It worked. This banjo has only 20 frets to compensate for the 28" scale - this was common on this size Vega banjo. Vega Wonder tenor banjo 102595 serial Maple Nice Condition hard case no reserve But there is no denying this a great sounding banjo. Earl Scruggs (1924-2012) put his mark on the instrument at an early age. Fits a 24 or 28-bracket banjo with 11" (279.40mm) diameter rim, or Vega-style 10-15/16" (277.81mm) diameter rim and 3-1/2" to 4-1/2" (88.90mm to 114.30mm) bracket hook spacings. It's a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at eBay.com. He carried both on his tours but preferred his old Gibson to the newer Vega. 28 bracket design. Enjoy the lowest prices and best selection of Vega Banjos at Guitar Center. Vega trumpets and cornets were on par with the highest quality brass horns of their time. Fairbanks wasfinally dropped in 1922. Vegavox banjos have an appealing, clear tone with plenty of volume that is still capable of a great deal of subtlety. Martin selected a long lasting nickel/steel alloy for its tonal qualities and smooth consistency making these strings ideal for all styles of banjo playing. Other recent ads placed • Gibson Model 'A' Blackface Mandolin 1931 • Eastman MDA-815-SB Sunburst Mandola • National Silvo Electric Mandolin 1937 • Eastman MD-315 • 1926 Gibson TB/RB-5 Mastertone Conversion Banjo • Weber Yellowstone F Traditional Custom • Weber Gallatin F-14 Mandolin Satin Sunburst Fairbanks restarted the numbering at about 1, as did W.A. A.C. Fairbanks (by Vega) "Electric" 5-string banjo, S/N 24549, Circa 1908 A.C. Fairbanks (by Vega) “Regent” 5-string banjo, S/N 25121, Circa 1909 A.C. Fairbanks (by Vega) "Tubaphone" #9, 5-string banjo, S/N 25516, Circa 1909 A.C. Fairbanks (by Vega) "Senator" No. A: Roughly 1909 to 1913, the last serial number seen was 30441. THUMBNAIL HISTORY OF THE BANJO By Bill Reese ... 1907- J. The Vega Little Wonder is a versatile, bright, responsive banjo with a very modest price made in America. "The Only Successors of Fairbanks & Cole. 1, … Vega Vox Plectrum Banjo (expired) Used - Very Good Condition / Country: United States - State: CA Last Updated 4/27/2020. Ferrule? £9.52 postage. [23] The museum does not have Scruggs' Gibson Granada ; that instrument is in Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame . A: The earliest one I have recorded with open end nuts is #87058. In 1989, Vega/Martin was bought by the Deering Banjo company which continued the storied history of Vega musical instruments. They also produced a guitar with a longitudinal bulge along its back, like the company's cylinder-back mandolins, and a similar longitudinal bulge along its top. The tubaphone tone ring is one of the most sought after tone rings in banjo history for its clarity and warmth. Most orders are eligible for free shipping! For example, the Vega Tu-ba-Phone, which first appeared in 1909, featured a perforated metal tone ring—a ring-shaped, square-sectioned metal tube that lay between the instrument's wooden rim and calfskin head. Vega designed the Tubaphone to be the ultimate classical banjo but it works very well for old-time music, and, in its four-string configurations, it’s perfect for backing up a jazz band or leading an Irish session. Has the CF Martin decal on back of headstock. Q: At what point did Vega go to "through the rim" bracket bolts on its WL and TPH banjos? Q: When did Vega (Fairbanks plate models) switch the Whyte Laydie models from a grooved/slotted stretcher band to a notched one? Played by such artists as: Mark Schatz Stephen Wade Dan Levenson Neck: Curly Maple (sold) Used - Good Condition / Country: United States - State: CA Last Updated 4/21/2020. This banjo was made by the Vega Instrument Company Inc. of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1965. In 1904, Vega acquired the instrument manufacturing firm (primarily building banjos) previously operated by A. C. Fairbanks. [23] The museum does not have Scruggs' Gibson Granada ; that instrument is in Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame . Love how proud Pete Seeger looks in this video watching his grandson Tao Rodríguez-Seeger play, and … Vega was originally a Boston based company. A Vega ‘’Vegaphone Deluxe’’ banjo (1931) is exhibited in a case