VM Long Neck Folklore Banjo

Dear N.J. -Thank you for the prompt and detailed photos of your Vega Martin long neck (SS-5) Folklore Model banjo with serial number 130041.Your 5-stringer appears to be a transitional instrument assembled in 1970 not long after C.F. Martin purchased the Vega franchise on May 15, 1970. According to available data, the last Boston-built banjo in the Vega line that was manufactured in 1970 bore S.N. 130048. Like your instrument, it was probably constructed from inventory inherited by the Martin Company.  After C.F. Martin purchased the Vega brand, yellow stickers identifying the new ownership and displaying the traditional Vega six-digit serial number appeared inside the pots for a while. The letter “M” preceded the serial number denoting Martin proprietorship (in nearby fine print) while its factory in Nazareth, PA, retooled to begin building the newly acquired banjo line.

The first serial number in the C.F. Martin luthier log book is #130248 which was recorded in 1971, and a new system of numbers (#2-1945) was initiated in 1972. In general, all banjos assembled or manufactured at the Nazareth, PA, factory routinely have a C.F. Martin decal on the back of the peghead- which is absent on your banjo. Per my files, the highlight “VEGALON Weatherproof plastic heads are standard equipment” first appears in a 1961 Vega flyer when the plant was located at 155 Columbus Avenue in Boston. It was a standard issue during that decade and is again cited in the 1968 catalogue.

According to the Vega catalogue of 1968 from the Needham Heights factory near Boston, MA, the long neck economy Folklore Model, which is styled after the more expensive Pete Seeger (P.S.) Model, sold for $270 without case.  It featured a 10-ply maple rim, a heavy notched tension hoop, a 3-piece maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, pearl dots, a shaded mahogany finish, nickel-plated parts; but the type tone ring not specified. In the inaugural 1970 Vega Martin banjo catalogue, the long neck Folklore Model was nearly identical in design to its Boston era predecessor, but it had adapted the “Wonder” model metal tone ring. The SS-5 listed for $285 in the 1971 VM price list. An estimate of the current worth of your banjo might be around $1-1.5K depending on condition. Of note, the Vega long neck Pete Seeger Model (P.S.) banjos manufactured during the Boston era in the 1960s (each featuring bell brass Tube-a-phone tone ring, bracket band, and notched tension hoop) are valued collectors` items these days and priced in the neighborhood of $2-4K or more. For additional history on the Vega Martin family of long neck instruments, please enter “long neck” into the search engine on the home page of my Banjo Rehab Center website. Thank you for sharing your banjo and its story with the BRC readership.

With appreciation, Barry

Barry- Extraordinary review and commentary about my 5 string. It is your knowledge and expertise that is so commendable and appreciated.

Gratefully, NJ