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. The number will be 6-12 digits long depending on what year it was made. We have a bunch of new Deering merch for you whether it be socks, shirts, tote bags, mugs, and more! Hopes this helps. My Vega F-VIP #1456 got chosen from the 72 catalogue in spring of 76 in a music shop in Stuttgart / Germany, and was delivered only about ten weeks later. wyoming seminary athletic scholarship; Tags . It appears to be serial number 231 (engraved). Martin in the 1970s (I have sent you the title page illustrating your instrument). Today I purchase Vega PS-5, serial number M-130259. Barry, I have purchased a Martin Vega V-45 described as 1971 production and a serial number of #327. 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. 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. Your 5 stringer is cited only as Item VDX75C in the 1979 TMC catalog where to retailed for $475. The serial number is stamped in the wooden rim below the Martin decal. There were forty-six Vega Martin V-45 banjos made of similar design, but the hardware was gold-plated. C.F. Despite its puzzling serial number, your instrument is a Tu-Ba-Phone Deluxe 5-string. From its early Boston beginnings, the Vega Banjo Company made splendidand now vintage instruments, including the Earl Scruggs signature model heendorsed in the 1960s. 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. C.F. Save on our most popular Goodtime banjos - the Goodtime openback and the Goodtime Two - at your favorite Deering dealer today! The serial numbers for the overseas-produced instruments were in the 2000+ range in sequence with the last official VM banjo manufactured in Nazareth, PA, which bore #1969. Do you have any additional information you could share regarding this instrument? The label on the peg head reads Martin & Co and inside the rim reads Martin & Co and the number 993. cscl star vessel flag autism and narcissism differences. What is a spectrum banjo? Martin logbook, banjo SN 1450 was an entry level Wonder model 4 string plectrum banjo made in 1975. Where to find your serial number. My aunt gave me a Martin Vega banjo serial number 892 to see what it was worth since she is not internet savy and looking to sell it. Ive taken a number of hi-res photostoo many to attach to email. It is not seen in the 1970 transitional Vega/Martin catalogue. 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 . I have photos.Serial No. The Vega Vox IV of that era featured burnished gold-plated parts, engraved flanges, an all white pyralin deep resonator with elaborately engraved back and sides, a fretboard with fancy pearl inlays, and an engraved and colored scroll shaped peg head. From the BRC, Barry. This workshop numbering system continued uninterrupted to #2355 in 1977 when the banjos went overseas for assembly. Martin upgraded the maple rim to 10 ply after purchasing the Vega/Boston franchise in May of 1970. The new longneck was design to match the original neck in style and looks while also using some of Vega's Pete Seeger model as influence. Original MRSP $1310 without case (carved neck was also extra). 1969, probably initially at the 40 Leon Street factory the Needham Heights (just before the sale to Martin). Deering owns the Vega brand name nowadays, and its T-2 lists for $4149. 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. very carefully, I did and its four digits # 1450. it looks very good to me as far as the condition, its just old and kind of dirty. I lived in Needham MA for 20+ years, and Im wondering if that tone ring possibly came from Vegas final days in Needham. Your banjo is an off shoot of the classic No. Again, thanks for your post. Unfortunately, many 4-string players of a certain generation seem to think that their banjos will command higher priceseven the Gibson flat heads used for 5 string conversion have taken a tumble and are are half on what they were 5 years ago. From the BRC, Barry, Barry, i have an extended neck (25 fretts) Vega/Martin banjo with a serial number of 80. Fairbanks Banjos - Serial Numbers and Features by year Fairbanks Banjos SERIAL NUMBERS A.C. Fairbanks - Maker ~1875 - 1880 Sporadic numbers have been found written in the wooden hoops of 5 of these earliest Fairbanks banjos. Thanks for posting the information on Martin mage Vega banjos. It retailed for $775 and was probably assembled from parts left over from Nazareth, PA. Hope this helps and thanks for your post. Your VW-5 with SN 1519 was manufactured in Nazareth, PA, in 1976 per Shop Order 2285. I think it is a Pro-5. Vega stamp to yellow stick-on labels between 99369 and 99686. switchover is between #23721 and #23800. Martin made 101 of the PS-5 instruments which listed for $488 without case in the final V/M price list in 1971. Dear Per- In May of 1970, C.F. 0 bids $10.96 shipping Ending Oct 14 at 5:44AM PDT5d 4hFrom GermanyBrand: VEGA Perhaps a bit more cutting. The V-45(5) featured a heavy one-piece flat head tone ring of brass so popular among Bluegrass pickers. 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. Do you know how many Scruggs or Scruggs Soloists, and Sonny Osborne models were made under the Martin ownership and where made? 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. ampleforth college redundancies. Your PS-5 Pete Seeger long neck # M-130259 was assembled in Nazareth in early 1971 per Shop Order 2012. There are different types of banjos and plenty of new terminology for parts of banjos and playing styles. Joshua- Send me some detailed photos of your banjo inside and out. Thank you. Like my dad, I am a musician and physician and treasure his professional and avocational memorabilia. 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. 