In the the 1971 Vega Martin price list, the VW-Plec retailed at $345. Remo Frosted Top Banjo Head, 11 Inch Diameter, High Crown (1/2 Inch) $19 USD. Many thanks for your efforts. 721 which I have had a number of years. Prices subject to change without notice. Best of luck and thanks for your query, Barry. Your 5 stringer is cited only as Item VDX75C in the 1979 TMC catalog where to retailed for $475. Any help with identifying it (I cant find a serial number anywhere) or locating buyers would be so gratefully welcomed! It was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in mid 1973 per shop order # 2154. Thanks again. Hope this helps, and I am sending you the circa 1978 C. F. Martin Tubaphone model promotional flyer . The peg head engraving and paint motif matched the resonator. How do you date a banjo? I do not know anything about banjos but the label inside the rim says VEGA of Boston. I inherited a Vega 5-string resonator banjo and have been trying to find out additional information about it. 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. Vega De Luxe Electric Plectrum Banjo - Gruhn Guitars Your VW-5 model Vega Wonder banjo SN 721 was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in late 1973 per Shop Order 2181. Any model F-V or Vega banjo with serial #s between 52669 and 52684 (a 15 number range), when the switch from "Fairbanks Banjo, Made by Vega" stamp to the "Made by Vega" stamp seems to have occurred. According to the factory logbook, banjo # 481 was one of eleven PS-5 banjos made per Shop Order # 2155 by C.F. Thanks so much! Search online for Earl Scruggs Vega Banjo Images, and you will see a photo of him with his endorsed Vega instrument bearing the signature square inlays on the neck that offered its distinctive stage appearance. Your Vega Martin VIP-5 with SN 845 was made in Nazareth, PA, in 1974 as one of four manufactured per Shop Order #2193, and it sold for $556 without case in the 1971 price list (after which VM did not publish recommended retail prices). Thanks, I have really enjoyed reading the material on this site.RowdyArizona, Rowdy- Thanks for your kind words about the website. I received a letter(martin memo) along with my banjo covering head adjustment, plastic Vegalon heads, string action, bridge and nut and neck rod adjustment dated 8/26/71also a warranty card with the phone number 215-759-2837ask for miketelling me to use string type V750.having wanted one all my adult life, this banjo is the pinnacle of my banjo collecting desires. Vega Pete Seeger Model Longneck 5 String Banjo (1961) The banjo had a 3 piece maple neck and a signature tubaphone tone ring clearly shown in the pictures that you provided. 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. Subscribe to get free banjos tips, hear about new products, special offers, and more! Can you tell me what year it was made and by whom? Dot inlay fret board. 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 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 The serial number is stamped in the wooden rim below the Martin decal. Hope this helps, and thanks again for your post. 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. Device Search - VEGA Zero fret wear. Im the happy owner of a Vega-Martin VW-5 Wonder 5 string, serial #1516. If you need photos I can take a few and send them to you on a subsequent time. Deering now owns the Vega brand, and it is rumored that they may revive the deep resonator design. In the Martin price list of 1971, it is listed at $488 without case. My suggestion would be to take you banjo down to the local hardware store and cobble together a workable thumb screw (some have collars) and washer combination. Jon- Thanks much for your kind comments about the website. The story of how Greg Deering came to own the 130 year old Vega trademark is one of childhood dreams and an unmissable opportunity. All the best pickin`, and thanks for your kind words about my website. Martin began shipping parts overseas for assembly. Thereafter, C. F. Martin installed a serial number decal on the inner rim beginning with #2 and on through #1945. Wow, I glad to find your website! Barry. Well, this is a hybrid banjo, and doubtful that is a Galaxy banjo. Inside your device. June 7, 2022; homes for sale by owner in berwick, pa . For those interested in the genealogy of banjo manufacturers, I have included a page summarizing some important relationships between manufacturers, . Hello, I have enjoyed reading your posts on Vega-Martin banjos. 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. From the BRC, Barry. From the BRC, Barry. VT2NRC in its 1979 catalogue, and Galaxy went bankrupt in a few years. It is mentioned again on a back page of the 1972 catalogue. . 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. Thank you. From the BRC, Barry. A sticker inside says The Vega Co. Boston 15, MASS, Patended USA The serial number is A-125394. Enjoy. I would love some photos of your V-45 to upload with this post. VINTAGE VEGA TENOR BANJO, 1930, RESONATOR, 19 FRET, CLEAN. The VIP banjo last appeared in the 1976 VM catalog as an open back instrument but still featuring the V.I.P. The Vega line was then marketed in the USA by TMC Company (Targ & Dinner 20 Century Music Company). ). Please take detailed photos of your banjo inside and outside. Martin V720 Vega Steel/Nickel Banjo Strings - .009-.030 - Sweetwater 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. Dave- Thank you for your kind words about the website and the narrative about your Vega Vox IV tenor banjo. 