It was a student model that Eddie convinced long time friend and Vega owner/president to make positioned as a lower cost alternative to the Vox I/Professional IIit was an upgrade over the Little Wonder/Ranger banjos. The back of the headstock is blank. All the best pickin`, and thanks for your kind words about my website. Thereafter, C. F. Martin installed a serial number decal on the inner rim beginning with #2 and on through #1945. Vega Long Neck Banjo $5,399.00 Vega White Oak Long Neck Banjo 11" from $2,599.00 Vega Kingston Trio Tom Dooley Long Neck Banjo $15,599.00 Vega Woodsongs Campfire Long Neck Banjo $2,399.00 Sold Out Vega Professional 19-Fret Tenor Banjo $7,499.00 Vega Kingston Trio Long Neck Banjo $6,299.00 Vega Kingston Trio - Bob Shane Plectrum Banjo C.F. Replyfrom our Vega Vox scholar Dr. RonHi Ernie. Deering now owns the Vega line and offers open-back Tubaphones in their inventory. ), though, as said earlier, neck and rim look a lot like Martin quality. The rare T-2 and T-2XL had serial numbers in the #1607-1945 range. The back of the peghead of these rare banjos is imprinted with a C.F. First let me thank you for this amazing well of information! Just came across your site, I was wondering if you would be able to help identify what model Martin Vega banjo that I have, I believe it is from the 70s. Replacing a broken flange on a rare and vintage instrument is a tough task. Rochester NY 14610. The story he told was that it was a distress sale for a friend, and that the banjo was one of 1000 limited editions and had a solid silver tone ring, and was worth at least twice the price. Martin upgraded the maple rim to 10 ply after purchasing the Vega/Boston franchise in May of 1970. For reference, the name of the original owner with serial number should be in the Martin Archives. 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. June 7, 2022; homes for sale by owner in berwick, pa . Serial number 115831 on a yellow strip built in Boston Mass.Wondering when it might have been built? I think im in heaven. The tailpiece does not look original, but the dual connecting rods are typical of the Martin design. Lastly, the banjo could be cleaned-up and refitted at a local music shop, or referred by the shop to a nearby luthier for repairs; and you would have a workable starter banjo for taking some exploratory music lessons. 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. They all had yellow serial number stickers. post id: 7593773670. posted: 2023-02-27 00:34. Thanks again. Martin acquired Vega. The Vega Vox model was a 4 string gem that featured a brass tone ring. In the final Martin price listed published in 1971, it listed for $345 without case. With appreciation, Barry. 17,378. Vega Martin SN 1199 is one of five VIP-T (tenor) banjos made per shop order # 2233 in late 1974 in Nazareth, PA. Martin, and the line was discontinued in 1975. Andreas- Thank you for the historical narrative on your banjo and the detailed photographs. Being unable to find anything on the internet, I began to think I had been scammed. From the BRC, Barry, Sir: What kind of info can you give me on a V-76E banjo, Ser. From the BRC, Barry. Hello, I just stumbled onto this site today 4/16/20. About 20 years ago I had it re-fretted , re-finished , and the gold re-plated . Vega Banjos for Sale, New and Used Search Agent: Get notified when new ads meet your criteria! Thanks for your query, Barry. Although C.F. He uses the one piece neck design typical of the other Deering models with the SN stamped on the back of the peghead. The VIP banjo last appeared in the 1976 VM catalog as an open back instrument but still featuring the V.I.P. In PACTware software. It has dual rods running through the pot and it has the tubaphone tone ring. 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. Be safe, be well, keep on picking. I have recently acquired from Florida another VEGA Martin VIP model #845, which sounds totally different than the other 2, almost a rich full old timey sound yet with a resonator. Your banjo may be a hybrid from that era. 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. Fairbanks & Cole Knowing the history of an instrument adds so much to the enjoyment of owning and playing it. Vega banjos were marketed in the US thereafter by TMC (Targ & Dinner 20 Century Music Company) via a catalogue published in May of 1979. Save This Search Your search returned 20 results View Sold and Expired Ads Matching Your Search It has the famous Vega `Tu-Ba-Phone` tone ring and notched tension hoop both made of bell brass, an ebony fingerboard, and a 10 ply maple rim. My aunt gave me a Martin Vega banjo serial number 892 to see what it was worth since she is not internet savy and looking to sell it. The local music store said they would give her 120$ for it. Thanks! 