the mandolin’s
neck with the louder and brighter tone-producing body of the banjo. The John Farris Co. of Hartford,
Connecticut is credited by banjo historian Jim Bollman with making the first mandolin
banjo (some time after introducing the 4-string "banjolin,"
later called a melody banjo). This
instrument allowed the same fingerings as the mandolin to be used on an instrument capable of projecting
its sound to a far greater degree.
These 8-string hybrids were variously called mandolin-banjos, banjo-mandolins, and even banjolins. Although now usually called mandolin banjos, originally these instruments often were referred to as banjo mandolins, as in some Vega advertisements of the period. The nomenclature makes sense at both points in time. The original marketing objective was to lure mandolin players. Referring to the instrument by a name that emphasized its mandolin nature with banjo as a modifier therefore made sense at the time of its initial development. That objective aside, today it makes sense for several reasons to use banjo as the noun and mandolin as the modifier, thus, “mandolin banjo.” First, upon seeing or hearing the instrument, most people are more likely to identify it as some variant of banjo rather than as a type of mandolin. Furthermore, its development is an adaptation of banjo rather than mandolin design. The likelihood of a manufacturer making mandolin banjos seems tied to the importance of the banjo — not the mandolin — in its product line. Thus, most of these instruments were made (as early as 1908 in the case of Vega/Fairbanks) by companies known primarily as banjo builders. Although Vega produced guitars and mandolins, its “Fairbanks” division (see below) made the banjos, including mandolin banjos. For some companies that made mandolin banjos, such as Bacon Banjo, mandolins were a sideline but were never their main focus. Banjos were. Gibson, on the other hand, began with mandolins and guitars. Its mandolin banjos, however, entered the scene not before but after the company began producing banjos. Mandolin banjos were featured in Gibson's promotional banjo ensembles, like the one pictured above, but not, as a rule, in their mandolin ensembles. Other well established instrument companies that had a strong presence in the mandolin market as early as the late 1800's, such as Martin, did not manufacture mandolin banjos at all. Ironically, other banjo products from the same companies making mandolin banjos contributed to that instrument’s decline. Some copy from an early Vega ad, showing melody banjo and mandolin banjo, seems prophetic:
"The eight string instrument is used more by mandolin players. Although it has more
volume of tone it does not cut through so much as the single string in a dance orchestra.
An orchestra of seven or eight pieces should have two Mandolin Banjos,
or one Tenor Banjo at least."
Although ultimately it was overtaken by the longer-scale tenor banjos (which, in turn, were ousted by the guitar), the mandolin banjo remains a musically and historically interesting member of both the banjo and mandolin families.
Vega -Fairbanks: As the opening quotes suggest, banjo-family instruments made first by the A. C. Fairbanks and later by the Vega Company are among the finest ever produced. Native New Englander, Albert Conant Fairbanks began manufacturing banjos in Boston around 1875. Five years later, he formed a partnership with Boston banjo player and teacher, William A. Cole, as the Fairbanks and Cole Banjo Company.
A Fairbanks and Cole promotional card
Although the partnership produced several notable improvements in banjo design, it did not endure. In 1890 the partnership dissolved, apparently in an atmosphere of mutual animosity, with each principal forming his own company. Thus, “A. C. Fairbanks and Co.” came into being.
In 1890, the Fairbanks Co. developed a type of tone ring consisting of a scalloped brass ring with a round brass tube sitting on top of the peaks of the scallops. This was first introduced in “The Fairbanks Electric Banjo,” seen above (“electric” being simply a model name — the instrument was not electrified!) Its success let to its application in later models as well. In 1895, Fairbanks left the company that bore his name for other business pursuits.
Schematic of tone ring used on Electric and later
on Whyte Laydie banjo family instruments
The company was not left bereft of talent, however. Prior to attaining fame as a classical banjo maestro and banjo designer, David L. Day had virtually grown up working for Fairbanks Banjo. He continued with the company into adulthood and his creativity was the source of many of the company’s innovations and commercial successes. In 1901, Day developed the Whyte Laydie line, which incorporated the scalloped tone ring design of the Electric. The name derived from the use of unstained, light-colored maple on the rim and neck. This “white” color scheme was markedly different from the darkly stained banjos that were dominant at the time and gave the Whyte Laydie instrument line a distinctive appearance. The Tubaphone tone ring design was introduced in 1909. The instruments using that tone ring bore the traditional dark-stained wood found on other Fairbanks banjos.
