Not a fancy top-line model, but still built with the typical extremely high quality components and a simple but . In my files, the PS-5 is seen in a Vega (Boston) flyer in 1961 where it lists for $309. Jim, Jim -Thanks for your query. In general, the Boston made Pete Seeger long neck banjos seem to command a greater collectors` interest than the ones manufactured in Pennsylvania. bouffant scrub cap pattern. 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. 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. Vega serial #s between 99369 and 99686, when the switch from the Vega stamp to printed yellow labels seems to have occured. 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. I have original case. 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. 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. Tony Trsichka wants Greg to make a 5-string model, much like Vega did on very rare occasions in the late 1950s/early 1960s. From the BRC, Barry. Do you know how many Scruggs or Scruggs Soloists, and Sonny Osborne models were made under the Martin ownership and where made? I am a fan of the 27 scale and believe it has much to contribute tone-wise. C.F. Nowadays, the Pro-5 would fetch around $1000-$1500 depending on condition. Thanks Again! Linda- Thanks much for your query and hearing about your three vintage banjos. From the BRC, Barry, Only a handful of Martin/Vega banjos made it down to Australia. Any clues? Ive taken a number of hi-res photostoo many to attach to email. In general, the Boston made Pete Seeger long neck banjos seem to command a greater collectors` interest than the ones manufactured in Pennsylvania. 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. Maybe, another observant reader will offer a discerning observation for us sometime. On PLICSCOM menu under 'Information'. Martin in Nazareth, PA, in 1973. From the BRC site this banjo was made circa 1975-1976 in and around Nazareth PA. Do I have the have the provenance correct? Fender Standard Banjo Hardshell Case Black ,, kemenpppa.go.id 4kjzing@8x47evey1 I think im in heaven. In those years there was not a college student who didn't dream of owning a Vega Pete . Anders- Thanks for your query. The six digit Boston serial numbers were replaced by the Martin SN`s beginning with #2 in 1972. This 5-stringer was manufactured circa 1845 in Baltimore, MD, by luthier William Boucher, Jr.. Martin initiated its own serial number system in early 1972 which ran sequentially from #2 through #1945. 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. The `Martin Guitars: A Technical Reference` confirms that the BJF-5 banjo was a thinly disguised Pro-5 not unlike yours . The resonator back and sidewall colored engravings are probably the key feature that might bring more value than lessthere were two likely designs at this time a tiffany-style web pattern with a floral vine on the side (first used in 1930) or the late 1940s Indian blanket Art Deco design.I have an original 1948 model that has the older style neck, with the new resonator designso , its a mixed bag during this time as Vega was experimenting with parts off the shelf when banjo sales were extremely low (maybe 20 per year) and their focus was on guitar and ukulule production instead.Pricing for 4 strings (and 5 strings) have dropped considerably over last 2-3 years for vintage banjosVoxes have held more than others. My other theory is that the pot, which bears a C.F. In the Martin SN files, banjo #1302252 manufactured in 1971 is designated as a BJF-5 (Pro) style instrument. I really appreciate your orientation. Andreas- Thank you for the historical narrative on your banjo and the detailed photographs. C.F. There were several old tenor and plectrum Martin neck blanksfor sale a few years ago, but it looks to be factory made condition anddoubt that would be likely a source. 96.90 postage. Like the Tubaphone listed above, this banjo needs a neck reset to be a playable banjo mandolin. - 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 According to the C.F. The banjo is featuring an interesting mix of particulars: The connecting rods are of the (much earlier?) It looked like it belonged on a Gibson. Inside your device. Hopes this helps and thanks again for the detailed pictures. The F-VIP is first mentioned briefly on a front page of the 1970 Vega Martin catalogue, and it retailed for $490 in the VM price list of 1971. The finish was shaded mahogany, and the metal rim parts were nickel plated. By that time, parts were being shipped to Canada and Japan for assembly, and record keeping soon deteriorated and serial numbers were inconsistent. Barry, Eddie- Thanks for your query and kind comments about the website. The model was discontinued after Martin Guitar bought Vega in 1970. These three top-of-the-line instruments were sent to Japan for assembly. Answer: Tu-Ba-Phone 5-String made 1978-1979. Enjoy. The V-45(5) featured a heavy one-piece flat head tone ring of brass so popular among Bluegrass pickers. Again, thanks for your post. 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. 