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. Landis- Thanks for your post. Deering now owns the Vega brand, and it is rumored that they may revive the deep resonator design. Martin in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, in mid 1974 per Shop Order #2217. I ordered. The shoes (instead of Vox next nut shoes) and the round hook and nutassemblies are probably from stock, as I have some still lying around athome that I bought from Martin back then to replace on a 1929 Vegaphone(which are slightly different). William- Thanks for your post. The tiny screws adjacent to it are an adaptation by the Vega franchise to afford fine-tuning of the side-to-side alignment of the neck. It did not have a tone ring or simply a steel ring like the Wonder, to keep the cost down. Hope this helps and best wishes from the BRC, Barry. C.F. According to the factory logbook, banjo # 481 was one of eleven PS-5 banjos made per Shop Order # 2155 by C.F. 28 de mayo de 2018. Guess I stated it wrong, not really carvings, just in lays. Barry. The handsome Professional-5 model with an upgraded tone ring and rim re-appeared in the 1972 Vega/Martin banjo catalogue- but no sign ever again of the short lived BJF-5 stringer. The Wonder-5 was an entry level instrument with a metal tone ring, white fingerboard binding, a notched tension hoop, a 10 ply rim, a 3 piece maple neck, a blackwood fingerboard, 4 section flanges, nickel plated metal parts, and shaded mahogany finish. I got an old Vega banjo from my father. Do you have a total of these models made under the Massachusetts Vega name? Buckbee(1861-1897) banjos can frequently be identified by their Banjos with pegheads like that shown in the first picture below are usually made by Buckbee. They differed from ukulele banjos in that the uke banjos typically had smaller rims. Of course she did a beautiful job with it including turning its blond color into a brunette! Its paper label says it was made by Vega of Boston, part of the CF Martin Co. but it does not have the CF Martin decal on the back of the peg-head. A total of 101 PS-5 instruments were manufactured in Pennsylvania. "F" Style mandolins have a carved nautilus shaped curl on the upper left-hand bout. The Pro II model was advertised in the 1966 Vega catalogue with an up-graded and fancy mother of pearl inlay pattern as seen on your banjo. Dear Per- In May of 1970, C.F. I was told by someone at C. F. Martin that they only made 11 of them ( mine is ser # 7 ) . bouffant scrub cap pattern. Subscribe to get free banjos tips, hear about new products, special offers, and more! While published accounts indicate that only 18 plectrums and 3 tenors were made in this series, Martin company officials have shared information from current records that one-third were simply shop orders that were never actually completed in the post-strike period. $260 USD. Although the genesis of your SN and date of manufacture are a puzzlement, it is no mystery that you own a lovely vintage Martin banjo. I have two 1930 Vegaphones and an earlier Tubaphone conversion, and this VIP is certainly able to hold up its weight tone wise. It is in excellent condition but missing a resonator thumbscrew with the threaded washer. The larger connecting rod inside the pot is a spare part inherited from the Boston days of the Vega company. Barry. The Vega White Oak Banjo is ideal for achieving the classic clawhammer and folk, with bright tone and distinct note clarity and weighs less than 6 lbs! It looks like a well-preserved and fun mid range banjo waiting to be enjoyed by an appreciative musician like yourself. By my count, Martin made 16 V-45 banjos that were 5-stringers, 3 plectrums (V45-P), and one (V45-T) tenor model. In your e-mail, you mention being told when acquiring the instrument that it was a prototype design. I really appreciate your orientation. The banjos advertised in the brochure had generic names and Item #`s. Your instrument was listed as Vega 5-string Banjo featuring a Tu-Ba-Phone tone ring with round holes thus representing A reproduction of the early Tu-Ba-Phone No. It was one of the last batch of fourteen Wonder 5-stringers made in the USA before C.F. S.C.