vega banjo identificationvega banjo identification

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. I actually have a customized 75 Martin D28 to go with my 75 Vega. 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. The long-neck No. Galaxy apparently went bankrupt around 1984 and vanished from the financial scene. He uses the one piece neck design typical of the other Deering models with the SN stamped on the back of the peghead. Any and all information you may have on my little banjo will be greatly appreciated! 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. With appreciation, Barry. Bob- Thank you for your kind words about my website, and I reply with compliments to your luthier shop with which I am familiar. I would like to know a little more about it. The VIP banjo last appeared in the 1976 VM catalog as an open back instrument but still featuring the V.I.P. 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. Although a mystery to me, this top of the line resonator banjo was introduced by C.F. Like my dad, I am a musician and physician and treasure his professional and avocational memorabilia. About 20 years ago I had it re-fretted , re-finished , and the gold re-plated . I have two 1930 Vegaphones and an earlier Tubaphone conversion, and this VIP is certainly able to hold up its weight tone wise. If you need photos I can take a few and send them to you on a subsequent time. Fender Standard Banjo Hardshell Case Black ,, kemenpppa.go.id 4kjzing@8x47evey1 Thank you so much!! PA. Im happy to find Banjorehab as it is the first site Ive seen to have useful information on Vega-Martin banjos. This workshop numbering system continued uninterrupted to #2355 in 1977 when the banjos went overseas for assembly. 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. 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. Thanks for the photo of your Vega/Martin Pro-5 banjo. Martin made only about a dozen more PS-5 banjos. 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`. C.F. The inside of the rim has a R-D-136 in white. Rob- Thank you for the below photos. I would appreciate it very much. Im sure theres a story behind this banjo and why it was made. Excellent condition. 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? 17,378. Thank You This did include the instalment of a Fiberskyn head to mellow down the tone somewhat, of a geared 5th string tuner, and of a (very nice) tailpiece to replace the chrome plated Waverly (everything else nickel). In the 1970 transitional Vega/Martin banjo catalogue, their Pro model line is conspicuosly absent; and instead, is seen a nearly identical twin Bobby Joe Fenster style banjo named after a fictitious nerdy folk musician invented by Martin in 1967 as an insider marketing joke. The last one was produced in early 1975 despite being their very first banjo made that year. I ordered. Deering now owns the Vega line and offers open-back Tubaphones in their inventory. Thanks for posting the information on Martin mage Vega banjos. 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. The `Martin Guitars: A Technical Reference` confirms that the BJF-5 banjo was a thinly disguised Pro-5 not unlike yours . Unless refinished, the decal on the back alsomakes it post-1972. Just found this wonderful site. Informacje o Martin V740 StringsVega strun banjo RETRO 10-23,10 - 11109692503 w archiwum Allegro. Give it a try and good luck. 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). The Vega 1961 flyer and 1963 catalogue describe that the Earl Scruggs model had a sunburst finish on the resonator. 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. Martin workshop log book, your V-45-5 serial number 327 banjo was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in early 1973 per Shop Order 2138. Ive also got some remaining parts from the renovation process Id happily like to donate, including the original chrome-plated brass tailpiece, and a couple of almost unused heads. 1833 decal is absent from the inner rim. Again, thanks for your post. 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. 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 earliest reported is F&C #1000. Fairbanks & Cole How do you date a banjo? Martin 1970 catalogue described ashaded mahogany finish on the Wonder model, and the 1976 Martin catalogue reported thatthe Wonder banjo bore a mahogany color finish. Services; vega banjo identification Martin made 101 of the PS-5 instruments which listed for $488 without case in the final V/M price list in 1971. 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). 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. I was fortunate enough to visit the Needham factory (actually a cement-block garage-like building) in the mid-late 1960s and saw some early VIPs under construction. Could you tell me where it was built and what its value is today ? from BRC: Wim- Thanks for the great photo of your busy workshop. my Martin/Vega PS5 #481 is about a month into my possession. Family owned since 1972, Elderly Instruments is a music store specializing in new, used & vintage guitars, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles and more. 