1833 decal is absent from the inner rim. vega banjo identification. The V-41 was available by special order only, and it listed back then for $850. Hello. I think Ill go look up a local banjo instructor and take a few lessons. The banjo featured a bell brass audio-sonic tone ring, different from the tubaphone tone ring, and a ten ply maple rim. Thanks again for your time & consideration. I apologize for using this email to reach you, but I have a banjo question I hope you can help me with. Subscribe to get free banjos tips, hear about new products, special offers, and more! Im now forced to sell several beloved instruments but have no idea how to price this gem. June 7, 2022; homes for sale by owner in berwick, pa . It looks like the banjo is in ok/decent condition. In the final Martin price listed published in 1971, it listed for $345 without case. Although a mystery to me, this top of the line resonator banjo was introduced by C.F. Vega banjos were then marketed in the USA by TMC (Targ & Dinner Music Company). I cant remember exactly when I bought it but I think it was around the early 70s. 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 Maybe, the R-D prefix stands for Research and Development. C.F. Just found you today . Posts. 0 bids $10.96 shipping Ending Oct 14 at 5:44AM PDT5d 4hFrom GermanyBrand: VEGA It was recommended by Bob Smakula that I send some photos to you and that you might have more information. The majority of the banjoists appear to be holding examples of the regular Vega electric banjos with dot-inlayed fingerboards and dark wood veneered pegheads. Im happy to find Banjorehab as it is the first site Ive seen to have useful information on Vega-Martin banjos. 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. Just bought a martin-vega banjo from an old man in North Carolina. 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. 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. ). very carefully, I did and its four digits # 1450. it looks very good to me as far as the condition, its just old and kind of dirty. Although mostly a collector`s item these days, the current price range of the V-76 is $2.3-5K. 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. 0 bids. Your description of your FR-5 sounds like you have a genuine Boston-made Folk Ranger. The parts of your VIP-5 (Very Important Player) banjo # 130056 were probably manufactured in Massachusetts and assembled in Pennsylvania with a yellow data sticker on the inside rim and maybe C.F. Thanks so much! Replacing a broken flange on a rare and vintage instrument is a tough task. There are some folklore stories why the Seeger banjo was discontinued. 403.80. Im the happy owner of a Vega-Martin VW-5 Wonder 5 string, serial #1516. Is this an old genuine Vega in the lower price class, Sten- Thanks for your query about the FR-5 banjo. My VIP-5 is SN 1364 and was made about one year after your 5-stringer, and it has a nice mid range tone. Thats when I decided to modify this rather bluegrassy bright (and plenty of loud) sounding Folk banjo a bit. Be safe, be well. 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. I dont know much about banjos because Im a guitar man myself. Can`t find anything about it on line. On the neck, there usually should be a pencil written serial number at theheel where it meets the rim (at least all my Martins have one there). Martin did not develop or cultivate such a banjo line, a dozen such BJF-5 entries are recorded in their shop files from 1971-1972. Barry, Marc- Thanks much for the prompt and telling photos. Most likely, your banjo has a paddle peghead still with Kluson tuners, block MOP engraved fingerboard inlays, and an updated resonator design with black bindings and a fleur-de-lis added under the engraved star De-Luxe Vegavox on the back (brand new on the 1963-model). The Martin log book in Nazareth, PA, begins with #130248 later in 1971. 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. 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. best of . The last SN from Boston was probably #130049, and the Vega Martin logbook in Nazareth starts with SN 130248. The BRC Archives contain the serial numbers of these unique Vega-Martin banjos. The distinct disadvantage to having a rare banjo is finding replacement parts. Hello there, what a terrific Web page you guys have put together so interesting, i have a open back tenor banjo with the Martin logo and nos 916 it has the same pearl inlay as the 5 string pro it has 19 frets , i have no idea of its value but it has a beautiful slim neck just so easy to finger chords, cheers Rob. Martin Vega Banjo Strings Features: Tin-plated steel core is responsive, lively, and resilient Nickel alloy wrap wire is consistently smooth and tonally flexible for a variety of playing styles 4-string tenor gauge is mellow and warm and accents low to midrange frequencies Tech Specs Number of Strings: 4 String Material: Tin-plated Steel John- Thank-you for the detailed photos. Do you know anything of the type of banjo, year of manufacturing and value today? Fender Standard Banjo Hardshell Case Black ,, kemenpppa.go.id 4kjzing@8x47evey1 If your Vegaphones and Tubaphone have serial numbers, you can more closely date them by visiting Whitetreeaz banjo serial numbers online. 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. Thanks again for your post. Thanks again. 