Schematic of Tubaphone tone ring
Following a devastating fire in 1904, the company was taken over by the Vega Company, which purchased it for the paltry sum of $925. For an additional $1.00, Vega acquired four patents held by the Fairbanks Banjo Co. It is noteworthy that, prior to acquiring Fairbanks Banjo Co., Vega made primarily guitars and mandolins, but no banjo-family instruments. Day made the move to Vega and in 1909 introduced a further refinement to the Whyte Laydie banjo line.
Schematic of Fairbanks bracket band that
obviates the need to drill holes through the rim
Earlier instruments (and many later ones by other manufacturers) used designs requiring holes to be drilled through the rim for the attachment of bracket shoes. Day developed and patented a metal bracket holder to which the bracket shoes could be attached (see illustration above). It was held in place by the tension of the brackets against a “shelf” or “lip” machined into the wooden rim. In late 1922, Day left the Vega Company to join Fred Bacon at the Bacon Banjo Co. In that same year, The Crescendo, the leading banjo publication of the era, described Day as, “one of the foremost authorities on the manufacture of banjos in the country today.” Vega’s products continued to use Fairbanks and Day designs and were labeled as “Fairbanks Banjo Made by Vega” until about 1923, shortly after Day’s departure.
Drawings at left show front views of Style K melody banjo and
mandolin banjo. The back view is of a Little Wonder.
Photos at right show Little Wonder versions of melody banjo and
mandolin banjo. Note the greater number of
brackets on the better Little Wonder models.
This was also the case for their mandolin banjo lines. They were available in various grades including the least expensive “Style K, ” and somewhat higher-quality “Little Wonder, ” neither of which had true tone rings (although the Little Wonder had a simple hoop between rim and head), and top-of-the-line “Style L” (Whyte Laydie) and “Style S” (Tu-ba-phone) models, both of which did. The last two differed in the type of tone ring but both were regarded as top-grade models differing in type of tone but not in quality or value. Whyte Laydie and Tubaphone mandolin banjos typically feature a pot bearing 28 brackets. This contrasts with the sometimes-smaller pots and sometimes-fewer brackets of less expensive lines. The Style K mandolin banjo, for example, typically has only 18 brackets on a pot that is smaller than that of the Style L Whyte Laydie or the Style S Tubaphone . The Little Wonder is in between the Style K and the better, tone-ring-equipped, models. It has the extended fingerboard and 28-bracket pot of the better models, for example. The Styles L, S, and some Ks also feature the extended fingerboard, allowing the peghead-end of the neck to extend beyond the pot a shorter distance while maintaining standard scale length. Whereas Whyte Laydie and Tubaphone models of other instruments in the banjo family varied in ornamentation (and had a numbering system representing progressively more ornate designs), the mandolin banjos appear to be generally of a uniform, relatively unadorned style. (The exception is the elaborate Style X ornamentation found on a few Tubaphone mandolin banjos. Also, custom orders could include any level of ornamentation desired.) Decorative trim on the rim, an engraved tailpiece cover, attractive peghead veneer, a bright metal plate covering the tuning machine mechanisms, and a decorative cutout in the peghead are the chief ornamental features found on the majority of high-end mandolin banjos such as the Whyte Laydie and Tubaphone. Of course, the coloration characteristic of the Whyte Laydie is also a distinctive and attractive cosmetic feature.
