96.90 postage. Barry. One thing that I have noticed is that Massachusetts-made resonator banjos generally had a yellow/orange stain. This email will be copied to my Vega Vox scholar Dr. Ron for his insights and comments.From the BRC, Barry. I do not know anything about banjos but the label inside the rim says VEGA of Boston. With appreciation, Barry. Galaxy went bankrupt around 1984 and vanished. Accordingly, 1970-1971 was a year of manufacturing transition from Boston to Nazareth. Martin`s beloved historian). 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. Deering now offers the Tubaphone No. There are different types of banjos and plenty of new terminology for parts of banjos and playing styles. According to the C.F. The hardware on the V-41 is chrome-plated, so maybe a nearby metal shop could patch it for you or at least identify the alloy. A: There are a very few Fairbanks made banjos (several of them Regents) with pre-fire serial numbers circa 22900, stamped simply "Vega" in an oval border. What A great and informative site .. 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 banjos advertised in the brochure had generic names and Item #`s. Your instrument was listed as Vega 5-string Banjo featuring a Tu-Ba-Phone tone ring with round holes thus representing A reproduction of the early Tu-Ba-Phone No. Dr. Ron- the BRC staff and readers appreciate all the wonderful details and photos. The Wonder series of instruments featured a metal tone ring, white fingerboard binding, a heavy notched tension hoop, a 10 ply rim, a 3 piece maple neck, a blackwood fingerboard, pearl dots, an armrest, and a factory-installed resonator with four section metal tone flanges. It was advertised to feature a rosewood veneered rim and resonator trimmed in abalone pearl like the C.F. 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. Gold and ivory hard wear with a butterfly mop inlay on the back of the body. Martin and Co., Est. In 1970, C.F. Where to find your serial number. So heres my question. 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). 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. If you could give me your thought about what its worth, I would appreciate it. Im mostly a guitar player. If this banjo has some more of the early prewar design features, add $1000-1500.Hope this helps, Dr. Ron. However, its a beautifully crafted banjo with a great sound. vega banjo identification. Like the Tubaphone listed above, this banjo needs a neck reset to be a playable banjo mandolin. The melody banjo was the equivalent of a 4 string mandolin banjo. Best wishes for happy pickin`, Barry, I have an Vega 5-string banjo, open back, bought around 1965. 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). 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. The Pro model initially featured a Tube-a-phone tone chamber rim which evolved into a tone ring with exclusively designed audio apertures machined into a dogbone/barbell configuration. Deering now owns the Vega brand, and it is rumored that they may revive the deep resonator design. sir- need some help. It is indeed a sweet banjo with plenty of talk in it. Barry, I have an open back Vega long neck with C F Martin Co logo on the back of the machine head and inside the rim. Any help with identifying it (I cant find a serial number anywhere) or locating buyers would be so gratefully welcomed! My estimate is that it might fetch $1800-2000 these days. They made both tenor/plectrum and five-string models. 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. 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). These were used on the Wonder, VIP,Folklore, etc (non-Pro II, V-45, V-41 styles). 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. Both are in wonderful condition. Note below the C.F. Guess I stated it wrong, not really carvings, just in lays. Martin began shipping parts overseas for assembly. 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. Hope this helps and all the best in 2019, Barry. 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). 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. There is a star on the 5th fret. One of the best known Kay electric guitars during the 1950s was the K-161 "Thin Twin", most visibly used by blues artist Jimmy Reed. Although the genesis of your SN and date of manufacture are a puzzlement, it is no mystery that you own a lovely vintage Martin banjo. Barry, Samantha Thanks for the extensive and helpful photos of your above banjo. Thanks for the photo of your Vega/Martin Pro-5 banjo. Im now forced to sell several beloved instruments but have no idea how to price this gem. 22 frets. From the BRC, Barry. Thats when I decided to modify this rather bluegrassy bright (and plenty of loud) sounding Folk banjo a bit. set of identifying characteristics can be found at http://www.mugwumps.com. 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. Hello, I have enjoyed reading your posts on Vega-Martin banjos. Theres barely a mark on the banjo (except for the binding where it was put on a stand) and this will probably buff out. It retailed for $775 and was probably assembled from parts left over from Nazareth, PA. 1519. No M130097 Model: Wonder 5 St. Replyfrom our Vega Vox scholar Dr. RonHi Ernie. Martin factory in Nazareth, PA, parts were shipped overseas to Japan and Canada for assembly. Save on our most popular Goodtime banjos - the Goodtime openback and the Goodtime Two - at your favorite Deering dealer today! The finish was shaded mahogany, and the metal rim parts were nickel plated. 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). Your banjo may be a hybrid from that era. Martin did not publish retail prices after 1971, so my guess is that this up scale model sold back then for around $600. Hope this helps and best wishes from the BRC, Barry. The Vega Company reportedlyintroduced the first wooden sectioned pie resonator in mid 1923 for their Vega Professional 4-stringer. The story of how Greg Deering came to own the 130 year old Vega trademark is one of childhood dreams and an unmissable opportunity. Banjo SN 1648 is a `Folk Wonder` model (FW-5) which first appears in the Vega (Boston) catalogue in 1961 per my files. post . The 10-1/8" diameter rim has a calf skin head and most of it's original . All the best from the BRC, Barry. The PS-5 is advertised in the 1970 and 1972 Vega/Martin catalogues but is absent from the 1976 catalogue where the No.2 Tu-Ba-Phone XL long neck premieres instead. After its Martin Guitar era, the Vega brand name ownership was sold overseas, and the banjo line fellinto obscurity. it in 1970 through a music store in Norwich , Ct run by Cliff Tidd . Your instrument SN 448 is one of 11 Pete Seeger extra long neck (PS-5) models manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in 1973 per Shop Order 2153. C.F. Deering rescued the Vega line by purchasing the brand name in 1989. The problem is that the serial number labels at this time had printing errors, where the first numeric digit was omitted. Learning how to play the banjo is no different. 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. Congratulationsand, welcome to the VegaVox family! There are 13 stars on the banjo fretboard, and there should be a plaque on the back of the headstock. I have two theories about your instrument. Vega Martin models (1970-1979) are less of a collector`s item and fetch about half that price range. The evolution of the Professional model dates back to the Boston 1963 Vega catalogue that featured the first Pro model banjo that looked like an inexpensive version of the Earl Scruggs model that Vega offered at that time. Can you tell me about it? The Martin log book in Nazareth, PA, begins with #130248 later in 1971. 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. Wooden pot resonator. 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? What is a spectrum banjo? This is an early and very nice example of the classic Vega . From the BRC, Barry, Barry, i have an extended neck (25 fretts) Vega/Martin banjo with a serial number of 80. Hope this helps, and I am sending you the circa 1978 C. F. Martin Tubaphone model promotional flyer . Each of the men is posed in front of a Vega model 131 amplifier, identical to the unit which remains with the banjo today. Martin made only about a dozen more PS-5 banjos. Photos of the banjo might possibly shed some light on the mystery, if you are so inclined. 721 which I have had a number of years. As you have observed, the VIP tonering has holes grouped in threes, so maybe yours might be a lucky survivor from the early days of the VIP line when the model first appeared in the 1970 Vega Martin catalogue. CL. John, just an old Missouri banjo picker transplanted in Arizona. Martin upgraded the maple rim to 10 ply after purchasing the Vega/Boston franchise in May of 1970. Vega Martin manufactured twenty-eight V-41 5 stringers, two V-41 tenors, and only one V-41 plectrum banjo. 1969, probably initially at the 40 Leon Street factory the Needham Heights (just before the sale to Martin). Hi guys, great website. 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.
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