I orderedit in 1970 through a music store in Norwich , Ct run by Cliff Tidd . It is not seen in the 1970 transitional Vega/Martin catalogue. 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. I live near Portland, Oregon. He wanted to buy it! 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. Anders- Thanks for your query. 1972 Vega Banjo. In addition to the unusual R-D-136 serial number, the C.F. It retailed for $345 in the 1971 Vega Martin price list. Deering purchased the Vega franchise in1989 restoring the line to greatness. The C.F. THE BRC THANKS YOU FOR VISITING THE VEGA MARTIN BANJO INFO PAGE. After a loooong wait I finally got it in 1971 . Martin historian Mike Longworth. fender american professional ii vs ultra. Age differences in the instruments might alsoalter the wood tones. Martin factory in Nazareth, PA, parts were shipped overseas to Japan and Canada for assembly. In regards to the endorsed banjo models cited in your final paragraph, my files show that the Sonny Osborne model appears only in the 1968 Vega/Boston catalogue. Vega Regent Model 5 String Banjo (1925), made in Boston, Mass., natural varnish finish, laminated maple rim and neck, ebony fingerboard, black hard shell case. Greg Deering acquired rights to the Vega brand name in 1989 and restored the banjo line to greatness. Martin Museum collection. What can you tell me about my instrument? In the final VM 1976 catalogue, the F-VIP is displayed in full advertising detail. I got an old Vega banjo from my father. 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. I have two theories about your instrument. Cobra hooks first appear circa 1881 on Fairbanks & Cole banjos. 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. Wooden pot resonator. Thanks for your post. If this banjo has some more of the early prewar design features, add $1000-1500.Hope this helps, Dr. Ron. These were followed by banjos #9-14 which were Vega Vox-4-P plectrums per Shop Order 2088. rocket and teresa administrative leave; It retailed for $345 in the 1971 Vega Martin price list. The distinct disadvantage to having a rare banjo is finding replacement parts. Answer: Tu-Ba-Phone 5-String made 1978-1979. Its paper label says it was made by Vega of Boston, part of the CF Martin Co. but it does not have the CF Martin decal on the back of the peg-head. Despite showing its age as a workhorse performance instrument with extensive wear-and-tear, a friend of mine in San Diego purchased this one-of-a-kind banjo in Vega and Martin history in 2007 and had it beautifully restored to its current condition by the American Banjo Hall-of-Fame member, Renee Karnes. Martin`s transition from traditional Spanish, Viennese, and Renaissance structural features towards innovating a modern acoustic guitar with a unique cross brace design. Vintage Banjos for sale | eBay With hard case. Its also featuring the two small hexagon bolts inside the rim (Quite handy for fine-centering the neck! 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. nike nationals track and field backpack; 0 comments. An example of one of these 4-stringers from the 1920`s is still in the C.F. 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. Device Search - VEGA What is it worth today, and what did it sell for when new? Hope this helps and thanks again for your post and e-mails, Barry, Lynne- Thanks for your query. Banjoman- C.F. I call him Rory, although much louder he has a beautiful rich tone, but is quite punchy.. Thanks again. thanks for your help and keep up the good work. By my count, Martin made 16 V-45 banjos that were 5-stringers, 3 plectrums (V45-P), and one (V45-T) tenor model. 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). 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. Your banjo may be a hybrid from that era. ampleforth college redundancies. If you could give me your thought about what its worth, I would appreciate it. Bill Keith Stainless Steel D-Tuners, for 2nd & 3rd strings. It looks to have some pretty fancy inlays along the fretboard and some nice detail & trim around the wooden drum. It is a Four-String Banjo, Tu-ba-phone Model No. In the 1972 Martin catalogue, the Professional appears identical to yours, but it is absent from the 1976 catalogue. I have a vegavox 4 tenor banjo by Martin . While published accounts indicate that only 18 plectrums and 3 tenors were made in this series, Martin company officials have shared information from current records that one-third were simply shop orders that were never actually completed in the post-strike period. vega banjo identification. Your Wonder-5 string banjo #(Martin)130097 was made in Boston in early 1971 after C.F. 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. A total of 101 PS-5 instruments were manufactured in Pennsylvania. 1969, probably initially at the 40 Leon Street factory the Needham Heights (just before the sale to Martin). Can`t find anything about it on line. Martin in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, in mid 1974 per Shop Order #2217. Unless refinished, the decal on the back alsomakes it post-1972. