vega banjo identification

This workshop numbering system continued uninterrupted to #2355 in 1977 when the banjos went overseas for assembly. Thank-you for your kind words about my website, and all blessings to you and yours this coming holiday season. The last one was produced in early 1975 despite being their very first banjo made that year. He is credited with being one of the first banjo-builders to install side brackets with hooks to adjust the tension of the head. Enjoy. Vega Tenor Banjo and Case, 1920s | Reverb Oops, Something went wrong. Evidently, there was a marketing strategy to partner the 5-string V-41 instrument with Martin`s popular D-41 guitar, but this ploy did not come to fruition. However, current thinking (thanks to Hank Schwartz) is that 999 numbers were assigned per year -- from the start, in 1880. Thank you. Of note, when the Professional 5-stringer was made in Boston in the early 1960`s, it had square MOP inlays with dots on the neck compared to the nicely designed inlays on your fretboard and seen in the 1966 catalogue. The Folk Wonder model does not appear in the 1972 or 1976 Vega Martin catalogues, but its resonator version the `Wonder` model does. It is a VEGA MARTIN tenor 4 string on which is written a number: 1040 .On the handle, it is engraved VIP and the back of the handle, there is the CF Martin logo.I want to know the date of construction , its positioning in the range of tenor banjos and possibly the price it may be worth now .Thank you in advance and best wishes !Bernard, BRC Banjo Replies:June 1, 2016 at 2:33 pm, Bonjour Bernard- Your VIP (Very Important Player) tenor banjo serial number 1040 was one of three VIP-T banjos manufactured by C.F. In the final VM 1976 catalogue, the F-VIP is displayed in full advertising detail. Your VW-5 would fetch $700-$1000 these days. Any idea where I might find one? Per my files, the Pete Seeger long neck first appears in a Vega flyer in 1961 for $309. The Martin Co. sold the Vega franchise to the Asian conglomerate `Galaxy Trading Company` in 1979, and thereafter Vega banjos were manufactured in South Korea. C.F. These were used on the Wonder, VIP,Folklore, etc (non-Pro II, V-45, V-41 styles). Thats a lot of information! $42 USD. Specs are equal to the popular Gold Tone MM-150 with the addition of three extra frets allowing the banjo to tune to EBEG#B. The Banjo Rehabilitation Center archives contain the serial numbers and dates of manufacture of the Vega-Martin banjos made in Nazareth, PA, during the 1970`s. Your 5 string model was featured in the subsequent 1979 TMC Vega catalogue as an instrument similar to old style Vega Tu- Ba-Phone No.9.. banjo, and it listed then for $1250. Because so few Pro-5`s were manufactured in Nazareth, it is difficult to gauge the worth of your banjo these days. Informacje o Martin V740 StringsVega strun banjo RETRO 10-23,10 - 11109692503 w archiwum Allegro. I was told by someone at C. F. Martin that they only made 11 of them ( mine is ser # 7 ) . No M130097 Model: Wonder 5 St. Having read the posts above I see that this is most likely not the case! Thank you very much for your quick answer. I dont play any instrument right now. Both are in wonderful condition. Cited in the Vega price list of 1971, the last one VM published, the retail price tag was $488 without case. It is the first martin-vega I have ever seen in person, or had in my hands! Barry. 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. Thanks for your very kind words about the BRC website. Thereafter, C. F. Martin installed a serial number decal on the inner rim beginning with #2 and on through #1945. Your site is a great resource for these instruments by the way. Thank you so much!! Bill Keith Stainless Steel D-Tuners, for 2nd & 3rd strings. GREAT FORUM. By early 1971, Martin began to assemble banjos from Boston-made parts in Nazareth using the Vega six digit serial number system prefixed with the letter M for Martin and beginning with Shop Order 2001. All the best pickin`, and thanks for your kind words about my website. The rhinestones on the flanges, tension bolts, and peghead differ from Peabodys prototype and the later Martin production Vox V models. For reference, the name of the original owner with serial number should be in the Martin Archives. Linda- Thanks much for your query and hearing about your three vintage banjos. (They are NOT a 'coded' format.) Thank You for your time and web site. Hi there Folks.A few weeks ago i bought a Vega martin 5 string banjo, tubaphone tonering, the screws to attach the shoes to the bracket band go through the bracketband but also through the rim.The banjo is almost in unplayed condition, sounds wonderfull, the original case is also there.serial numer is 1707. Idoubt it matches the rim, unless they changed from a plectrum to tenor atlast minute. March 13, 2017 at 3:46 pmRob- Thank you for your query and very kind comments about the BRC website. It also features the four digit SN imprinted into the outside of the holes in groups of three tone ring, clearly done before the plating, and visible only when dissembled. Answer: Tu-Ba-Phone 5-String made 1978-1979. 