of. From 1890 to 1914 Fairbanks (later Vega) made Fred Bacon banjos. Earl Scruggs’ Vega banjo at the American Banjo Museum. Shop now. National Museum of American History Huron Mountain Banjo. Vega offered banjos in many sizes, so it stands to reason the 28 flanges would predate the 4 pieces, since they could go on a greater variety of sizes. The story of how Greg Deering came to own the 200-year-old Vega trademark is one of childhood dreams and an unmissable opportunity. So most modern 6-strings are fairly cheap, especially the ones that show up … It was also used as a brand name by other licensee companies. These instruments were produced during most of the 1970s. Owners father used to ride the rails playing during the depression. £3.26. B. Schall of Chicago invents Tenor Banjo or 4 string banjo tuned like a mandolin. According to the Mugwumps website, Martin made Vega banjos and imported some under the Vega name in the 1970s before selling the name to Galaxy Trading in 1979. They moved to Needham Heights, where the owners were closer to home. Subsequently, Julius and Carl Nelson bought out the other founding associates and established the Vega company. Vega’s Tubaphone banjo has been praised by players as one of the finest sounding banjos for over a century. Africans and African-American slaves … National Museum of American History Vega Tu-ba-phone Banjo. Vega Style M Tubaphone, 11.5 inch “Large-size” Head, Short Scale With 20 Fret Extended Fingerboard Tenor Banjo I recently acquired a 1922 Vega Style M Tubaphone Tenor Banjo with a 11 1/2 inch pot/head/rim and 20 fret extended fingerboard which got me thinking about the various permutations of the Tubaphone tenors and where this one fits. Courtesy Listings. He carried both on his tours but preferred his old Gibson to the newer Vega. Vega continued in business in the Nelson Family until March 15, 1970 when the name, equipment, and all the rights were sold to C.F. Starting around 1900, the Vega banjo company was among the most prolific and successful at perfecting the banjo “tone ring.” The endpoint of Vega’s tone ring development was called “Tu-Ba-Phone,” which referred to the appearance of the square section tubular tone ring perforated by holes and clearly visible on the inside of the banjo. In 1989, the Deering Banjo Company purchased the Vega name. A little history of Vega | Martin tenor banjos. The top bulge is reminiscent of the design used on Howe-Orme instruments—from another Boston firm, the Elias Howe Company. Q: What years was the flower pot headstock inlay available on the Tubaphone style 3, 5 string banjo? David L. Day, who had been the chief acoustical designer at Fairbanks, became general manager of the Vega stringed instrument division and continued to develop innovative and successful banjo designs. VEGA. The tubaphone tone ring is one of the most sought after tone rings in banjo history for its clarity and warmth. It had been founded in 1861 by David Hall, a band leader, bugle player and instrument maker. The name Wright came from E.G. The Vega Company is best known today for its banjos, such as the Vegavox model they co-developed with famous plectrum player Eddie Peabody. The Vega Banjo Company is one of the oldest banjo companies in the history of the instrument. My guess from looking at lots of photos of Vega mandolins, banjos, and mandolin banjos is that the word "Vega" was not engraved in the stars until the late 1920s. Martin Organization." Bacon & Day Señorita Tenor Banjo – c.1930 Read more; Framus Tenor Banjo – 1971 Read more; Harmony Tenor Banjo – c.1930 Read more; Supertone Tenor Banjo – c.1930 Read more; Vega Vegaphone Professional Tenor Banjo – 1930 Read more Bill DL Smithsonian Music How has the Banjo Changed Over Time? Nelson had served as foreman of guitar and mandolin manufacturing at Anderberg's shop. The Tu-ba-Phone tone ring provided a volume and tone still admired by many banjo players. Between 1903 and 1914 Vega made some S.S. Stewart banjos. The Vega Company was a musical instrument manufacturer that started operations in Boston, Massachusetts in 1881. A nickel-plated brass reproduction of the early 1900s Vega™ armrest, it's secured by the banjo's bracket hooks. Owners father used to ride the rails playing during the depression. Vega continued to build and sell A.C. Fairbanks banjos after it acquired that company. When C. F. Martin Co. bought the Vega banjo line in May of 1970, hundreds of parts were inherited from the Needham Heights factory near Boston. It is a Four-String Banjo, Soloist Model, Serial #87500, with a seven-lap laminated maple rim, gold-finish top hoop and hooks, new design flanges and 28 brackets, patented Tu-ba phone tone tube and bracket band in a nickel finish. 