vega banjo identification

After the original owner, Jack Mistretta, passed away in 1998, this banjo found its way to Japan, where noted jazz-banjoist, Ken Aoki, featured it for many years in his touring act. It is in excellent condition but missing a resonator thumbscrew with the threaded washer. It is a somewhat rare bird, as C.F. For example: 0534599-7362 would be a banjo from May of 1999. Thanks for your query, Barry. The Wonder-5 retailed for $345 without case per the CFM 1971 price list. You are so kind to provide this great info to all of us banjo geeks. The tone ring really had me confused! Serial number assignment and record keeping fell into disarray from 1977 to 1979. The banjo featured a bell brass audio-sonic tone ring, different from the tubaphone tone ring, and a ten ply maple rim. Your banjo appears to be a hybrid assembled sometime in the 1980`s after C. F. Martin sold the Vega franchise overseas to the Galaxy conglomerate in 1979. In the Martin price list of 1971, it is listed at $488 without case. According to the C.F. The information looks just finethere were yet a number of the Mxxxxxx series banjos still made in the Needham Heights factory outside Boston. Being unable to find anything on the internet, I began to think I had been scammed. The rhinestones on the flanges, tension bolts, and peghead differ from Peabodys prototype and the later Martin production Vox V models. It is a top-of-the-line banjo that was paired with the reissued D-45 Martin guitar as a marketing strategy. All the very best from the BRC, Barry, Thank you, Barry. Martin manufactured 561 VW-5 banjos but only 124 FW-5 instruments. Martin was winding-down its banjo production, the metal engraving was subcontracted to Liberty Banjos. Not a fancy top-line model, but still built with the typical extremely high quality components and a simple but . 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. 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. Very interesting to get to know all this details. I lived in Needham MA for 20+ years, and Im wondering if that tone ring possibly came from Vegas final days in Needham. The Vega name on the head is not with the usual letters and there is no star there either. Martin markings, my impression is that it was put together overseas from left-over Martin parts after the Asian conglomerate Galaxy Trading purchased the Vega brand in 1979. 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. They made both tenor/plectrum and five-string models. 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). (They are NOT a 'coded' format.) I will trade for a good Octave Mandolin or Bouzouki If your Vegaphones and Tubaphone have serial numbers, you can more closely date them by visiting Whitetreeaz banjo serial numbers online. I own Martin Vega Wonder serial no. In the 1972 Martin catalogue, the Professional appears identical to yours, but it is absent from the 1976 catalogue. 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. Martin Vega banjo #892 should be a long neck open back Folklore Model manufactured in the latter half of 1973 per shop order 2198. Save This Search Your search returned 20 results View Sold and Expired Ads Matching Your Search Vega Banjos - The Mandolin Pages Been used in the studio and loaned to a friend about 30 years ago while he his banjo was being repaired. From the BRC, Barry. Serial number 115831 on a yellow strip built in Boston Mass.Wondering when it might have been built? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We've been notified and are looking into it. The model was discontinued after Martin Guitar bought Vega in 1970. In addition to the unusual R-D-136 serial number, the C.F. It is not clear why Martin initiated this product line. Can you tell me more like age and value? 1930 Vega Tenor Banjo - Pure Banjo The serial number is stamped in the wooden rim below the Martin decal. . I orderedit in 1970 through a music store in Norwich , Ct run by Cliff Tidd . In May of 1970, C.F. The Vega franchise was sold overseas in 1979 but reacquired in the US by Deering in 1989. Martin historian Mike Longworth. Hope this helps and thanks again for your post and e-mails, Barry, Lynne- Thanks for your query. From the BRC, Barry. Martin`s beloved historian). Allen screws at the neck/pot junction and a tube connecting rod (not shown) are design features from the 1960`s in Boston . Vega/Fairbanks open-back banjo designs are exemplary classics. The circa 1978 brochure that I sent you confirms that your instrument is a Tu-Ba-Phone Deluxe 5 stringer. 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). This uniquestyle resonator was verypopular for many years, and it still hasvalue as a vintage part. S.C.- Thank you for your query to the BRC. The Eddie Peabody Model was actually made by Vega of Boston from 1966-ca. Your VW-5 with SN 1519 was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in 1976 per Shop Order 2285. Martin workshop logbook, open back Tu-Ba-Phone 5-string banjo SN 1707 was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in mid 1976. 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. 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. 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. It listed for $1310 in the 1971 VM price brochure and a carved heel was extra. 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). From the BRC, Barry, Sir: What kind of info can you give me on a V-76E banjo, Ser. From the BRC, Barry. I ordered. It has dual rods running through the pot and it has the tubaphone tone ring. Barry. As Barry indicates, a photo of the yellow sticker will be helpful here. Can you identify this rare Vega Martin banjo just by the peghead markings? The metal parts were chrome-plated. 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. How much would it be worth? Martin made 101 of the PS-5 instruments which listed for $488 without case in the final V/M price list in 1971. By my count, twelve VV IV-tenor banjos were built in Nazareth with the last one, #1678, in 1976. Both of these models had block mother of pearl inlays, with fewer inlays appearing on the new scaled-down Pro fretboard. But with original Whyte Laydie banjo rims being in demand for converting to 5-string instruments, this one is an ideal candidate. The last two Vox Vs (serial numbers 1964-1965) were built in 1979, and still exist to this day. Banjo SN 1648 is a `Folk Wonder` model (FW-5) which first appears in the Vega (Boston) catalogue in 1961 per my files. The BRC Archives contain the serial numbers of these unique Vega-Martin banjos. Barry. 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. March 13, 2017 at 3:46 pmRob- Thank you for your query and very kind comments about the BRC website. 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. According to the C.F. My estimate is that it would fetch up to $900 these days depending on condition Hope this helps and thanks from the BRC, Barry, Hello , I am writing from France where I found a banjo that I want to buy, but which I have no information. The flanges, tension hoop, tailpiece and extended armrest are deeply and elaborately engraved, and were originally finished in a special hardened 24K gold electroplate. I have original case. If there is any other interesting information about the instrument you care to share from the Martin log book, I would be most appreciative. Your site is a great resource for these instruments by the way. Im happy to find Banjorehab as it is the first site Ive seen to have useful information on Vega-Martin banjos. set of identifying characteristics can be found at http://www.mugwumps.com. I have a vegavox 4 tenor banjo by Martin . Ernie Ball 5-String Medium Stainless Steel Banjo Strings, 10-10 Gauge (P02309) Check Price at Amazon. It looks like a well-preserved and fun mid range banjo waiting to be enjoyed by an appreciative musician like yourself. Just found you today . The Vega serial number files still available do not specify the specific models of banjo manufactured in Massachusetts. tone ring that you have. Your slightly blurry photo of the interior of the pot(not included here)show two tubular connecting rods which are left -over parts from the Vega factory in Boston. vega banjo identification. It is important to note that there are exceptions to every rule and the following is only a general guide for identifying Gibson "A" Style mandolins. From the BRC, Barry. Great Savings & Free Delivery / Collection on many items. 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. Hello, I have enjoyed reading your posts on Vega-Martin banjos. The melody banjo was the equivalent of a 4 string mandolin banjo. 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). It look and plays great. Wim, (Ed.- Note the classic Tubaphone tone ring. Martin workshop log book, your V-45-5 serial number 327 banjo was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in early 1973 per Shop Order 2138. I really appreciate your orientation. 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. A fabulous example of one of the finest banjos ever made, the Vega 5-string Pete Seeger long-necked folk banjo, produced as a result of the folk craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Thanks again for your post. 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.

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