Per the 1971 price list, the V-45-5 sold for $1650 with case included, and it was available by special order only. 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 build quality is quite immaculate, both wood and hardware. C.F. After a loooong wait I finally got it in 1971 . The openbacks are made entirely of white oak and feature a midnight maple fingerboard and peghead overlay. What can you tell me about my instrument? Galaxy went bankrupt around 1984 and vanished. Bob- Thanks for the remembrance narrative about you and your Dad learning music together- your are a lucky father and son. 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`. 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. Wim, (Ed.- Note the classic Tubaphone tone ring. Best of luck and thanks for your query, Barry. Excellent condition. Gold and ivory hard wear with a butterfly mop inlay on the back of the body. Martin in Nazareth, PA. 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. This fascinating collection of vintage stringed instruments chronicles luthier C.F. Martin made 101 of the PS-5 instruments which listed for $488 without case in the final V/M price list in 1971. Martin manufactured 100 Pro-5 banjos including the temporary Bobby Joe Fenster variation. 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. Ed Britt, Jim Bollman, or Bob Smakula would be the most likely people to be able to give you the most exact identification of the model possible. With hard case. Martin built 55 VIP-T instruments between 1972-79. P.S. How much Galaxy (or Martin) produce new parts vs. assemble old stock bought from Vega? Buy VEGA Banjos and get the best deals at the lowest prices on eBay! Ive had several accomplished pickers really make it talk.wish I could!! 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. 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. All original except the tailpiece cracked at the bend not long after I got it, and I replaced it with the Stew-Mac version. 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. Thank You After its Martin Guitar era, the Vega brand name ownership was sold overseas, and the banjo line fellinto obscurity. Each of the men is posed in front of a Vega model 131 amplifier, identical to the unit which remains with the banjo today. It appears in the transitional Vega/Martin product list of 1970 and lastly in the 1972 Vega Banjo Catalog (The CF Martin Organization). Do you know how many tenor V41 banjos were made? Martin did not publish retail prices after 1971, so my guess is that this up scale model sold back then for around $600. 22 frets. 7. 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. S.C.- Thank you for your query to the BRC. Unless refinished, the decal on the back alsomakes it post-1972. In the 1972 Martin catalogue, the Professional appears identical to yours, but it is absent from the 1976 catalogue. 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? Martin made 76 commemorative V-76 banjos in 1976 to celebrated the bicentennial of the USA. Thanks for posting the information on Martin mage Vega banjos. Here's a bit of description on the various models: This was also the case for their mandolin banjo lines. Greg also originally hand made the round hole Tubaphone tone rings, but now they have a fairly well honed machine manufacturing process. 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). Further investigation related to your comments in the abovefirst paragraph might shed some light on the wood tone finish differences. Your banjo is item # VB120C which sold for $360 back then. 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. I have 2 Martin Vegas. aluminum variety, one slim one large, with the larger one closer to the head. This banjo was made by the Vega Company in Boston, Massachusetts, around 1922. The #24 on the tone ring is probably an assembly feature to separate the V-41 parts from its upscale gold-plated cousin the V-45 top of the line banjo. I ordered. 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. Vega Kingston Trio Tom Dooley Long Neck Banjo, Vega Kingston Trio - Bob Shane Plectrum Banjo, Reutschi | Kruger Bell Bronze Tone Ring(Unplated). 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. Martin sold the Vega brand to the Asian conglomerate Galaxy Trading Company in March of 1979. George Gruhn might also know. Although mostly a collector`s item these days, the current price range of the V-76 is $2.3-5K. SF bay area > east bay > for sale > musical instruments - by owner. I call him Rory, although much louder he has a beautiful rich tone, but is quite punchy.. Ive attached a photo of that Coat of Arms resonator next to my Vox Vit was a spare they had made for Eddie Peabody. Banjo SN 1648 is a `Folk Wonder` model (FW-5) which first appears in the Vega (Boston) catalogue in 1961 per my files. Martin factory in Nazareth, PA, parts were shipped overseas to Japan and Canada for assembly. Where is the serial number on a Vega banjo? Like the Tubaphone listed above, this banjo needs a neck reset to be a playable banjo mandolin. It is indeed a sweet banjo with plenty of talk in it. Close study of the flange can sometimes reveal, however, that it is left-over Vega hardware from the Needham Heights factory. Hope this helps and all the best in 2019, Barry. June 7, 2022; homes for sale by owner in berwick, pa . 