1.24" nut width. Loved to play and played everywhere he went. National Museum of American History American Five-String Banjo. The concept behind the J-45 was a high quality, affordable, big-sounding acoustic flat-top guitar. Martin later sold the company to a Japanese company in the 1970s. From 1910 thru 1921 dowels were marked with a stamp thatincluded both “Fairbanks Banjos” and “Made By the Vega Co”. The years matched to the serial numbers are an educated approximation; they are accurate within a year or two, and even the dates of introduction of major improvements are based on ads, catalogs, and contemporary news releases. A: Serial #91892 is the earliest collected banjo with the bolts through the rim. Vega initially labeled these instruments A. C. Fairbanks, then switched to Fairbanks banjo by the Vega Co., then eventually to just Vega. Whatever music you play, singer or instrumentalist, it will be very hard to find any banjo more versatile or more fun, than a long neck banjo. $1,950.00: FS: 1927 Vega tenor banjo signed by Eddie Peabody. Rims? Thank you for your cooperation. In the mid-1980s, The Deering Banjo Company purchased the Vega name and rights from Galaxy and brought this venerable banjo name back to the US and their Spring Valley, CA factory. Up for auction today we have an incredible piece. 1909-Vega Tubaphone introduced 1910- Tango craze reached America. 2 Bollman has also cataloged more than a dozen additional four-string, tenor scale, Fairbanks/Vega banjos built between 1908 and 1912. Martin, a respected guitar manufacturer, in Nazareth, PA. Martin made some banjos, and marketed import instruments, under the Vega brand name until March, 1979 when they sold the Vega rights to the Galaxy Trading Company, an Asian conglomerate. Vega continued to mark their banjos "A.C. Fairbanks" until the middle teens. Vega also produced a line of brass instruments. The frets are usually squshed into the fretboard and very hard to remove without destroying the fretboard. A little history of Vega | Martin tenor banjos. https://www.ebay.com/b/VEGA-Vintage-Banjos/119024/bn_25145482 As the Vega name returned to popularity, Martin eventually used the Vega brand for a line of strings used for different musical instruments. ", Much of the information included in this article is the result of my own research, and therefore any errors are mine to claim. Love how proud Pete Seeger looks in this video watching his grandson Tao Rodríguez-Seeger play, and … A special part of music, and Vega Long Neck banjo history. For an in depth discussion about important dating information visit the Fairbanks Research article. The founders had previously worked for a guitar shop run by Pehr Anderberg that made instruments for John C. Haynes, another Boston musical instrument company. The Vega Company decided to make the long neck a standard model when customers were asking for a banjo like Pete’s. Tenor, corruption of Tango Banjos; Cole said to have perfected Mandolin-Banjo The 4 piece flange was introduced in August, 1928, along with the Vega Vox and the addition of Pearloid on the resonator wall." As Vega’s name became synonymous with any other stringed instrument, Vega also began producing the highest quality brass instruments that were known to be patronized by highly regarded musical artists such as Miles Davis. Vintage 20's Vega No.7 Whyte Laydie Plectrum 4 String Banjo w/HSC-Very Ornate Vintage 20's Vega No.7 Whyte Laydie Plectrum 4 String Banjo w/HSC-Very Ornate Welcome bidders. … 4 By March 1913 the Cadenza magazine included a Fairbanks/Vega ad that contained testimonials from satisfied tenor banjo purchasers. However, I am grateful for having received (and continue to receive) help and support from Jim Bollman, Stu Cohen, George Gruhn and Stan Werbin plus too many readers to mention all of them here, but all of whom have contributed information that either added to or confirmed what we now know. The patent for the individual flange plates was filed 10/30/1923 and issued to Carl Nelson 08/11/1925. 