vega banjo identification

It looks like the banjo is in ok/decent condition. The other 9 were likely shipped to Canada or Japan for assembly after 1977. The Item # was VT2NRC. vega banjo identification. The five number labels were found in banjos made from 1962 through February 1964, involving serial numbers A10300 through A12400. Ive owned one for 30 yrs though I dont play it very well. Theres precious little information about these instruments online. Martin made 76 commemorative V-76 banjos in 1976 to celebrated the bicentennial of the USA. P.S. The banjo listed for $556 in the 1971 price list without case. Martin factory in Nazareth, PA, parts were shipped overseas to Japan and Canada for assembly. set of identifying characteristics can be found at http://www.mugwumps.com. (BTW, foradditional postings select Vega Martin Stories on the homepage menu or enter Vega Martin in the search engine. Kudos to Greg Deering who rescued the Vega brand name from extinction in 1989 and restored it to greatness. It has only a tape serial number inside the pot of 1124. Barry. The ebony fingerboard was on a mahogany neck, and a butterfly adorns the back of the resonator. Informacje o Martin V740 StringsVega strun banjo RETRO 10-23,10 - 11109692503 w archiwum Allegro. Martin began shipping parts overseas for assembly. Martin Vega Banjo 5-Strings, Medium Gauge (V740) Check Price at Amazon. The Vega No.2 is a banjo made of top grade curly maple stained light amber and buffed to a high gloss. Your 5-stringer was one of seven V-76E instruments manufactured per Shop Order 2310, and the `E` designation indicates that these seven banjos were made for employees. I remember seeing a brand new tenor Vox I in a musicstore in late 1973/early 1974 that already had the rosewood cap (memorablefor me as a kid and thought it odd, when compared to the 1972 catalog; aWonder or Ranger were also in the store from Needham Heights and were stillblackened). Like Mark whom you cite from Comment #6 above, your banjo is one of 14 Pro-5 instruments manufactured per Shop Order #2197 in 1974 in Nazareth, PA. Martin built 100 Pro-5 banjos from 1971-79, including the whimsical Bobby Joe Fenster 5 stringer which was a thinly disguised Pro-5. Martin- Thank you for your query and very useful photos. C.F. In my files, the PS-5 is seen in a Vega (Boston) flyer in 1961 where it lists for $309. I was lucky enough to buy one but, as my music and and the type of music I had to play to get work changed, I hardly played this, near mint condition, banjo. With the original Hardshell case and the rare Earl Scruggs Tuners or de- tuners if you will. (#26) Dr. Ron about " Vega Vox V: The Vega Martin Apogee of 4 String Banjos", A Lone (Pre Vega Martin ) Banjo at the Art Museum, https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14ES67V1VHbMR-GfbQpvWWGD1RUJrtyTv?usp=sharing. Do you have any additional information you could share regarding this instrument? The well preserved CFM decals on the rim and back of the peg head clearly document that the parts were made in Nazareth, PA, circa 1974. The long-neck No. The VIP-5 is known for its mellow sound, and the tone of my VIP-5 (SN 1364 circa 1974) was admired by a faculty member at a northeastern banjo camp a few years ago. I cant find that picture, but Ill see if I can locate it, as someone else may have sent it to me playing the banjo out at afestival in Arizona. A fabulous example of one of the finest banjos ever made, the Vega 5-string Pete Seeger long-necked folk banjo, produced as a result of the folk craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Best wishes for happy pickin`, Barry, I have an Vega 5-string banjo, open back, bought around 1965. Although a Bluegrass resonator banjo musician, my daily practice exercises are conducted sans picks on one of two long neck Ode 5-stringers that are wife-friendly in tone. My estimate is that your VIP-T would likely fetch in the $700-1100 range these days, and maybe a little more, depending on condition and special appointments. No M130097 Model: Wonder 5 St. For a chuckle, see the latest home page entry for BJF details. Martin purchased Vega in May of 1970, and production transitioned from Boston to Nazareth, PA. Close study of the flange can sometimes reveal, however, that it is left-over Vega hardware from the Needham Heights factory. Hope this helps and thanks again for your post. Tuned 1-1/2 steps lower than a standard 5-string banjo, the Maple Mountain Series MM-150LN is set up for the best singing keys. Only 101 model PS-5 banjos were made by C.F. Its a Vega VIP with the Martin Co. logo on the back of the peg head. Micky- Thanks for your narrative on your Pete Seeger long neck. Barry- Thanks for your queries and subsequent photos that promt me to revise my initial response. Deering now owns the Vega line and offers open-back Tubaphones in their inventory. The evolution of the Professional model dates back to the Boston 1963 Vega catalogue that featured the first Pro model banjo that looked like an inexpensive version of the Earl Scruggs model that Vega offered at that time. My estimate is that the banjo might be worth $500-$700 depending on condition. From the BRC, Barry. It first appeared in 1923 and was also the first Vega with the scrambled eggs inlay and the Vega name in the headstock.Although the Vegaphone is supposed to have a maple neck - and the tenors do, most Vegaphone plectrums have surplus Tubaphone Style 3 necks in mahogany with carved heels. The last one was produced in early 1975 despite being their very first banjo made that year. