Jos Rogers Jr Mandolin Wurlitzer

[66BookMom]

This is on a local yard sale site to me for $50. Is it worth something? My son plays, so I'd be happy to get for him if it's something cool.

[F-2 Dave]

I'd spend $50 on it. It even has a cool hard shell case. Actually I'd probably go as much as a couple hundred, especially if was something I really wanted.

[66BookMom]

Thanks F-2 Dave. I've sent in an inquiry, so who knows. It was recently posted, but it could be snatched. I'm wondering if it is supposed to sound like a banjo? But played like a mandolin. Anyway I've asked to see it.

[MikeEdgerton]

Jos Rogers made the banjo head. They didn't make the instrument. It's a banjo mandolin. An effort to move the mandolin players over to the banjo as the banjo got more popular. There probably isn't a makers mark on it but if it is it might be on the stick behind the head. Is it marked Wurlitzer?

It's worth $50.00, maybe a little more.

[66BookMom]

Yes it is marked Wurlitzer on the back of the head on a stick.

[MikeEdgerton]

OK, Wurlitzer didn't make these they farmed that out but at least there's a chance that somebody might have a catalog page and that will get you closer to an actual manufacture date. Have you got a picture of the back of the headstock showing the tuners?

[66BookMom]

[66BookMom]

[MikeEdgerton]

The tuners put it in the early 20's. Here's your mandolin banjo with another distributors name on it. Basically it's the same instrument but I believe yours was built a bit earlier than the first one listed in this other thread. If you can get that for $50.00 I'd buy it. The tuners and tailpiece are worth much more than that.

[66BookMom]

Thank you Mike! I see that the seller has read my FB post about having cash and wanting to see it. No reply yet. Someone may have beaten me to it. Suspense...

[slimt]

I need a few of those around here so I dont have to listen to the Neighbours kids whining.. :D

[66BookMom]

Update: Multiple Offers! I'm scheduled to see it/buy it tomorrow. We will see if it's available by the time I get there?! You never know. Thanks again for the feedback. I'll update tomorrow.

[allenhopkins]

Pulled out my Fairbanks-Vega Little Wonder to compare, and there are many similarities: tapered dowel stick, inlaid strip on the back of the neck, "cloud" tailpiece. Headstock shape differs, and the fact that the bracket shoes are fastened with nuts inside the shell, instead of screw heads. Mine, which is early '20's, doesn't have the "arrow" tuners.

Still, seems to me it could be F-V manufacture. Just my 2¢...

[MarkELynch]

Allen, I agree there are many similarities with the Vega brand but that may be because Vega set many of the standards. Notice that it has a fewer number of bracket hooks than your Vega Little Wonder. The base model Vega K Mandolin Banjo has 22 hooks and the higher end Little Wonder, Whyte Laydie and Tubaphone models all use 28. The example here has only 20. It was likely manufactured by Slingerland and branded as a Wurlitzer. I agree with the Slingerland identification in the earlier thread (thanks Mike).

It seems that by the mid to late 1920’s all banjo manufacturers were supplying mandolin banjos and there are many, many left in circulation. With very few exceptions most sound like the cheap instruments that they are. This Slingerland is towards the low end. Unfortunately mandolin banjos have a poor reputation because players have never had the opportunity to hear a high quality Vega with a Tubaphone or Whyte Laydie tone ring. Paramount made some good sounding ones as well. The Vegas are not hard to find and still reasonably priced, the Paramounts are more difficult.

Even with proper setup, don’t expect this Slingerland-Wurlitzer to sound particularly pleasing. Still, if the price is right I’m sure you can have some fun with it. The hard shell case is a plus.

Let us know how your visit goes!

Mark

[66BookMom]

Yikes! I don’t want to get something that sounds awful!

[MikeEdgerton]

To be totally honest, a high end mandolin banjo isn't much different. It's an acquired taste and good luck on keeping one in tune. With that said I'd buy this one for the tuners and the tailpiece. The case handle is probably worth more than the rest of the case.

[66BookMom]

I have it! Thanks so much for helping out a mando mom! It is really cool. The seller said it belonged to her grandfather who bought it at a rummage sale in the 40s.

[66BookMom]

https://www.gbase.com/gear/regal-banjolin-1925-natural

https://www.gbase.com/powered/gearde...7&item=3900139

https://reverb.com/item/6776662-pric...string-banjo-m

[MikeEdgerton]

Don't be impressed by those prices. They don't actually sell for that much. Everyone thinks they can get a fortune for them.

Yours has the advantage of having those arrowhead tuners. Those actually have some value because they used them on some of the more desirable Gibson mandolins from that era but the string posts might be a little shorter.

[66BookMom]

Thanks again Mike. We’re keeping it for a while! :-)

[William Smith]

Yes nice arrowhead tuners on it! 1923-1924 I do believe, well worth the price just for them!

[pops1]

If you use two sets of tenor banjo strings instead of mandolin strings it will sound better and put much less stress on the instrument. It is after all a banjo and less tension on the head will sound better.

[nmiller]

This is a Slingerland-built instrument; compare.

[MikeEdgerton]

That was established up around Post 9.

[nmiller]

And argued in post 13.