1920s Vega Tubaphone No. This company had previously operated under names including Quinby Brothers, Hall & Quinby, Hall Quinby Wright Company, and others. The Vega name has been part of banjo history since the late 1800s. MIH. My guess from looking at lots of photos of Vega mandolins, banjos, and mandolin banjos is that the word "Vega" was not engraved in the stars until the late 1920s. It was intended to be more affordable and more readily available than it’s main competition: the Martin D-18. The bulge on the instrument's back side is visible in this photo of a Vega cylinder-back mandolin. … It's possible they started doing that on guitars earlier, but it's also possible that they used a different serial numbering system for guitars. 2000's Custom Vegavox Style Gibson Checkboard Theme VGC 4000.00. Vega was eventually sold to the Martin Guitar company in the 1960s. The oft-repeated explanation for what led to the development of tenor and plectrum 4 string banjos and their order of appearance is summarized in … Martin Vega Banjo V700 Nickel Wound 4 Strings .009-.009 1pk. KS Why the Long Neck? The Nelsons were the owners of, and assigned their patents to, Vega. Deering bought the trademark in 1989 and took the brand into the 21st century with modern technology while carefully preserving the historical details. 3 In June, 1912, Vega advertised that it had sold "one No. The A.C. Fairbanks Company (incorporated 1875) was succeeded in 1903 by the Vega Company (established 1889). Hooks? Loved to play and played everywhere he went. According to banjo historian Stu Cohen, checking the relevant catalogs, "The Vegaphone (a Tubaphone model with the 28 piece flange and resonator) was introduced in August, 1923. They split in 1890 and Fairbanks Eventually they produced electrified versions of these guitars. A very nice playing, way funky banjo. One-stop shop for all things from your favourite brand. Enjoy the lowest prices and best selection of Vega Banjos at Guitar Center. 2 Bollman has also cataloged more than a dozen additional four-string, tenor scale, Fairbanks/Vega banjos built between 1908 and 1912. It's possible they started doing that on guitars earlier, but it's also possible that they used a different serial numbering system for guitars. In the 1960s, urban renewal in Boston forced Vega to move from the Columbus Avenue location where they had been from 1917 to c1961, to Leon Street in Boston, where they stayed until 1966. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_606100 Vega guitars made in the USA by Harmony and Egmond according to Daisybelle . In 1989, Vega/Martin was bought by the Deering Banjo company which continued the storied history of Vega musical instruments. These became especially popular with jazz musicians. A special part of music, and Vega Long Neck banjo history. Purchase History; Selling; Saved Searches; Saved Sellers; Messages; Collect & Spend ... Martin Vega Banjo V720 Nickel Wound 4 Strings .009-.030 1pk. Information added by Stan Werbin, "the individual flanges continued on several models (including sometimes on the Vegaphone Professional), gradually appearing only on lesser models, until they disappeared for good sometime in 1932. 1909-Vega Tubaphone introduced 1910- Tango craze reached America. Wright was briefly a partner in the company between 1870 and his death. 1989 bought by The Deering Banjo Company, Spring Valley A spun-brass tone ring, ideal for Old Time, Classical, Folk, Civil War music, over 100 years of Vega tradition and Deering's innovative approach to banjo crafting went into the creation of the Vega … In the mid-1980s, The Deering Banjo Company purchased the Vega name and rights from Galaxy and brought this venerable banjo name back to the US and their Spring Valley, CA factory. They currently produce Vega banjos reminiscent of the instruments Vega made during the 1960s folk revival. This banjo features a violin grade maple neck and a 3-ply violin grade maple rim. Wright whose E.G Wright and Company merged with other