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. It was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in mid 1973 per shop order # 2154. Of course she did a beautiful job with it including turning its blond color into a brunette! Subscribe to get free banjos tips, hear about new products, special offers, and more! it in 1970 through a music store in Norwich , Ct run by Cliff Tidd . The tone ring really had me confused! Your 5 string model was featured in the subsequent 1979 TMC Vega catalogue as an instrument similar to old style Vega Tu- Ba-Phone No.9.. banjo, and it listed then for $1250. Could you tell me where it was built and what its value is today ? Martin`s beloved historian). 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. 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 5 stringer is cited only as Item VDX75C in the 1979 TMC catalog where to retailed for $475. My Vega VIP has the Martin decal on the back of the headstock. Serial number 115831 on a yellow strip built in Boston Mass.Wondering when it might have been built? So happy to find this site. Good luck and thanks again for your post. I own Martin Vega Wonder serial no. Can you tell me what year this banjo was made and what my aunt could legitimately ask for it? 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 1971-72 VM log books show 22 VIP banjos (most 5-stringers with a few tenor and plectrums) bearing the 6 digit Boston serial numbers, and thereafter the SN`s convert to digits #1 through #1969. 26" Scale Length Serial: #21601 Condition: Excellent Case: gig bag Price: $Reduced Price $1395.00 Read More Gatcomb | Lansing Model #325 Index: 10566 Maker: Gatcomb Year: 1890's Notes: Despite its puzzling serial number, your instrument is a Tu-Ba-Phone Deluxe 5-string. Some C.F. Buckbee(1861-1897) banjos can frequently be identified by their Banjos with pegheads like that shown in the first picture below are usually made by Buckbee. Barry. Published by at 16 de junio de 2022. Im happy to find Banjorehab as it is the first site Ive seen to have useful information on Vega-Martin banjos. Hope this helps, and I am sending you the circa 1978 C. F. Martin Tubaphone model promotional flyer . What can you tell me about my instrument? Please try again. Hope this helps and thanks again for your post. 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. I appreciate having some of the history around my banjo and will cherish it even more knowing it is somewhat rare. Ive got a couple of pictures in case of interest, but Id need a mail-address for sending, me supposing. Save on our most popular Goodtime banjos - the Goodtime openback and the Goodtime Two - at your favorite Deering dealer today! Ending Thursday at 9:33PM GMT 2d 23h. After its Martin Guitar era, the Vega brand name ownership was sold overseas, and the banjo line fellinto obscurity. Do you know how many tenor V41 banjos were made? Barry. Martin stamp. Martin was winding-down its banjo production, the metal engraving was subcontracted to Liberty Banjos. Dave- Thank you for your kind words about the website and the narrative about your Vega Vox IV tenor banjo. These were used on the Wonder, VIP,Folklore, etc (non-Pro II, V-45, V-41 styles). The back of the headstock is blank. The long neck banjo is less popular nowadays with the surge in Bluegrass music, but I have two of them and value their mellow wife-friendly tone. Barry- Thanks for your queries and subsequent photos that promt me to revise my initial response. Martin made 101 of the PS-5 instruments which listed for $488 without case in the final V/M price list in 1971. set of identifying characteristics can be found at http://www.mugwumps.com. I have photos.Serial No. By my count, twelve VV IV-tenor banjos were built in Nazareth with the last one, #1678, in 1976. It is important to note that there are exceptions to every rule and the following is only a general guide for identifying Gibson "A" Style mandolins. Hello, Joshua, Joshua-Thank you for your kind comments and the very detailed pictures. Have a great weekend as well. Thanks for your post and happy pickin`, Barry. In the final VM 1976 catalogue, the F-VIP is displayed in full advertising detail. Although a Bluegrass resonator banjo musician, my daily practice exercises are conducted sans picks on one of two long neck Ode 5-stringers that are wife-friendly in tone. By history, C.F. According to the factory logbook, banjo # 481 was one of eleven PS-5 banjos made per Shop Order # 2155 by C.F. The local music store said they would give her 120$ for it. The PS-5 is advertised in the 1970 and 1972 Vega/Martin catalogues but is absent from the 1976 catalogue where the No. Ive had several accomplished pickers really make it talk.wish I could!! New and Used Vega Banjos for Sale Search Agent: Get notified when new ads meet your criteria! The serial # is 448. 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 VIP-5 is known for its mellow sound, and the tone of my VIP-5 (SN 1364 circa 1974) was admired by a faculty member at a northeastern banjo camp a few years ago. 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. vega banjo identification. 