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). Look for decals and a serial number on the interior of the rim to help document its story. VIP is printed on the truss rod cover. Per my files, the Pete Seeger long neck first appears in a Vega flyer in 1961 for $309. My estimate is that the banjo might be worth $500-$700 depending on condition. Vega banjos were marketed in the US thereafter by TMC (Targ & Dinner 20 Century Music Company) via a catalogue published in May of 1979. With the original Hardshell case and the rare Earl Scruggs Tuners or de- tuners if you will. The 1971-72 VM log books show 22 VIP banjos (most 5-stringers with a few tenor and plectrums) bearing the 6 digit Boston serial numbers, and thereafter the SN`s convert to digits #1 through #1969. Allen screws at the neck/pot junction and a tube connecting rod (not shown) are design features from the 1960`s in Boston . Q: At what point did Vega go from ball end to open end bracket nuts? According to the C.F. Reply from our BRC Vega Vox consultant and scholar Dr. Ron: The timeline, serial number and pricing in 1970-71 seem rightit was probably in final assembly at Nazareth with a #7 new series serial number; the last of the M139400 yellow labels came out of the old Needham Heights Vega factory sometime in November 1971. For a chuckle, see the latest home page entry for BJF details. They differed from ukulele banjos in that the uke banjos typically had smaller rims. Martin purchased the Vega brand line. My guess is that the lugs in your resonator have American (inch fraction) thread features, and it is doubtful that an original VIP thumb screw 4 decades old will appear on eBay- but who knows. C.F. Ive owned one for 30 yrs though I dont play it very well. Do you have any additional information you could share regarding this instrument? Galaxy apparently went bankrupt around 1984 and vanished from the financial scene. So there are gaps at the high end of each thousand series -- since Fairbanks 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. C.F. 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. rocket and teresa administrative leave; This Vox uses brass (rather than the late model Vega/Martin aluminum) hex nut shoes for the tension bolts, and thinner dual brass coordinator rods (again, instead of aluminum). I have a Martin Vega Banjo, #324. Cobra hooks first appear circa 1881 on Fairbanks & Cole banjos. 2 Vega banjo from the early Boston era. C.F. thanks for your help and keep up the good work. The banjo features a rim and resonator rosewood veneered with white binding, The tone ring was brass, and there was abalone pearl around the back edge of the resonator. The V-45 appears on the cover of the 1972 catalogue, and it was billed as our finest Bluegrass banjo in the 1976 catalogue. This is a super site for banjo players and owners. Martin built only 20 F-VIP 5 stringers, and to my count 11 were made in Pennsylvania per the shop log book. Deering now offers the Tubaphone No. I would love some photos of your V-45 to upload with this post. It looks to have some pretty fancy inlays along the fretboard and some nice detail & trim around the wooden drum. 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 banjo featured a metal tone ring, white fingerboard binding, a heavy notched tension hoop, a 10 ply rim, geared tuning pegs, a 3 piece maple neck, blackwood fingerboard, pearl dots, a resonator, an arm rest, nickel plated parts, and a shaded mahogany finish. This email will be copied to my Vega Vox scholar Dr. Ron for his insights and comments.From the BRC, Barry. Your VM-5 Wonder banjo SN 720 was manufactured in 1973 per Shop Order 2181. In the the 1971 Vega Martin price list, the VW-Plec retailed at $345. He could always check the stamp on the bottomthe tone ring to see if its a match to the rim (it should say V916). I just acquired a second, SN#990 with the dog-bone tone ring. The circular connecting rod is left over from the Vega inventory and shipped from Boston to Nazareth after C. F. Martin acquired the brand in May of 1970. JC Id love to learn more about it, etc. Vega Martin banjo SN 324 was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in early 1973. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC recently showcased an exhibit of pre-1900 Martin guitars. Further investigation related to your comments in the abovefirst paragraph might shed some light on the wood tone finish differences. Thanks, I have really enjoyed reading the material on this site.RowdyArizona, Rowdy- Thanks for your kind words about the website. The Vega name on the head is not with the usual letters and there is no star there either. I knew nothing about it until I found this site. Thank you. 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. But with original Whyte Laydie banjo rims being in demand for converting to 5-string instruments, this one is an ideal candidate. Have a bunch of pics I can forward, any particular area to focus on that would help? The rich heritage of Vega was derelict for 5 years until Deering rescued it by acquiring rights to the brand name in 1989. Martin, but I do not detect such an identifying decal near the serial number on the interior of the rim. Please try again. 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. Any ideas on contacts for such a beast? My Vega VIP has the Martin decal on the back of the headstock. 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. 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. Banjos were simply stamped 'The Vega Company' From 1913, the firm started using style designations instead of names: * The banjorine (or banjeaurine) was a 5 string banjo, but with a shorter neck like a banjolin It would have been around this time that Tenor Banjos first appeared, as the Tango craze hit America between 1910 and 1914. Martin Vega Banjo 5-Strings, Medium Gauge (V740) Check Price at Amazon. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Do you have any information on it? !Gary, Gary- Thanks for your query. Unfortunately, many 4-string players of a certain generation seem to think that their banjos will command higher priceseven the Gibson flat heads used for 5 string conversion have taken a tumble and are are half on what they were 5 years ago. He is credited with being one of the first banjo-builders to install side brackets with hooks to adjust the tension of the head. If this banjo has some more of the early prewar design features, add $1000-1500.Hope this helps, Dr. Ron. Martins acquisition of Vega of Bostonand, the only other one completed in the old Needham Heights factory before banjo production finally moved to Nazareth. No markings saying Martin but looks identical to fancy ones I saw in an old Martin sales flyer. 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). 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 label indicates the banjo was made in Needham, MA, but the Vega company was owned by the CF Martin guitar company. Im sure theres a story behind this banjo and why it was made. 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). 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. These three top-of-the-line instruments were sent to Japan for assembly. Of note, my Vega Martin VIP-5 banjo built in 1975 also came with a `Care of Your Banjo` memo dated 8/26/71 and a warranty that instructed the owner to call 215-759-2837 and ask for Mike (probably Mike Longworth who was C.F. C.F. Best wishes for happy pickin`, Barry, I have an Vega 5-string banjo, open back, bought around 1965. The Folk Ranger was a no-frills entry level banjo that Vega made in response to the folk music revival era. 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 two legendary musicians in the camp photo are banjo godfather Tony Trischka and Grammy award winner Eric Weissberg. To generally confirm that your banjo is a Nazareth built instrument, check for a C.F. wyoming seminary athletic scholarship; Tags . The Wonder model had a metal tone ring, white fingerboard binding, a heavy notched tension hoop, a 10 ply rim, geared tuners, a 3 piece maple neck, a blackwood fretboard, pearl dots, a resonator with 4 section metal tone flanges, nickel-plated parts, a plastic head, an armrest and shaded mahogany finish. It is not to be confused with the metal pie plate or hubcap resonator manufactured by Elton in the 1930`s. In 1979, Martin sold the Vega brand to the Asian conglomerate Galaxy. The Seeger endorsed 5-stringer had the famous Vega Tube-a phone tone ring, a three piece ebony fingerboard, pearl dots, a neck-tension rod, a 10 ply maple rim, and a brass bracket band and notched tension hoop. The smaller one has 2 small set screws installed on either side of the rod to adjust the neck heel . When C.F. The Vega Company manufactured of this era were assembled at the 40 Leon Street factory in Boston from 1961-1966, and subsequently at the 155 Reservoir Street facility outside Boston in suburban Needham Heights from 1966-1971(C. F. Martin acquired the company in May 1970 and continued some manufacturing/assembly there until moving fully to Martins factory in Nazareth, PA). I bought it in Stockholm, Sweden as a student, so it was not so expensive, as i remembered. The Eddie Peabody Model was actually made by Vega of Boston from 1966-ca. Hope this helps and best wishes from the BRC, Barry. After the difficult 1977 luthier strike at the C.F. Your banjo was manufactured in Pennsylvania in 1976 per Shop Order #2299 just before Martin began to ship parts to Japan for assembly (after which serial numbers became goofy). The C.F. There were several old tenor and plectrum Martin neck blanksfor sale a few years ago, but it looks to be factory made condition anddoubt that would be likely a source. The local music store said they would give her 120$ for it. Your tenor 4-stringer was built in early 1972 per Shop Order 2051. Aside a changed bridge it remained un-modified and rarely played until about two years ago, as by the time I had bought it, I more and more began concentrating on the guitar. 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. Jack. Your mellowed 1963 SR-5 sold for $400 in the 1963 Vega catalogue, and it was advertised to feature a brilliant tone back then. The Vega brand was subsequently sold overseas in 1979. Every Martin Vega I have seen has a more dark brown mahogany-colored stain. I have a seperate label thats still in the case showing the serial # 1199. Resale prices for this type of banjo vary widely from a couple of hundred to several thousand dollars depending on unique features. The last two Vox Vs (serial numbers 1964-1965) were built in 1979, and still exist to this day. Photos of the banjo might possibly shed some light on the mystery, if you are so inclined. SF bay area > east bay > for sale > musical instruments - by owner. Unbeknownstto most 5 string aficionados, the Martin Guitar Company manufactured Vega banjos from 1970 through 1979. I have 2 Martin Vegas. This banjo was made by the Vega Company in Boston, Massachusetts, around 1922. 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. vega banjo identification. Jim, Jim -Thanks for your query. A nice banjo- enjoy. 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. 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. From the BRC, Barry. 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. Your aunt`s banjo sounds like a stock model, so I would estimate that it would fetch $400-$700 on the open market. The banjo is featuring an interesting mix of particulars: The connecting rods are of the (much earlier?) Retail price was $1300.00 ; I paid $900.00 . Dick- Thank you for being a frequent reader of the BRC website. In general, the Boston made Pete Seeger long neck banjos seem to command a greater collectors` interest than the ones manufactured in Pennsylvania.
vega banjo identification