In his 1978 compilation of Fairbanks and Vega serial numbers, banjo collector and historian Jim Bollman lists approximately 700 instruments or serial numbered instrument parts (e.g., necks or rims) that he had catalogued up to that date. About half date from the change from Fairbanks to Fairbanks/Vega in 1911. Of those, a mere 26 are mandolin banjos. Bollman lists one mandolin banjo prior to1911, a 1908 Whyte Laydie having a rim of only 75/8 inches. All instruments described as mandolin banjos attributed to 1911 or later have rims over 10 inches. Most mandolin banjos listed are Little Wonders (10) with Model K’s in second place at 5, and Whyte Laydies and Tubaphones in a third-place draw with four apiece. Two Style Xs and one unspecified model are also listed. Although other, uncatalogued, Whyte Laydie (and other) mandolin banjos undoubtedly were in existence during the period, these figures give a sense of either the low proportion of Vega/Fairbanks output, or the low survival, of these unusual instruments. According to Jim Bollman, many have been cannibalized, with their pots now gracing tenor or five-string necks, and reconfigured as smaller “travel banjos.” The demand for Whyte Laydie and Tubaphone pots and the relatively low demand for mandolin banjos continues to result in the conversion of these instruments. The less expensive Style K and Little Wonder models, with their less sought-after pots, undoubtedly were made in greater numbers initially and are less likely to be cannibalized. Thus, while intact Whyte Laydie and Tubaphone mandolin banjos are not rare, they are less abundant than those lesser models.
The illustration above is from a 1919 patent application filed by
H. W. Weymann for a "banjo attachment,"
or what we would know call a resonator.
The instrument shown is a mandolin banjo, suggesting that it
was among the first members of the banjo family to acquire a resonator.
Description: The Whyte Laydie seen here bears serial number 41282, and the Tubaphone, 41551, both dating from 1921. Thus, they were built during David Day’s tenure with Vega/Fairbanks.
Whyte Laydie on left and Tubaphone on right
Both models have solid maple rims and necks. Rim diameters for mandolin banjos listed in Bollman’s compilation range from 10⅛ in. to 107/8 in., with 10⅛ in. being most common. Similarly, scale lengths are variable, ranging from 13¾ to 14⅞ in., with none of those listed being identical. The most common (irrespective of model line) rim diameter is 10⅛ inches. These specimens, both with a rim diameter of 10⅛ in. and a scale length of approximately 13⅞ in. inches, thus seem typical.
The fingerboards are ebony with simple mother-of-pearl dot position markers. On the Tubaphone, the extension over the head is cut to a curve at its base so that only the higher strings can be fretted at the top frets.
Both rims have attractive contrast bands of simulated tortoise shell on their lower and upper edges. In the case of the lower edge, the edge face is ebonized. The rims feature the 28-bracket design typical of Whyte Laydie and Tubaphone models and the distinctive bracket band.
Whyte Laydie dowel stick
The outer surface of the dowel sticks carry the typical logos, reading “FAIRBANKS BANJO MADE BY THE VEGA COMPANY, BOSTON, MASS” between two stars with “VEGA” written in their centers. Also visible are three patent dates: Dec. 30 1890 (only “Dec.” visible on Tubaphone), Jan 10, 1893, and July 27, 1909. (The first of these is Fairbanks’ patent for the scalloped tone ring used on the Whyte Laydie and on the earlier Electric models and the last is Day’s patent for the bracket ring, obviating the need for bolts passing through the rim. The 1893 patent is also for a banjo rim design.) The top surface of the stick bears the serial number and the decorative scroll with WHYTE LAYDIE or TU-BA-PHONE written in it. The tail end of the dowel fits into a plated metal ferrule on both instruments. Both necks have a contrasting center seam that runs its full length and into the peghead. The latter have a three-lobed, roughly tulip-shaped decorative cutout typical of higher-grade mandolins of this period. The pegheads and heel caps are a chocolate-brown wood overlay. Viewed from the side, the heel has a second dark stripe (matching the neck’s center stripe) parallel to the cap, producing a dark-light-dark pattern from cap to neck.