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. Any help with identifying it (I cant find a serial number anywhere) or locating buyers would be so gratefully welcomed! Go online to `Images for Vega Folk Ranger banjo and enjoy (but don`t confuse your FR-5 with its cousin the Folk Wonder model FW-5). Vega Tenor Banjo and Case, 1920s | Reverb Oops, Something went wrong. Your 5 stringer is cited only as Item VDX75C in the 1979 TMC catalog where to retailed for $475. If it has a wooden pot resonator, remove it and check the inner rim for identifiers. Barry. Hope this helps and au revoir, Barry. Thanks, I have really enjoyed reading the material on this site.RowdyArizona, Rowdy- Thanks for your kind words about the website. Thanks for sharing your fascinating banjo with the BRC, Barry. $42 USD. TMC marketed this standard neck Tu-Ba-Phone banjoas item No. C.F. 2 Tu-Ba-Phone model which is part of an historic production series started in the 1920`s in Boston, continued in Nazareth, PA, and sustained today by Deering in Spring Valley, CA. Martin purchased Vega in May of 1970, and production transitioned from Boston to Nazareth, PA. 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 rim is 10 ply maple with a top metal tone ring, nickel-plated metal parts, and a shaded mahogany finish. 0 bids. pine valley golf auction; what happened to thelma from amen; roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in education; what happens when you meet your twin flame 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. They are on the second and 3rd strings and allow that Buck Trent kind of thing. . 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. it in 1970 through a music store in Norwich , Ct run by Cliff Tidd . I actually have a customized 75 Martin D28 to go with my 75 Vega. Jack. Your VW-5 model Vega Wonder banjo SN 721 was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in late 1973 per Shop Order 2181. It is number E-5 in a limited edition of 16 instruments made in 1976. It is collecting dust since i dont play the banjo and I am thinking of passing it on. 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. Fairbanks & Cole The Pro-5 does not appear in the 1976 Vega Martin catalogue. Rochester NY 14610. vega banjo identification. Martin decals on the inner rim and back of the peghead. Dave- Thank you for your kind words about the website and the narrative about your Vega Vox IV tenor banjo. It looks like a well-preserved and fun mid range banjo waiting to be enjoyed by an appreciative musician like yourself. I was disappointed because I badly wanted to see Scruggs models! The metal parts were chrome-plated. Reply from our BRC consultant and Vega Vox scholarDr. Ron: The Vega Vox IV was the top of the line banjo in the Vox (deep resonator) line for Vega Co. of Boston in the 1950sthe serial number is consistent with a 1951 model. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. In my files, the PS-5 model first appears in a 1961 Vega product flyer from Boston, but it may have been manufactured there starting in 1958. Barry. Dick- Thank you for being a frequent reader of the BRC website. Rob- Thank you for the below photos. Ernie Ball 5-String Medium Stainless Steel Banjo Strings, 10-10 Gauge (P02309) Check Price at Amazon. so it does say Martin on the back and its vega on the front. 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 cannot find any pictures remotely close online. What A great and informative site .. I would send pictures but was not sure just where to post them. I have a seperate label thats still in the case showing the serial # 1199. 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). Galaxy went bankrupt in a few years, and the Vega brand was purchased in 1989 by Deering in California who restored the instrument line to greatness. The Folk Wonder model does not appear in the 1972 or 1976 Vega Martin catalogues, but its resonator version the `Wonder` model does. 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. I think im in heaven. The differentiating feature is the deeper resonator than the VIP/Pro II/Osborne/Scruggs Mk II/Bobby Joe Fenster standard resonator modelsnot quite as deep as the Vox and not top tension (standard hook and nut with Pro II flanges). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Martin decal, is the original pot for the plectrum 4 stringer SN 1450, but the neck was replaced after production with a 5 string neck by a previous owner. It is a beauty. This design of banjo retailed for $285 back then, and it was popularized by Erik Darling and Pete Seegar (who had his own Vega endorsed model for awhile). 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. The banjo had a 3 piece maple neck and a signature tubaphone tone ring clearly shown in the pictures that you provided. I have two 1930 Vegaphones and an earlier Tubaphone conversion, and this VIP is certainly able to hold up its weight tone wise. The Vega franchise was sold overseas in 1979 but reacquired in the US by Deering in 1989. $5000 would be a reasonable number if in good conditionit could have brought $7500 a few years ago. 