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Vega Martin manufactured twenty-eight V-41 5 stringers, two V-41 tenors, and only one V-41 plectrum banjo. Barry. Martin was winding-down its banjo production, the metal engraving was subcontracted to Liberty Banjos. I have a seperate label thats still in the case showing the serial # 1199. Hence, my theory is that this ornate banjo was assembled overseas after Martin began shipping parts to Japan and Canada for assembly in 1976, and this would explain the mysterious serial number. The Vega Vox model was a 4 string gem that featured a brass tone ring. Vintage Vega Banjo - musical instruments - by owner - sale Tim, Tim- Thanks much for your query. Martin Vega banjo #892 should be a long neck open back Folklore Model manufactured in the latter half of 1973 per shop order 2198. vega banjo identification. Martin manufactured only 33 VW-plectrum banjos. The fascinatingwooden pie (sectioned) resonator is probably inherited from the Boston era Vega inventory. Congratulations on having two vintage VM banjos, and your gracious comments about the Info site are much appreciated. Martin did not publish retail prices after 1971, so my guess is that this up scale model sold back then for around $600. Zero fret wear. The openbacks are made entirely of white oak and feature a midnight maple fingerboard and peghead overlay. All the best pickin`, and thanks for your kind words about my website. C.F. Thanks for your reply. I have a Martin Vega Banjo, #324. Martin stamp. Martin decal on the back of your peghead and on the inner rim. The Folk Wonder is an open-back banjo that features a maple neck, a white bound ebony fretboard with pearl dots, and geared pegs in the headstock. Thank you so much!! The Martin Co. dropped the 6 digit serial number system in mid 1971 and then began again with #2- #1945, although a few special banjos up to #1969 were produced. Therefore it became dissembled. Martin manufactured 561 VW-5 banjos but only 124 FW-5 instruments. It is a somewhat rare bird, as C.F. This is a beautiful banjo! 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. The Vega line was then marketed in the USA by TMC Company (Targ & Dinner 20 Century Music Company). bouffant scrub cap pattern. 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. 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 was told by someone at C. F. Martin that they only made 11 of them ( mine is ser # 7 ) . Virtually immaculate. Many thanks and keep pickin & grinning. Thank you, Barry, for the information that allow me to buy this banjo with serenity.VIVE le BANJO and the banjo players! Do you know anything of the type of banjo, year of manufacturing and value today? All of these extra upgrades were reportedly worth an additional $1000 at the time. vega banjo identification. The Vega Ultra Vox V is among the rarest of the limited, special order edition banjos made by either Vega of Boston or Martin. senior living sun prairie, wi; blueberry sweet rolls joanna gaines; miguel cardona family; shooting in newport beach last night; st albans swim club drowning; where was the 3 godfathers filmed; southwest chicken bake; I play it weekly (weakly) on Monday nights at restaurant in Anaheim, California and love its sound. my Martin/Vega PS5 #481 is about a month into my possession. Fender Standard Banjo Hardshell Case Black chuya I has Vega and a single star on the front of the headstock. Vega Banjos - Deering Banjo Company Give it a try and good luck. VIP is printed on the truss rod cover. Im mostly a guitar player. The Pro-5 does not appear in the 1976 Vega Martin catalogue. I would send pictures but was not sure just where to post them. Guess I stated it wrong, not really carvings, just in lays. 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 banjo is featuring an interesting mix of particulars: The connecting rods are of the (much earlier?) Dave- Thank you for your kind words about the website and the narrative about your Vega Vox IV tenor banjo. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thank you for your query to the BRC and the abovephoto link. In a 1971 price list, the FW-5 sold for $345. Dr. Ron- the BRC staff and readers appreciate all the wonderful details and photos. From the BRC, Barry. Photos are available. Your banjo is item # VB120C which sold for $360 back then. Martin initiated its own serial number system in early 1972 which ran sequentially from #2 through #1945. It looks like a well-preserved and fun mid range banjo waiting to be enjoyed by an appreciative musician like yourself. The beautiful Tu-Ba-Phone Deluxe and its plectrum and open back permutations appear only in a 3 page marketing pamphlet issued by C.F. Thanks for the great information on this page. ), though, as said earlier, neck and rim look a lot like Martin quality. 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.

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