The Whyte Laydie's tuner cover plate is more simply
engraved than the Tubaphone's
The tuning machines lie fully enclosed beneath engraved nickel-plated covers, the Tubaphone’s being engraved more extensively than the Whyte Laydie’s. The Whyte Laydie’s tail piece cover is also plated and engraved. The Tubaphone’s is larger than standard and is possibly of silver. It is not original. All other pieces on both, including hardware, are intact and appear original. The fingerboards are true, the frets show little wear, and there is no pitting or corrosion on any of the metal parts, although the Tubaphone shows some plating wear and its tone ring is slightly discolored. The finish on the Whyte Laydie neck is worn, and it is possible that additional finish may have been applied to the neck at some time in the instrument’s history. Its head is a Jos. Rogers 3-star (highest grade) calfskin in excellent condition, with no tears or separations and no signs of unusual wear. To the contrary, it is in remarkably clean condition for an instrument of this age. The Tubaphone has a modern plastic head made by Remo.
Cosmetically, the two instruments differ primarily in their coloration. The Whyte Laydie bears the light coloration for which it is named while the Tubaphone is finished in the darker stain typical of most Fairbanks/Vegas. Other differences include the nonstandard tailpiece and cut-away finger board extension on the Tubaphone as already noted.
Overall, both instruments are in very good to excellent condition. The most notable flaw is a repair to the neck heel and peghead of the Whyte Laydie. Jim Bollman described the repair work as “very professional” and of no detriment to the instrument’s playability. Although the repaired heel crack is visible because of the thin glue joint is darker than the surrounding wood in this relatively visible area of the instrument, the peghead repair is much less noticeable and could easily be missed if one’s attention were not directed to it. Although these repairs do not compromise the playability or general appearance of the instrument, they lessen its value to a collector because any repair is an alteration from original condition and a minor aesthetic blemish. Bollman told me that neck repairs on mandolin banjos of this age are fairly common, which, regrettably, is an additional stimulus to their conversion to five-strings or tenors. My own perusal of mandolin banjos listed by dealers on the Internet confirms that neck repairs are not unusual on existing instruments. This repair, however, is very solid and completely stable. As part of the repair, a dowel was inserted through the heel to provide additional strength. Although the end of the dowel is visible as a light-colored circle in the darker heel cap, its placement has been tastefully executed with minimal cosmetic detriment.
Tubaphone dowel stick and tonering
The Tubaphone has no structural modifications or repairs. The only cosmetic alterations are the non-original tailpiece and the addition of fret position markers to the neck binding. These, the work of some genius who owned it previously, appear to have been burnt into the celluloid. Although not as ugly as it sounds (and relatively easy to correct with a binding replacement), such a modification to a vintage instrument defies comprehension.
The playability these instruments is excellent. The action and excellent condition of the frets make it easy to produce a clean, accurate sound on both. The g-strings on each sit less than ⅛ inch above the 12th fret. The intonation all the way up the neck is excellent. The penetrating sound of a mandolin banjo is not to everyone’s liking but these examples are among the best I’ve ever heard. The scalloped tone ring of the Whyte Laydie and square-sectioned tone ring of the Tubaphone are prized for their tonal characteristics. These are very much in evidence in these instruments. Their tone has an appealing balance between attack and sustain. The Whyte Laydie is loud but also quite warm in tone, owing to the calfskin head. The Tubaphone, with its synthetic head, is brighter and even louder than the Whyte Laydie. Many lesser mandolin banjos have a muddy sound due to excessive sustain and overtones, and consequently have not found favor with many musicians. These instruments’ voices, however, are quite clear. The Whyte Laydie especially combines the appealing tonal qualities of the banjo and mandolin. The Tubaphone is more banjo-like in sound but has the fullness of the double-course stringing. Although such matters are highly subjective, the feel and sound of this Whyte Laydie and Tubaphone should favorably impress most players.
References
Bollman, J., Kimmel, D., & Unger, D. (1978). A history of Vega/Fairbanks banjos. Pickin’, 5(5), 26-38.
Bollman, J. (1978). Serial number dating chart. Pickin’, 5(5), 40-48.
Gruhn, G., & Carter, W. (1993). Acoustic guitars and other fretted instruments: A photographic history. San Francisco: Miller-Freeman, Inc.
Linn, K. (1994). That half-barbaric twang: The banjo in American popular culture. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Contact me at: devellis@directvinternet.com
last updated 12/30/01