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. Martin built only 31 of the V-41 instruments: 28 of the V-41-5 model like yours, 1 plectrum and 2 tenor 4-stringers. Bill- Thanks for your query. VINTAGE VEGA TENOR BANJO, 1930, RESONATOR, 19 FRET, CLEAN. After 20 years, the wear and tear on a refinished instrument may reduce the value further. In the Vega Martin price list of 1971, the last publication in which VM retail prices were cited, the VM-5 was listed at $345 without case. 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. Prices subject to change without notice. All the best from the BRC, Barry. It is a Vega Martin model VW-5 called a Vega Wonder and sometimes referred to as the Wonder-5. 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). 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. The 1968 Vega catalogue described the Pro II appointments as including a bell brass tone ring with exclusively designed audio apertures, a ten ply wood rim, a three-piece maple neck, a resonator of curly maple, a notched brass tension hoop, nickel-plated hardware, and a shaded mahogany finish. The PS-5 is not seen in the 1976 Vega Martin catalog but is replaced by the No. The Vega era PS-5 banjos sell for up to $3-4K these days. You are so kind to provide this great info to all of us banjo geeks. This banjo has all hand-machined bell brass parts to replace the cheaper, more commonly used aluminum alloys used by both Vega and Martin during that era (including coordinator rods, top-tension rim lugs/shoes and bolts), and Kellens other signature upgrades that includes an 1/8 brass shim between the heel of the neck and rim and lacquered, highly polished inner resonator to enhance tone depth and volume projection. Learning how to play the banjo is no different. Anders- Thanks for your query. Martin decal on the back of your peghead and on the inner rim. # 1713? Great sound and in excellent condition. From the BRC, Barry. Like my dad, I am a musician and physician and treasure his professional and avocational memorabilia. The last one was produced in early 1975 despite being their very first banjo made that year. 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. Martin era. Bob. In the the 1971 Vega Martin price list, the VW-Plec retailed at $345. Is this an old genuine Vega in the lower price class, Sten- Thanks for your query about the FR-5 banjo. 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. 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. Your banjo may be a hybrid from that era. Vega Banjo Identification Professional Had Black. The information looks just finethere were yet a number of the Mxxxxxx series banjos still made in the Needham Heights factory outside Boston. He was told that it was made by Martin, but I do not find any Martin labels. Deering (California) now owns the Vega brand name and produces a `Little Wonder` and `Old Tyme Wonder` 5-stringer not unlike your instrument. Thank You for your time and web site. I have a vegavox 4 tenor banjo by Martin . Hopes this helps. $260 USD. The serial # is 448. 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. ), though, as said earlier, neck and rim look a lot like Martin quality. In that same period, twenty-one VV IV plectrums were manufactured. It took me six months to finally commit to purchasing the Vega-Martin VIP that I brought home today from a local music shop. 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. 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. This email will be copied to my Vega Vox scholar Dr. Ron for his insights and comments.From the BRC, Barry. Do you have any additional information you could share regarding this instrument? 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. If you had a picture archive, Id be happy to post some pictures. Have a great weekend as well. Its in excellent condition other than needing some cleaning and a little metal polish on the metal parts. Services; vega banjo identification Hope this helps and thanks for your post. Martin in the 1970s (I have sent you the title page illustrating your instrument). built in 1971, my long neck looks like it was built yesterday and all I added was a geared 5th string pegstuck it in an American Vintage case and screwed a CF Martin brass medallion to the side. Your banjo with SN 1046 was one of five PS-5 instruments manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in 1974 per Shop Order 2218, and after that C.F. I appreciate having some of the history around my banjo and will cherish it even more knowing it is somewhat rare. From the BRC, Barry. Thank you very much for your quick answer. 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. Martin manufactured only 33 VW-plectrum banjos. If you could give me your thought about what its worth, I would appreciate it. 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 overseas conglomerate Galaxy purchased the Vega line in 1979 and offered the T2-5 for $775 before going bankrupt in the mid 1980`s. vega banjo identification. Vega Pete Seeger Model Longneck Model 5 String Banjo (1961), made in Boston, Mass., serial # 100971, shaded maple finish, laminated maple neck and rim, ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
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