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. It is in pristine condition and is clearly a very high quality instrument. 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. There were forty-six Vega Martin V-45 banjos made of similar design, but the hardware was gold-plated. The Pro model initially featured a Tube-a-phone tone chamber rim which evolved into a tone ring with exclusively designed audio apertures machined into a dogbone/barbell configuration. But, the neck had the upgraded crown inlay pattern like their mid range banjos, and originally a paddle peghead design (the new scroll design appeared in 1968). Q: At what point did Vega go from ball end to open end bracket nuts? Ive had several accomplished pickers really make it talk.wish I could!! 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. Dr. Ron- the BRC staff and readers appreciate all the wonderful details and photos. You are so kind to provide this great info to all of us banjo geeks. I would appreciate it very much. It retailed for $488 without case in the 1970 Vega Martin catalog, and it last appeared in the 1972 VM catalogue without a suggested price. Martin Vega banjo #892 should be a long neck open back Folklore Model manufactured in the latter half of 1973 per shop order 2198. What A great and informative site .. 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! Martin also made 1976 model D-76 guitars to partner the banjo. Hi! It is veryinteresting that it has the non-ebonized finish on the peghead cap, whichcoincided with the move production to Nazareth (adopting stained rosewood asthey used on the guitars). From the BRC, Barry. I have 2 Martin Vegas. I have a seperate label thats still in the case showing the serial # 1199. Rob- Thank you for your kind comments about the BRC website, You are a lucky guy to have two Vega Martin 5-stringers, both made in Nazareth, PA. Mark- Thank you for the very helpful series of photos and your kind comments about the website. The Vega brand was subsequently sold overseas in 1979. Martin students believe that it was a market ploy to attract owners of the legendary Martin D-45 guitar to purchase a partner banjo, but the strategy did not succeed. Then by ink its written Folk Ranger. It is important to note that there are exceptions to every rule and the following is only a general guide for identifying Gibson "A" Style mandolins. post id: 7593773670. posted: 2023-02-27 00:34. My Dad left me a Martin VegaIm thinking I want to pass it on to someone wholl play it and care for it more than I can. I have two 1930 Vegaphones and an earlier Tubaphone conversion, and this VIP is certainly able to hold up its weight tone wise. Martin made 101 of the PS-5 instruments which listed for $488 without case in the final V/M price list in 1971. 2 Vega banjo from the early Boston era. 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. From the BRC, Barry. 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. The Vega Vox IV of that era featured burnished gold-plated parts, engraved flanges, an all white pyralin deep resonator with elaborately engraved back and sides, a fretboard with fancy pearl inlays, and an engraved and colored scroll shaped peg head. I bought my Vega PS-5 S/N 1046 new in, I believe, late summer of 1974 through Miller Music in Lawton, OK. Dog-bone Tubaphone tone ring, Grover milk bottle guitar tuners. One of the 2 rods inside rim is a larger diameter then the other one. Every Martin Vega I have seen has a more dark brown mahogany-colored stain. It is not clear why Martin initiated this product line. First let me thank you for this amazing well of information! Ive got a couple of pictures in case of interest, but Id need a mail-address for sending, me supposing. FREE SHIPPING! Plectrum means a 4-string model with 22 frets, which is longer scale (27) than the 19 fret 4-string tenor (23). Can you tell me what year this banjo was made and what my aunt could legitimately ask for it? Hope this helps, and thanks again for your post. Greg Deering acquired rights to the Vega brand name in 1989 and restored the banjo line to greatness. The other 9 were likely shipped to Canada or Japan for assembly after 1977. Just wondering if you have any interesting data on this ax. Hope this helps and thanks for your post. JC Your banjo appears to be a hybrid assembled sometime in the 1980`s after C. F. Martin sold the Vega franchise overseas to the Galaxy conglomerate in 1979. When C.F. Your banjo SN 990 is indeed a Pro-5, and it was one of the last five Professional banjos built by VM in 1974 per Shop Order 2211. Martin factory in Nazareth, PA, parts were shipped overseas to Japan and Canada for assembly. The Vega Vox model was a 4 string gem that featured a brass tone ring. vega banjo identification. 