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. The mother of pearl inlay fretboard pattern in your Pro-5 is similar to that found in the popular VIP-5 banjo, but the latter has single-stripe engraving in the mother of pearl. Depending upon condition, it is probably worth somewhere around $750 these days. Identification: "A" Style mandolins were symmetrical and shaped like a teardrop. The number is painted on the bottom not pressed in the wood. Steve in Oz, April 24, 2016 at 1:23 pmSteve- Thanks for your post and glad to hear that a `Wonder` banjo made it `Down Under` during the Vega Martin era. Retail price was $1300.00 ; I paid $900.00 . The two legendary musicians in the camp photo are banjo godfather Tony Trischka and Grammy award winner Eric Weissberg. The highly ornate Vega Vox IV banjo with serial number #1969 was the final officially documented banjo manufactured by C. F. Martin in Nazareth, PA. , circa 1978-79. C.F. 7. The VIP banjo last appeared in the 1976 VM catalog as an open back instrument but still featuring the V.I.P. This banjo was made by the Vega Company in Boston, Massachusetts, around 1922. The Wonder was an entry level resonator instrument that featured a metal tone ring, white fingerboard binding, a notched tension hoop, a 10 ply rim, 3 piece maple neck, blackwood fretboard, pearl dots, nickel-pate parts and a shaded mahogany finish. Galaxy went bankrupt in a few years, and the Vega brand was purchased in 1989 by Deering in California who restored the instrument line to greatness. Martin manufactured 561 VW-5 banjos but only 124 FW-5 instruments. A previous owner had deeply scratched a Social Security number into its heel. Thank you so very much for this information! The V-41 was available by special order only, and it listed back then for $850. Not quite as universally imitated as, say, Stradivari's violins or Martin's dreadnought guitars, but close. I dont play any instrument right now. It sounds like your banjo is maybe a hybrid made overseas after 1976-1977 when Vega Martin parts were shipped to Japan and later Canada for assembly. Dot inlay fret board. The Martin log book in Nazareth, PA, begins with #130248 later in 1971. Your banjo is an off shoot of the classic No. vega banjo identification. Thanks Again! I am wondering what you can tell me about a Vega long neck banjo with Martin stamp on the back of the headstock and inside, serial number 82? It retailed for $775 and was probably assembled from parts left over from Nazareth, PA. Thank You for your time and web site. When C.F. On the inner rim of the back cover is another Martin logo and the (embossed in white) number 887. Hope this helps and all the best in 2019, Barry. The banjo featured a bell brass audio-sonic tone ring, different from the tubaphone tone ring, and a ten ply maple rim. The differentiating feature is the deeper resonator than the VIP/Pro II/Osborne/Scruggs Mk II/Bobby Joe Fenster standard resonator modelsnot quite as deep as the Vox and not top tension (standard hook and nut with Pro II flanges). In regards to the endorsed banjo models cited in your final paragraph, my files show that the Sonny Osborne model appears only in the 1968 Vega/Boston catalogue. Martin Company acquired the Vega rights from the Bostonian Nelson Family in May of 1970 and sold the franchise overseas in March of 1979. The Martin Co. dropped the 6 digit serial number system in mid 1971 and then began again with #2- #1945, although a few special banjos up to #1969 were produced. From its early Boston beginnings, the Vega Banjo Company made splendidand now vintage instruments, including the Earl Scruggs signature model heendorsed in the 1960s. 0 bids. Allen screws at the neck/pot junction and a tube connecting rod (not shown) are design features from the 1960`s in Boston . One of the best known Kay electric guitars during the 1950s was the K-161 "Thin Twin", most visibly used by blues artist Jimmy Reed. The rich heritage of Vega was derelict for 5 years until Deering rescued it by acquiring rights to the brand name in 1989. Unless refinished, the decal on the back alsomakes it post-1972. I have 3 Vega banjos , 1963 Earl Scruggs model A 10921(Scruggs ST-5, handwritten in red ink under that on yellow label) which I played for 23 years, she has a very mellow sound. I have two Ode long neck banjos, and one of them is my daily practice instrument because of its wife-friendly tone. Again, thanks for your post. It is a Four-String Banjo, Tu-ba-phone Model No. Home; Meet Darlene; ISI Mission; What is Coaching? Thanks so much! From the BRC site this banjo was made circa 1975-1976 in and around Nazareth PA. Do I have the have the provenance correct? If you need photos I can take a few and send them to you on a subsequent time. Martin purchased the Vega brand in May of 1970, the Martin factory in Nazareth, PA, began to re-tool for banjo production. I cannot find any pictures remotely close online. aluminum variety, one slim one large, with the larger one closer to the head. Also, Deering uses a 3-ply 1/2 rock maple rim, compared to the 5/8 10-ply rim typically found in most Martin Nazareth produced Voxes in the 1970s. Photos would be necessary to give an accurate price range, as design styles were still changing in the post war period and overall condition (all original parts) would bring a higher price. John- Thank-you for the detailed photos. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thank you for your query to the BRC and the abovephoto link. Just found you today . Your Vega Wonder (VW) plectrum banjo SN 129 was one of six `VW-Plec` 4 string banjos made in Nazareth, PA, by C. F. Martin per Shop Order #2105 in mid 1972. The highly ornate Vega Vox IV banjo with serial number #1969 was the final officially documented banjo manufactured by C. F. Martin in Nazareth, PA. , circa 1978-79. 403.80. Bob- Thanks for your query and kind words about my website. He wanted to buy it! It listed back then for $345 without to BRCcase. In good condition, the range today is $4000-6000 ($4500-5000 is more reasonable); rare that a tenor would sell at high end, as that market is very soft now and more vintage IV tenors from 1930-50s are pursued and better value (those with dowel sticks tend to be more highly sought after today in the tenor crowd). SF bay area > east bay > for sale > musical instruments - by owner. New and used generic flanges can be found on eBay, but getting one to fit your pot outer diameter and bracket hook sequence is tricky. It appears to be serial number 231 (engraved). Thought you might enjoy an article in All Frets from my good friend and American Banjo Museum curator, Johnny Baier, An Ode to the Vega VoxId like to think my bad influences have moved him over to the dark side as he is now a happy owner of his own deep resonator tenor with a calfskin head (it sounds fantastic).

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