I would love to be able to date this banjo: SN 999 as a decal under the Martin logo inside the rim with the Martin logo decal on the back side of the peghead as well. I have attached photos comparing the label printing difference. Barry, Marc- Thanks much for the prompt and telling photos. 10" Rim. Its in excellent condition other than needing some cleaning and a little metal polish on the metal parts. Barry. vega banjo identification. For example: 0534599-7362 would be a banjo from May of 1999. From the BRC, Barry, I inquired on Banjo Hangout about information on a Vega banjo acquired from a friend. Your PS-5 Pete Seeger long neck # M-130259 was assembled in Nazareth in early 1971 per Shop Order 2012. I would love some photos of your V-45 to upload with this post. Check Price at Amazon. used speakers for sale craigslist; pioneer woman carne guisada; vega banjo identification; By . The story he told was that it was a distress sale for a friend, and that the banjo was one of 1000 limited editions and had a solid silver tone ring, and was worth at least twice the price. Rettberg & Lange(1898-1920) banjos were initially similar to Buckbee-made Aspiring players also wonder what makes one banjo better than another. Ive attached a photo of that Coat of Arms resonator next to my Vox Vit was a spare they had made for Eddie Peabody. 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. 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. 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. 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. Your banjo may be a hybrid from that era. Still as wonderful as the day I got it. Location. Martin did not publish retail prices after 1971, so my guess is that this up scale model sold back then for around $600. 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 featuring a brass tone ring and ebony fingerboard. - ORDERS OVER $199 SHIPPED TO THE CONTINENTAL U.S. Add to cart SKU: 2959 Categories: 5-String Openback Banjos, Banjos, Vega Description Additional information Reviews (1) Shipping, Returns & Exchanges About this Banjo 96.90 postage. In addition to the unusual R-D-136 serial number, the C.F. Vega serial #s between 99369 and 99686, when the switch from the Vega stamp to printed yellow labels seems to have occured. aluminum variety, one slim one large, with the larger one closer to the head. Martin in Nazareth, PA. 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). George Gruhn might also know. post . Posts. I have 2 Martin Vegas. 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. so it does say Martin on the back and its vega on the front. So cool to have this historical data. In the meantime, keep on pickin` that Pro-5. Really sounds and pays great. It turned out the owner had another banjo that also resembled a Vega but had the same lack of Vega ID, turns our the name "W Fawly" was on the wooden center dowel . Hello and thank you so much for your hard work and dedication. The Vega banjos in the TMC catalogue were identified by serial numbers only with no model titles or nicknames. Mike- Thanks for your post and kind remarks about the BRC website. Hope this helps. it in 1970 through a music store in Norwich , Ct run by Cliff Tidd . It took me six months to finally commit to purchasing the Vega-Martin VIP that I brought home today from a local music shop. Martin built only 29 T2-5 banjos, but no price list is available after 1971 preceding resurrection of the classic Vega T2-5 model for production. The Vega era PS-5 banjos sell for up to $3-4K these days. The back of the headstock is blank. One thing that I have noticed is that Massachusetts-made resonator banjos generally had a yellow/orange stain. I have two Ode long neck banjos, and one of them is my daily practice instrument because of its wife-friendly tone. Hope this helps and thanks for your post. vega banjo identification Martin upgraded the maple rim to 10 ply after purchasing the Vega/Boston franchise in May of 1970. 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. Could you tell me where it was built and what its value is today ? bouffant scrub cap pattern. They all had yellow serial number stickers. 2 Tu-Ba-Phone XL is seen in the 1976 catalogue. Fender Standard Banjo Hardshell Case Black chuya . 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. # 1713? Thats when I decided to modify this rather bluegrassy bright (and plenty of loud) sounding Folk banjo a bit. 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. Best wishes with your VIP and thanks again for your post, Barry. Being a low end instrument, the early FR-5 model had no connecting rod. (BTW, foradditional postings select Vega Martin Stories on the homepage menu or enter Vega Martin in the search engine. If in poor condition, Ive seen them sell as low as $3000-4000. I admire the amount of effort youve put into helping the community of banjo enthusiasts I ve got serial # 129 , a 22 fret ,27 scale plectrum in for a set up..any info.about date of manufacture,potential value, and other pertinent details would be appreciatedthanks.. BRC Banjo Replies:July 14, 2016 at 1:13 pm, Darryl- Thank you for your kind comments about the BRC website. Fred- Thank you for the detailed photos of your instrument. I purchased the instrument from a private dealer (Kingsport, TN) for $800. Its also featuring the two small hexagon bolts inside the rim (Quite handy for fine-centering the neck! Vega - Elderly Instruments In the final VM 1976 catalogue, the F-VIP is displayed in full advertising detail. It retailed for $775 and was probably assembled from parts left over from Nazareth, PA. It is in pristine condition and is clearly a very high quality instrument. Then by ink its written Folk Ranger. Martin- Thank you for your query and very useful photos. Martin manufactured 561 VW-5 banjos but only 124 FW-5 instruments. It may have been removed some time before I got it. Photos are available. 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. Greg Deering acquired rights to the Vega brand name in 1989 and restored the banjo line to greatness. Shop today! 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. 