- Thank you for your query to the BRC. Vega Martin long neck PS-5 banjo SN 80 is one of eleven Pete Seeger 5-stringers manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in mid 1972 per Shop Order 2098. The Ranger sold for $125 in 1961 and $158 in 1966. The Folk Wonder model does not appear in the 1972 or 1976 Vega Martin catalogues, but its resonator version the `Wonder` model does. After a loooong wait I finally got it in 1971 . Subject: Help with ID of Vega Banjo please. senior living sun prairie, wi; blueberry sweet rolls joanna gaines; miguel cardona family; shooting in newport beach last night; st albans swim club drowning; where was the 3 godfathers filmed; southwest chicken bake; Martin manufactured 100 Pro-5 banjos including the temporary Bobby Joe Fenster variation. My estimate is that your VV IV-T can fetch about $1000-4500 these days depending on the online vendor or estate auction. Martin manufactured only 33 VW-plectrum banjos. Note the unique cluster of 3 sound apertures spaced around the tone ring of the below VIP-5 model owned by the BRC founder (SN 1364). The new longneck was design to match the original neck in style and looks while also using some of Vega's Pete Seeger model as influence. Ive attached a photo of that Coat of Arms resonator next to my Vox Vit was a spare they had made for Eddie Peabody. The neck has crown-and-football inlays and the Martin logo is on the back of the pegboard. Of historical interest, when Martin initiated its own four digit serial number system in 1972 to replace the Vega six digit system, banjos SN 2-5 were the V-45(5) model. I told her to leave cause i thought they were taking advantage of her because of her age. My estimate is that it would fetch up to $900 these days depending on condition Hope this helps and thanks from the BRC, Barry, Hello , I am writing from France where I found a banjo that I want to buy, but which I have no information. Despite its puzzling serial number, your instrument is a Tu-Ba-Phone Deluxe 5-string. Could you tell me where it was built and what its value is today ? Thanks for posting the information on Martin mage Vega banjos. Hope this helps and best wishes from the BRC, Barry, Gary- Thanks for your query. It is great to hear from someone who actually visited the Vega factory in Needham Heights, Massachusetts. A couple of years ago I started to develop increased interest in clawhammer style, and with all the lessons available online nowadays, finally Im finding myself back on the tracks. 2 Tu-Ba-Phone XL long neck. safety tips; prohibited items; product recalls; Best wishes with your VIP and thanks again for your post, Barry. Jim _Thanks for your query. Hence, my theory is that this ornate banjo was assembled overseas after Martin began shipping parts to Japan and Canada for assembly in 1976, and this would explain the mysterious serial number. Martin workshop log book, your V-45-5 serial number 327 banjo was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in early 1973 per Shop Order 2138. Your comments about the color tone differences of Vega/Boston vs. Martin/Nazareth resonator banjos are curious, and I do not have an accurate answer for it. This fascinating collection of vintage stringed instruments chronicles luthier C.F. (BTW, foradditional postings select Vega Martin Stories on the homepage menu or enter Vega Martin in the search engine. C.F. If you want a more Bluegrass sound, try a 5-Star head from Stew Mac. Bill- Thanks for your query. Your PS-5 Pete Seeger long neck # M-130259 was assembled in Nazareth in early 1971 per Shop Order 2012. I had Renee Karnes carve the heel with a VV flower and leaf design to get rid of the SS #. 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. Theres barely a mark on the banjo (except for the binding where it was put on a stand) and this will probably buff out. The PS-5 appears in the transitional 1970 Vega Martin catalog, and again in the 1972 product brochure; but it is absent from the 1976 catalog. vega banjo identification. 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. I have a seperate label thats still in the case showing the serial # 1199. The Wonder series of instruments featured a metal tone ring, white fingerboard binding, a heavy notched tension hoop, a 10 ply rim, a 3 piece maple neck, a blackwood fingerboard, pearl dots, an armrest, and a factory-installed resonator with four section metal tone flanges. I am assuming someone may have penciled in an extra 1 on yours, but my best guess is that it was made sometime in the last half of 1963 (A12130 was the first banjo produced in Jan 64). In 1970, C.F. Your VW-5 resonator banjo is not to be confused with its cousin the open back FW-5 model Folk Wonder which retailed for $280. A previous owner had deeply scratched a Social Security number into its heel. Id like to echo previous comments and thank you for a great, great website, chock full of useful information. ejemplos de hombres perezosos en la biblia; social juventus porto; china eastern trip report; Hello world! The more affordable V-41-5 banjo was partnered with the D-41 guitar, but this marketing ploy did not work as anticipated for either of the aforementioned guitar/banjo combinations. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Check Price at Amazon. Thanks again for your post. Aspiring players also wonder what makes one banjo better than another. Martin decal on the back of your peghead and on the inner rim. 1969, probably initially at the 40 Leon Street factory the Needham Heights (just before the sale to Martin). 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 resonator back and sidewall colored engravings are probably the key feature that might bring more value than lessthere were two likely designs at this time a tiffany-style web pattern with a floral vine on the side (first used in 1930) or the late 1940s Indian blanket Art Deco design.I have an original 1948 model that has the older style neck, with the new resonator designso , its a mixed bag during this time as Vega was experimenting with parts off the shelf when banjo sales were extremely low (maybe 20 per year) and their focus was on guitar and ukulule production instead.Pricing for 4 strings (and 5 strings) have dropped considerably over last 2-3 years for vintage banjosVoxes have held more than others. The construction features were changing on the Vox IV (most different from catalog images), but at this point Vega was still using dowel stick (rather than metal coordinator rods) to attach and adjust the neck, and adjustable truss rods in the neck were not added until 1955the early prewar type-construction was desired by many collectors. PA. As you have observed, the VIP tonering has holes grouped in threes, so maybe yours might be a lucky survivor from the early days of the VIP line when the model first appeared in the 1970 Vega Martin catalogue. I bought a Vega Martin 5 string some time in 2000. C.F. Both are in wonderful condition. Age differences in the instruments might alsoalter the wood tones. For example: 0534599-7362 would be a banjo from May of 1999. Im curious to know if it is possible to learn whether this banjo came from the factory with a resonator or was originally sold as an open back. Deering now offers the Tubaphone No. Another side note, Greg Deering has made two prototype Voxes alreadyI have played one of them, which is basically an identical design to the 1967 Vox I with a paddle peghead and crown inlays. Fairbanks and Vega banjo numbers are consecutive, and have no DIRECT relationship to the model, or production date. Of note, the tubular connecting rod and the Allen head screws seen in your banjo pot are design features left-over from the Vega era in Boston. Martin purchased the Vega brand and briefly marketed the so-called Bobby Joe Fenster banjo which was a thinly disguised Pro-5 endorsed by a fictitious banjoist as a somewhat mirthful marketing ploy. I bought it in Stockholm, Sweden as a student, so it was not so expensive, as i remembered. Look for decals and a serial number on the interior of the rim to help document its story. What a wealth of banjo information you have.I have a VV IV T tenor SN: M130298 which I purchase used about twenty-five years ago for $2,000. Can you tell me what year this banjo was made and what my aunt could legitimately ask for it? Your banjo was built circa 1964, and the A pre-fix to the serial number means `adjustable truss rod`. Many thanks for your efforts. Thats when I decided to modify this rather bluegrassy bright (and plenty of loud) sounding Folk banjo a bit. 403.80. Vega Banjo Identification Vega Tenor Banjo Serial Numbers Chart Vega Tenor Banjo Serial Numbers Vintage Mandolin Banjo Fairbanks Vega Company Boston USA 1920 6 Saiten Einige der Spanner samt Schrauben und sowie die Saiten sind nicht vorhanden. Thanks for your post. C.F. 2 Tu-Ba-Phone XL long neck premieres instead. Nowadays, it might fetch around $750 in the online marketplace. I cant remember exactly when I bought it but I think it was around the early 70s. It is number E-5 in a limited edition of 16 instruments made in 1976. Eddie- Thanks for your query and kind comments about the website. Hello. Martin built 561 VW-5 banjos in the 1970`s.You can learn more about this VM instrument by browsing my website for the postings on 6-19-21 and 1-16-21, or just enter the word `wonder` in the search engine. Dr. Ron- the BRC staff and readers appreciate all the wonderful details and photos. The F-VIP is first mentioned briefly on a front page of the 1970 Vega Martin catalogue, and it retailed for $490 in the VM price list of 1971. What is a spectrum banjo? Barry. The original prototype was designed and built by the Vega Company in 1969, for the legendary King of the Banjo Eddie Peabody to commemorate his 50th year in show business. Barry, Marc- Thanks much for the prompt and telling photos. In the Vega Martin shop files, banjo SN 916 is a VVI-P (Vega Vox Style 1 plectrum) resonator banjo made in 1974 in Nazareth, PA. Plectrum 4 stringers have 22 frets compared to the tenors that have 17 to 19 frets.
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