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. Im happy to find Banjorehab as it is the first site Ive seen to have useful information on Vega-Martin banjos. 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. Thanks for your post and happy pickin`, Barry. The top-of-the-line model that Martin-Vega offered during the 1970s was the special order Ultra Vox V. At the end of the production run in 1979, the MSRP list price in the catalog was $3600 (exactly the same as the Martin D-45 guitar). If you want a more Bluegrass sound, try a 5-Star head from Stew Mac. After Martin sold the Vega line to Galaxy in 1979, this generic mother of pearl pattern remained the same in the VIP model but had double-stripe engraving on it. Is this an old genuine Vega in the lower price class, Sten- Thanks for your query about the FR-5 banjo. i replaced the head but it still sounds the same. I really appreciate your orientation. vega banjo identification. He wanted to buy it! The Vega/Martin PS-5 would probably fetch in the $1000- 2500 range these days depending on appointments and condition, whereas the Vega/Boston Seeger banjo seems to be valued more by collectors and would command a higher price. When C. F. Martin took over Vega in 1970, they dropped the A-xxxxxx serial numbers and replaced it with M-xxxxxx series, until starting a new four digit numbering system in 1972 at the Nazareth factory. The mahogany neck had an ebony fingerboard with distinctive inlays including the peg head. In the 1971 price list, it retailed at $545 without case. Although the Martin Company did not manufacture Vega banjos till a century later, a solitary banjo from the mid 19th century is appended to the exhibit to display parallel innovation in the instrument because of its increasing popularity during that era. Thanks, I have really enjoyed reading the material on this site.RowdyArizona, Rowdy- Thanks for your kind words about the website. bouffant scrub cap pattern. As C.F. The C.F. . These days, the banjo would probably fetch around $1000 if marketed online. For example: 0534599-7362 would be a banjo from May of 1999. A total of 98 model D-76E guitars were also made for employees. The last two Vox Vs (serial numbers 1964-1965) were built in 1979, and still exist to this day. The Life & Times of the Pete Seeger 5-string Folk Banjo - 1958 - 1970. Both the VW-5 and FW-5 appear in the 1961 Vega ((155 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA) catalogue but featuring a 5 ply rim in the early design. So cool to have this historical data. Barry, I have purchased a Martin Vega V-45 described as 1971 production and a serial number of #327. From the BRC site this banjo was made circa 1975-1976 in and around Nazareth PA. Do I have the have the provenance correct? Shortly thereafter, the Martin craftsmen went on strike, and banjo parts were shipped overseas for assembly. Bill- Thanks for your query. The VW tenor 4 stringer was available in the 1963 and 1966 Vega catalogue, but the plectrum model did not appear in the Boston catalogue until 1968 when it listed for $325. tone ring that you have. Per the 1971 Martin price list, the recommended retail price back then was $545 with out case which cost another $68 for the hard shell version. Save This Search Vega Vox short neck tenor banjo IiMPOSSIBLE TO FIND/ one of the best sounding Banjo's in the world> Used - Mint Condition Posted 11/15/2021 8:46:13 AM by Ronkisok - Country: United States - State: CT - ZIP: 06790 The hardware on the V-41 is chrome-plated, so maybe a nearby metal shop could patch it for you or at least identify the alloy. From the BRC, Barry. Your PS-5 Pete Seeger long neck # M-130259 was assembled in Nazareth in early 1971 per Shop Order 2012. Cobra hooks first appear circa 1881 on Fairbanks & Cole banjos. 1969, probably initially at the 40 Leon Street factory the Needham Heights (just before the sale to Martin). Im assuming this is the serial number, which would put me right next to Mark, who owned #888 in previous comment 6. This banjo was made by the Vega Company in Boston, Massachusetts, around 1922. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Can you identify this rare Vega Martin banjo just by the peghead markings? I call him Rory, although much louder he has a beautiful rich tone, but is quite punchy..

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