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 . When C.F. Your tenor 4-stringer was built in early 1972 per Shop Order 2051. Whenever parts are sent overseas, it is unpredictable if instruments are constructed fastidiously with matching parts, and this may explain the difference in tone between your two VIP instruments. C.F. While the Martin factory in Nazareth, PA, retooled to build banjos, interim yellow stickers were affixed to the inner rims of Boston banjos citing the merger and identifying the model of the instrument (which was inscribed by pen). Landis- Thanks for your post. Your T-2 instrument SN 1603 was one of five Tu-Ba-Phone 5 string banjos manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in 1976 shortly before the big luthier strike that compelled C. F. Martin to ship parts overseas for assembly. The Pro-5 model had an improved bell brass tone ring (alas, not silver) with exclusively designed audio apertures, a thick 10 ply wood rim, a double-tension neck rod, a notched brass tension hoop, nickel plated parts, a mahogany shaded finish, and white binding. I have 2 Martin Vegas. A total of 98 model D-76E guitars were also made for employees. 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. One of the 2 rods inside rim is a larger diameter then the other one. From the BRC, Barry. Both are in wonderful condition. Best wishes with your VIP and thanks again for your post, Barry. I actually have a customized 75 Martin D28 to go with my 75 Vega. Do you have a total of these models made under the Massachusetts Vega name? Any help with identifying it (I cant find a serial number anywhere) or locating buyers would be so gratefully welcomed! This uniquestyle resonator was verypopular for many years, and it still hasvalue as a vintage part. Your Wonder-5 string banjo #(Martin)130097 was made in Boston in early 1971 after C.F. JC All the best from the BRC, Barry. With appreciation, Barry. 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. In the Martin log book, the last six digit (Vega) serial number was 130392 in 1972 after which began the Martin digits. Thats when I decided to modify this rather bluegrassy bright (and plenty of loud) sounding Folk banjo a bit. I knew nothing about it until I found this site. My estimate is that it might fetch $1800-2000 these days. It is a top-of-the-line banjo that was paired with the reissued D-45 Martin guitar as a marketing strategy. 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. The Vega Regent is one of the classic 5-string banjos of the Vega line. Any insights appreciated along with your understanding of when it was manufactured, components, what it originally sold for and current market value. 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. Any idea where I might find one? Your aunt`s banjo sounds like a stock model, so I would estimate that it would fetch $400-$700 on the open market. The fascinatingwooden pie (sectioned) resonator is probably inherited from the Boston era Vega inventory. There is no evidence that Vega actually made banjos prior to buying out Fairbanks. Serial number assignment and record keeping fell into disarray from 1977 to 1979. Dot inlay fret board. Data from these logbooks are available per e-mail request from the BRC founder. Deering now owns the Vega brand, and it is rumored that they may revive the deep resonator design. Martin D-45 guitar. The metal parts were gold plated and engraved. It retailed for $345 in the 1971 Vega Martin price list. Many thanks and keep pickin & grinning. 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. It looks to have some pretty fancy inlays along the fretboard and some nice detail & trim around the wooden drum. Look for decals and a serial number on the interior of the rim to help document its story. Rettberg & Lange(1898-1920) banjos were initially similar to Buckbee-made A nice banjo- enjoy. 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. Thank you so much!! Martin decal on the back of your peghead and on the inner rim. 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. Thanks again for your query. Congratulationsand, welcome to the VegaVox family! Identification: "A" Style mandolins were symmetrical and shaped like a teardrop. The last one was produced in early 1975 despite being their very first banjo made that year. In the final Martin price listed published in 1971, it listed for $345 without case. I orderedit in 1970 through a music store in Norwich , Ct run by Cliff Tidd . Although mostly a collector`s item these days, the current price range of the V-76 is $2.3-5K. The Vega Company reportedlyintroduced the first wooden sectioned pie resonator in mid 1923 for their Vega Professional 4-stringer. I dont play any instrument right now. They are 230, 243, 353, LVII (57?) TMC marketed this standard neck Tu-Ba-Phone banjoas item No. Buy VEGA Banjos and get the best deals at the lowest prices on eBay! Rochester NY 14610. Then by ink its written Folk Ranger. 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). Hope this helps and thanks for your post. The two legendary musicians in the camp photo are banjo godfather Tony Trischka and Grammy award winner Eric Weissberg. Wow! 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. 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. fender american professional ii vs ultra. I have sent an e-mail to my Vega Vox consultant Dr. Ron and await his comments and appraisal. Im not very knowledgable about banjos so please forgive my terminology. Thanks for your post. The VIP model featured a unique `audio-sonic` bell brass tone ring, a scrolled peg head with ultra filagree pearl work, engraved pearl inlay in the ebony fretboard, a 10 ply maple rim with a heavy notched tension hoop, geared tuners, a walnut finish, and marquetry around the resonator.
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