investors to create the Boston Musical Instrument Manufactury in 1869. All Vegas from the Galaxy period are imported. Attention Webmasters: You are welcome to link to this page from your website, crediting the source, but you may not copy it or any part of it, and post it at your site. About this Banjo A spun brass tone ring, ideal for Old Time, Classical, Folk, Civil War music, over 100 years of Vega tradition and Deering’s innovative approach to banjo crafting went into the creation of the Vega Senator model. As the 1940s and 1950s unfolded, the quality of Vega instruments declined and it became clear that the company's most innovative and productive years had passed. The serial numbers and dates are, however, at best approximate. A detail I do not like about the lower model Vega banjos from the 1960's is they usually had ebonized maple fretboards. JC 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. Originally started in Boston, Massachusetts in 1880. Under the Vega name, Martin produced guitars with the Vega logo on their headstocks in a Netherlands guitar factory (and probably others), usually with a label referencing "C.F. Martin decal. 2 Whyte Laydie Tenor Banjo ($62)" at the Guild convention the previous month. Scruggs' main banjo was a Gibson Granada, which he played even after Vega created a special banjo for him. In the 1970s, the C. F. Martin Company purchased Vega in the hope of capitalizing on the popularity of Vega's banjos among folk musicians. Q: Which flanges came first on Vega banjos, was it the 4 piece or the 28 piece? Most orders are eligible for free shipping! When Vega installed the frets it looks like they used an arbor press. [2] Vega built brass instruments under the Vega and Standard names well into the 20th century. ", Photos of Fairbanks, Vega & Other Banjo Tone Rings, Fairbanks & Vega History, With Emphasis On Tenors, Fairbanks Research Project, Identifying & Dating. With a body made from a gourd, the banjo was first reported in 1620 by the captain of a ship on the Gambia River. The "netherlands factory" was the Egmond factory which Martin had an agreement with at the time. stayed at the 187 Tremont Street address where they had moved, and advertised his new company as "The Only Successors of Fairbanks & Cole.". The patent for the 4 piece Vega Vox flange, with its trapezoidal shaped soundholes, was filed 03/21/1927 and issued to William Nelson on 03/12/1929. Yep, it's a Vega. During 1880-1890 Fairbanks joined with William A. Cole, a successful performer and teacher, and produced approximately 9000 banjos as Fairbanks & Cole. There is no evidence that Vega actually made banjos prior to buying out Fairbanks. The Vega name was subsequently licensed to a number of American and international companies. Vega also produced high quality guitars. Folk legend, Pete Seeger, explained in his banjo instruction book that he had the neck of his banjo cut, and a section of the neck was added that had three more frets in it, and the long neck banjo was born. For several years, the Vega Martin banjo was an amalgam of parts from Massachusetts and Nazareth, PA. Vega N0.9 Style X 17 Fret tenor banjo (Sold) 1920’s Epiphone Recording A (17 Fret custom neck) (sold) William Lange (Paramount Company) Langstile N0.3 (17 Fret) tenor banjo open back (sold) Vega often manufactured custom order banjos. Vega serial #s between 99369 and 99686, when the switch from the Vega stamp to printed yellow labels seems to have occured. B. Schall of Chicago invents Tenor Banjo or 4 string banjo tuned like a mandolin. Thus almost all new models introduced from 1904-1921carried the name until 1922 . 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 … Vega 1903-1980s, 1989 to present. [1] In 1909, Vega purchased the Standard Band Instrument Company of Boston incorporating their line of horns. Ad Owner History Prior ads by this individual: 843 Prior replies by this individual: 7. Fingerboards? Posted on April 20, 2018. Scruggs' main banjo was a Gibson Granada, which he played even after Vega created a special banjo for him. The company began under Swedish-born Julius Nelson, his brother Carl, and a group of associates that included John Pahn and John Swenson.
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