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. Photos are available. My estimate would in the neighborhood of $1.5K depending on condition. John, John- Thank you much for your kind words about my website and letting my readers share in your joy of procuring a VM Pete Seeger long neck 5-stringer (PS-5). The two legendary musicians in the camp photo are banjo godfather Tony Trischka and Grammy award winner Eric Weissberg. . Enjoy. Vega Martin banjo SN 324 was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in early 1973. It is in pristine condition and is clearly a very high quality instrument. The local music store said they would give her 120$ for it. Only 101 model PS-5 banjos were made by C.F. Thats a lot of information! The Eddie Peabody Model was actually made by Vega of Boston from 1966-ca. Can`t find anything about it on line. The number will be 6-12 digits long depending on what year it was made. Item # 9126. However, its a beautifully crafted banjo with a great sound. The rhinestones on the flanges, tension bolts, and peghead differ from Peabodys prototype and the later Martin production Vox V models. C.F. With the original Hardshell case and the rare Earl Scruggs Tuners or de- tuners if you will. The Folk Wonder model does not appear in the 1972 or 1976 Vega Martin catalogues, but its resonator version the `Wonder` model does. Landis- Thanks for your post. The seller advertised it (in 2016) as verified by BRC made in 1976 in Nazareth. Data zakoczenia 2022-09-02 - cena 20,90 z Ending Thursday at 9:33PM GMT 2d 23h. If you could give me your thought about what its worth, I would appreciate it. From its early Boston beginnings, the Vega Banjo Company made splendidand now vintage instruments, including the Earl Scruggs signature model heendorsed in the 1960s. John, just an old Missouri banjo picker transplanted in Arizona. Tom- Thank you for the prompt and detailed photos of your instrument. 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. The Folk Ranger was a no-frills entry level banjo that Vega made in response to the folk music revival era. With hard case. $5000 would be a reasonable number if in good conditionit could have brought $7500 a few years ago. Great information and even better advice. It is not seen in the 1970 transitional Vega/Martin catalogue. From the BRC, Barry, Sir: What kind of info can you give me on a V-76E banjo, Ser. Your banjo may be a hybrid from that era. Martin began shipping parts overseas for assembly. This classic and ornate Vega series dates back to the 1920s but did not appear in the 1970 and 1972 Vega Martin catalogues. vega banjo identification. It is a top-of-the-line banjo that was paired with the reissued D-45 Martin guitar as a marketing strategy. Thanks for your reply. Of course she did a beautiful job with it including turning its blond color into a brunette! 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. Its in excellent condition other than needing some cleaning and a little metal polish on the metal parts. JC Bob- Thanks for the remembrance narrative about you and your Dad learning music together- your are a lucky father and son. 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. Therefore it became dissembled. 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. Id appreciate your comments please & thanks, Linda. The build quality is quite immaculate, both wood and hardware. 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. Your F-VIP (Folk-Very Important Player) banjo #1456 was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in mid 1975 in a lot of 3 such instruments per Shop Order 2274. Today I purchase Vega PS-5, serial number M-130259. Again, thanks for your post. It did not have a tone ring or simply a steel ring like the Wonder, to keep the cost down. Published by at 30, 2022. 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. What A great and informative site .. The inside of the banjo is also blank except for the painted serial number 2207. Is this original? Your banjo neck is from a Martin Tu-Ba-Phone 5-string banjoas advertised in a Martin flyer circa 1978, and the potalso looks like a left-over rim inherited from theNazareth, PA, company. 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. Your tenor 4-stringer was built in early 1972 per Shop Order 2051. It was recommended by Bob Smakula that I send some photos to you and that you might have more information. Each of the men is posed in front of a Vega model 131 amplifier, identical to the unit which remains with the banjo today. The last SN from Boston was probably #130049, and the Vega Martin logbook in Nazareth starts with SN 130248. Your instrument SN 999 was one of five VIP-5 (Very Important Player) banjos was made in Nazareth, PA, in mid 1974 per Shop Order # 2212. 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. Just found you today . Again, thank youmuchfor your post. Barry. 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. In 1970, C.F. Piecing the clues together of this mysterious banjo, I suspect that is was a special order item because of the unusually disparate combination of CFM parts. Martin manufactured only 33 VW-plectrum banjos. They are on the second and 3rd strings and allow that Buck Trent kind of thing. Typically, the number would be preceded with an A (indicating an adjustable truss rod) followed by a six-digit number. Martin manufactured 561 VW-5 banjos but only 124 FW-5 instruments. MUSCELL Banjo Strings, Handmade Phosphor Bronze 5-String Banjo Strings Ball End - 3 Packs Medium. I do not know anything about banjos but the label inside the rim says VEGA of Boston. Hope this helps and thanks for your post. Look for decals and a serial number on the interior of the rim to help document its story. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. I have a Vega Martin five string that my father special ordered around 76-77 Supposedly it was #10 of 10. 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. 5. . The Vega Vox model was a 4 string gem that featured a brass tone ring. Have a bunch of pics I can forward, any particular area to focus on that would help? Categories . 