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. Martin sold the Vega brand to the Asian conglomerate Galaxy Trading Company in March of 1979. Martin built only 20 F-VIP 5 stringers, and to my count 11 were made in Pennsylvania per the shop log book. Banjo SN 1648 is a `Folk Wonder` model (FW-5) which first appears in the Vega (Boston) catalogue in 1961 per my files. The Vega Company reportedlyintroduced the first wooden sectioned pie resonator in mid 1923 for their Vega Professional 4-stringer. Well, this is a hybrid banjo, and doubtful that is a Galaxy banjo. Martin 1970 catalogue described ashaded mahogany finish on the Wonder model, and the 1976 Martin catalogue reported thatthe Wonder banjo bore a mahogany color finish. One of the 2 rods inside rim is a larger diameter then the other one. 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: By the mid 1960`s, it was usually manufactured with a connecting rod. Eric- Thanks for your kind comments about the website and prompt photos. If anybody can shed some light on what I have. Photos , BRC Replies To Samantha (November 23, 2019), Reply From Dr. Ron (the BRC Vega Vox/EddiePeabody consultant). Can you tell me what year this banjo was made and what my aunt could legitimately ask for it? Your comments about the color tone differences of Vega/Boston vs. Martin/Nazareth resonator banjos are curious, and I do not have an accurate answer for it. The tailpiece does not look original, but the dual connecting rods are typical of the Martin design. 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. By my count, Martin made 16 V-45 banjos that were 5-stringers, 3 plectrums (V45-P), and one (V45-T) tenor model. If someone could help her post it on eBay, it would probably get a decent price and a good home. The Folk Ranger was a no-frills entry level banjo that Vega made in response to the folk music revival era. 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. Per the 1971 Martin price list, the recommended retail price back then was $545 with out case which cost another $68 for the hard shell version. Over a period of several years, the Vega line morphed into a uniquely featured Vega Martin instrument. 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. This Vox uses brass (rather than the late model Vega/Martin aluminum) hex nut shoes for the tension bolts, and thinner dual brass coordinator rods (again, instead of aluminum). Replyfrom our Vega Vox scholar Dr. RonHi Ernie. Typically, the number would be preceded with an A (indicating an adjustable truss rod) followed by a six-digit number. Aspiring players also wonder what makes one banjo better than another. Like the Tubaphone listed above, this banjo needs a neck reset to be a playable banjo mandolin. Jim _Thanks for your query. 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). The Vega White Oak Banjo is ideal for achieving the classic clawhammer and folk, with bright tone and distinct note clarity and weighs less than 6 lbs! Dick- Thank you for being a frequent reader of the BRC website. Been used in the studio and loaned to a friend about 30 years ago while he his banjo was being repaired. The other 9 were likely shipped to Canada or Japan for assembly after 1977. 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). $5000 would be a reasonable number if in good conditionit could have brought $7500 a few years ago. Its mostly been in storage since I purchased it in the late 1970s. Hello, I just stumbled onto this site today 4/16/20. 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. Martin shortly after its bitter 1977 luthier strike following which their banjo production dwindled to almost nothing in Nazareth, PA. Those few Tubaphones which were made in Pennsylvania bore SN`s in the 1600-1945 range per the shop log book. The back of the headstock is blank. Thanks for your post. Barry. Services; vega banjo identification These data were generously provided to the BRC founder in 2000 by the family owned Martin Guitar department of history. I would like to know a little more about it. Your peghead and resonator are clearly marked with C.F. The banjo listed for $556 in the 1971 price list without case. George Gruhn might also know. Any insights appreciated along with your understanding of when it was manufactured, components, what it originally sold for and current market value. Although mostly a collector`s item these days, the current price range of the V-76 is $2.3-5K. These days, my guess is that this 5 stringer is worth about $1500 or more depending on condition. You are so kind to provide this great info to all of us banjo geeks. my Martin/Vega PS5 #481 is about a month into my possession. Martin & Co. Organisation, NEEDHAM, MASS. Ive also got some remaining parts from the renovation process Id happily like to donate, including the original chrome-plated brass tailpiece, and a couple of almost unused heads. 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. Great sound and in excellent condition. aluminum variety, one slim one large, with the larger one closer to the head. How do you date a banjo? 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. 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. I have two Ode long neck banjos, and one of them is my daily practice instrument because of its wife-friendly tone. P.S. First let me thank you for this amazing well of information! For reference, the name of the original owner with serial number should be in the Martin Archives. The Vega era PS-5 banjos sell for up to $3-4K these days. Barry. A total of 101 PS-5 instruments were manufactured in Pennsylvania. Do you have any information on it? Hey, Ive got a Martin Vega Tubaphone 5 string banjo sn# 1603 that I acquired in the mid-1980s. The finish was shaded mahogany, and the metal rim parts were nickel plated. vega banjo identification. Barry. March 13, 2017 at 3:46 pmRob- Thank you for your query and very kind comments about the BRC website. 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. Thank you so very much for this information! Martin, and the line was discontinued in 1975.
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vega banjo identification