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. I was told by someone at C. F. Martin that they only made 11 of them ( mine is ser # 7 ) . Fender Standard Banjo Hardshell Case Black chuya Guess I stated it wrong, not really carvings, just in lays. Wooden pot resonator. Hope this helps and all the best in 2019, Barry. 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. I lived in Needham MA for 20+ years, and Im wondering if that tone ring possibly came from Vegas final days in Needham. They all had yellow serial number stickers. Eddie- Thanks for your query and kind comments about the website. Martin logbook, banjo SN 1450 was an entry level Wonder model 4 string plectrum banjo made in 1975. Martin Company acquired the Vega rights from the Bostonian Nelson Family in May of 1970 and sold the franchise overseas in March of 1979. Any insights appreciated along with your understanding of when it was manufactured, components, what it originally sold for and current market value. Banjoman- C.F. The first two digits tell you the month the banjo was built, the last two digits before the dash or space will tell you the year, and the numbers in between are considered the number of that model we have made since we started the formal serial number system in 1987. Again, thank youmuchfor your post. Be safe, be well, keep on picking. 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. CL. These three top-of-the-line instruments were sent to Japan for assembly. !Gary, Gary- Thanks for your query. 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. You banjo parts were probably shipped in 1977 to Japan for assembly where all serial number assignments were in disarray. How much Galaxy (or Martin) produce new parts vs. assemble old stock bought from Vega? My estimate would in the neighborhood of $1.5K depending on condition. I think Ill go look up a local banjo instructor and take a few lessons. Thank you for all the information. I call him Rory, although much louder he has a beautiful rich tone, but is quite punchy.. 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. The year 1970-1971 was a time of transition of tools and parts from Boston to Nazareth, PA. 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). 3, Serial #50232, with a patented brass top hoop and bracket band over a seven-lap sectional maple hoop, 28 brackets, mahogany neck with an ebony fingerboard with22 frets and inlaid pearloid dots and star position marks, carved heel, peghead with flowerpot inlay . According to the C.F. The overseas conglomerate Galaxy purchased the Vega line in 1979 and offered the T2-5 for $775 before going bankrupt in the mid 1980`s. 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. Barry, My Vega VIP 5-string has S/N 2316 painted inside the rim, which I presume means it was assembled by Galaxy in Asia. The open back Folk Wonder 5-stringer does not appear in the 1976 Vega/Martin catalogue where the Vega Wonder resonator series is still advertised. 2 classic model. I dont play any instrument right now. The Vega 1961 flyer and 1963 catalogue describe that the Earl Scruggs model had a sunburst finish on 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. Where is the serial number on a Vega banjo? - chroniclesdengen.com Vintage Vega Banjo - musical instruments - by owner - sale It appears in the transitional Vega/Martin product list of 1970 and lastly in the 1972 Vega Banjo Catalog (The CF Martin Organization). Age differences in the instruments might alsoalter the wood tones. Thanks for letting us see this fascinating and unique instrument. 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. It retailed for $775 and was probably assembled from parts left over from Nazareth, PA. Vega Banjo Serial Numbers - cleverapex This is a beautiful banjo! So, the rim and rods appear be from a Vox I, and dogbone Tubaphone tonering would be typical of the 1970s period under Martin (some the later Voxesmade by Vega in Needham Heights before moving to Nazareth used these, aswell as slotted Tubaphones). Fairbanks Banjos - Serial Numbers and Features by year The VM price list in 1971 quoted a sales tag of $545 for the Pro-5 without case. Your Pete Seeger (PS-5) was one of eleven PS-5 long neck banjos made in early 1972 per Shop Order 2098. The build quality is quite immaculate, both wood and hardware. Joshua, Joshua-Thank you for your kind comments and the very detailed pictures. Virtually immaculate. During this transitional period, Boston parts were shipped to Nazareth for assembly, and Martin pre-fixed the traditional six digit Vega serial number with the letter `M`. Vintage Vega Style M Tubaphone Banjo 1921 Boston Mass W Case Inlay TU BA PHONE C $1,714.08 Was: C $1,904.53 or Best Offer SPONSORED Banjo made by Tokai T600R T-600R vintage 5 strings acoustic w/ hardcase C $1,021.01 Free shipping or Best Offer Only 1 left! 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. The Style K was Vega's least expensive banjo-mandolin, not having a "tone ring" installed, unlike the pricier Tu-Ba-Phone and Whyte Laydie models. Hope this helps and thanks for your post. Again, thanks for your post. I was disappointed because I badly wanted to see Scruggs models! 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.
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