0 bids. These were used on the Wonder, VIP,Folklore, etc (non-Pro II, V-45, V-41 styles). This uniquestyle resonator was verypopular for many years, and it still hasvalue as a vintage part. Barry, I have purchased a Martin Vega V-45 described as 1971 production and a serial number of #327. "F" Style mandolins have a carved nautilus shaped curl on the upper left-hand bout. Vega banjos were marketed in the US thereafter by TMC (Targ & Dinner 20 Century Music Company) via a catalogue published in May of 1979. I cant remember exactly when I bought it but I think it was around the early 70s. Allen screws at the neck/pot junction and a tube connecting rod (not shown) are design features from the 1960`s in Boston . Martin decal photographed on the back of the VIP Vega peg head. The Vega serial number files still available do not specify the specific models of banjo manufactured in Massachusetts. Ive had several accomplished pickers really make it talk.wish I could!! It is a Four-String Banjo, Tu-ba-phone Model No. 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. 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. It is mentioned again on a back page of the 1972 catalogue. 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. Vega Martin models (1970-1979) are less of a collector`s item and fetch about half that price range. i replaced the head but it still sounds the same. Photos , BRC Replies To Samantha (November 23, 2019), Reply From Dr. Ron (the BRC Vega Vox/EddiePeabody consultant). Fingerboard engraved pearl inlays in the ebony were going through a transition (modernization) as well, from very elaborate designs that they used since the 1920s to to simplified block styles. P.S. Thanks again. 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. 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. 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. # 1713? We have a bunch of new Deering merch for you whether it be socks, shirts, tote bags, mugs, and more! The retail price for this banjo in the 1970 catalogue was $488 without case, and Martin did not published price lists after 1971. Your VM-5 Wonder banjo SN 720 was manufactured in 1973 per Shop Order 2181. Best wishes for happy pickin`, Barry, I have an Vega 5-string banjo, open back, bought around 1965. Thanks! Many thanks to you and your friend Ron for putting me straight. 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. 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 VM price list in 1971 quoted a sales tag of $545 for the Pro-5 without case. Hey, Ive got a Martin Vega Tubaphone 5 string banjo sn# 1603 that I acquired in the mid-1980s. All the best pickin`, and thanks for your kind words about my website. 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). Martin did not publish retail prices after 1971, so my guess is that this up scale model sold back then for around $600. In the Boston era, Pete Seeger was listed as an exclusive Vega product banjoist in a 1961 flyer from their Columbus Avenue business headquarters, and his endorsed PS-5 was featured prominently in the 1963 and 1966 Vega catalogs. 2 Tu-Ba-Phone XL long neck premieres instead. The use of a brass band on the wood rim also appeared on some models at this time, to improve sound.What would be more telling is the peghead (where strings are attached) design at the time as they were in the process of changing from a scrolled shape to paddle peg head. Can you tell me what year it was made and by whom? Thanks again for your query, Barry. Galaxy marketed its 4 and 5 stringers in the USA via a remarkably unimaginative TMC catalog in which each banjo was identified only with an Item number but no model moniker to give it personality like the Pro-5 or Wonder banjos named by the earlier corporate owners. 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. The C.F. Martin manufactured 561 VW-5 banjos but only 124 FW-5 instruments. Aspiring players also wonder what makes one banjo better than another. The PS-5 is advertised in the 1970 and 1972 Vega/Martin catalogues but is absent from the 1976 catalogue where the No. Deering rescued the Vega line by purchasing the brand name in 1989. 22 frets. Martin built only 22 such instruments which featured a brass tone ring, gold-plating, an engraved tail piece, an ebony fretboard, and a mahogany neck. The Vega Company reportedlyintroduced the first wooden sectioned pie resonator in mid 1923 for their Vega Professional 4-stringer. I recently took my Dads 4 string banjo out of storage after approximately 25 years since his passing. It looks like a well-preserved and fun mid range banjo waiting to be enjoyed by an appreciative musician like yourself. In a 1971 price list, the FW-5 sold for $345. Although C.F. Although mostly a collector`s item these days, the current price range of the V-76 is $2.3-5K. 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. If there is any other interesting information about the instrument you care to share from the Martin log book, I would be most appreciative. From the BRC, Barry. I own Martin Vega Wonder serial no. In my files, the PS-5 is seen in a Vega (Boston) flyer in 1961 where it lists for $309. Theres precious little information about these instruments online. vega banjo identification. So heres my question. It`s a sweet long neck, and I wish I had one. Thanks from all of us! 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. Your Pete Seeger (PS-5) was one of eleven PS-5 long neck banjos made in early 1972 per Shop Order 2098. 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. In the meantime, keep on pickin` that Pro-5. 1969, probably initially at the 40 Leon Street factory the Needham Heights (just before the sale to Martin). Martin sold the Vega brand to the Asian conglomerate Galaxy Trading Company in March of 1979. Dot inlay fret board. Replacing a broken flange on a rare and vintage instrument is a tough task.

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