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. It was advertised to feature a rosewood veneered rim and resonator trimmed in abalone pearl like the C.F. After a loooong wait I finally got it in 1971 . Reply from our BRC consultant and Vega Vox scholar Dr. Ron: Looks like something that might have put together from parts, either insideor outside the factoryI suspect the latter as there have been lots of Voxchop shop conversions going back in time (even to the 1920s). Im mostly a guitar player. Deering Banjo Company now owns the Vega brand, and you might contact them regarding a custom device if you want parts within the historic Vega lineage. Banjo SN 1648 is a `Folk Wonder` model (FW-5) which first appears in the Vega (Boston) catalogue in 1961 per my files. Serial number assignment and record keeping fell into disarray from 1977 to 1979. The V-45(5) featured a heavy one-piece flat head tone ring of brass so popular among Bluegrass pickers. Good luck and thanks again for your post. Vega Banjos by Deering | Huge Selection | Lowest Prices Guaranteed The C.F. Sold out. Thanks so much Ill get back to you if any further questions. Martin V720 Vega Steel/Nickel Banjo Strings - .009-.030 - Sweetwater The problem is that the serial number labels at this time had printing errors, where the first numeric digit was omitted. Hope this helps, and all the best picking, Barry. The label on the peg head reads Martin & Co and inside the rim reads Martin & Co and the number 993. The number will be 6-12 digits long depending on what year it was made. it has five strings and if you would be so kind let me know something about it and if someone you know wants to play it, I guess it would be better off with them; or I will go take lessons I suppose. The other 9 were likely shipped to Canada or Japan for assembly after 1977. It is a beauty. Martin in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, in mid 1974 per Shop Order #2217. 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 Pro II model was advertised in the 1966 Vega catalogue with an up-graded and fancy mother of pearl inlay pattern as seen on your banjo. vega banjo identification - nutrir.cl The five number labels were found in banjos made from 1962 through February 1964, involving serial numbers A10300 through A12400. 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). Also, the banjo has some ornate details carved in it. Device Search - VEGA The information looks just finethere were yet a number of the Mxxxxxx series banjos still made in the Needham Heights factory outside Boston. 1969, probably initially at the 40 Leon Street factory the Needham Heights (just before the sale to Martin). My VIP-5 is SN 1364 and was made about one year after your 5-stringer, and it has a nice mid range tone. Is it possible to tell me what model or style and year it was built also the value? This classic and ornate Vega series dates back to the 1920s but did not appear in the 1970 and 1972 Vega Martin catalogues. Give it a try and good luck. I would like to know a little more about it. VEGA Banjos for sale | eBay ). P.S. My estimate is that your VV IV-T can fetch about $1000-4500 these days depending on the online vendor or estate auction. It is collecting dust since i dont play the banjo and I am thinking of passing it on. 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. In a 1971 price list, the FW-5 sold for $345. Although a mystery to me, this top of the line resonator banjo was introduced by C.F. In your e-mail, you mention being told when acquiring the instrument that it was a prototype design. Vega Martin banjo SN 324 was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in early 1973. Martin V730 Vega Steel/Nickel Banjo Strings - .010-.023 - Sweetwater They all had yellow serial number stickers. 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. ejemplos de hombres perezosos en la biblia; social juventus porto; china eastern trip report; Hello world! The Vega Vox model was a 4 string gem that featured a brass tone ring. How much Galaxy (or Martin) produce new parts vs. assemble old stock bought from Vega? Martin stamp. 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. Im curious to know if it is possible to learn whether this banjo came from the factory with a resonator or was originally sold as an open back. 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. Your VW-5 model Vega Wonder banjo SN 721 was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in late 1973 per Shop Order 2181. Do you have any additional information you could share regarding this instrument? FAIRBANKS BANJO MANDOLINE. Martin did not publish suggested retail prices after 1971, but I would estimate the V-76 sold for around $7-800 with case. Kudos to Greg Deering who rescued the Vega brand name from extinction in 1989 and restored it to greatness. 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). C.F. port melbourne players; fair lawn high school graduation; vega banjo identification; By . Any idea where I might find one? Below are more Letters from the BRC Archives. Martin manufactured 100 Pro-5 banjos including the temporary Bobby Joe Fenster variation. June 7, 2022; homes for sale by owner in berwick, pa . It listed back then for $345 without to BRCcase. Its always inspiring to see someone so dedicated to their craft! Since that day in 1989, Deering has breathed new life into the Vega name, blending over a century of tradition with Deering's banjo building expertise, to create a range of heritage rich open back and longneck banjos that are as integral to the modern folk sounds of The Avett Brothers as they were to Pete Seegers personal revolution. Martin decal on the back of your peghead and on the inner rim. Vega Martin banjo SN 1795 was one of three special order V-45 5-string banjos manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in 1977 per Shop Order 2335. I was told by someone at C. F. Martin that they only made 11 of them ( mine is ser # 7 ) . 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. After its Martin Guitar era, the Vega brand name ownership was sold overseas, and the banjo line fellinto obscurity.