Vega Banjo Serial Numbers4/19/2021
If the link doesnt work well for you, try the version that Eddie has in the third post of the cylinder backs thread of this group.Mine is 38250 1920.I have to say that my instrument does not look any 90 years old.
Vega Banjo S Serial Number Is 34869Vega Banjo S Serial Number IsMy serial number is 34869, which appears to be after the last number for 1918 and before the first number for 1919.Using them as a guideline Id use the ending number of the previous 1 as the starting number of a year. But it has a typical Vega engraved pearl star in peg head with the word Vega engraved in the star. 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. Unfortunately, there are very few brands that make restoring a junker worth restoring, and not all of them are as impressive as youd think. It may help you remember a cherished family member long gone. It may give a youngster a chance to learn skills and musical principles that will last a lifetime. Instead Ive put all the things I automatically take into consideration into this article so they can hopefully figure it out for themselves. If, after going through the list, you still have questions, or if you have any corrections, additions, or other feedback, feel free to contact me. It is a breakdown of a modern professional banjo, and, as such, shows parts that arent on every banjo, especially very old ones or student banjos, but it should give you some idea. If you click on it, youll see a large PDF version that you can print for your reference. Banjos typically come in five-, four-, or six-string models, in that order of popularity. There are cheapo and professional banjos in all of those configurations, so number of strings does not affect quality. But it does affect desirability in some regions, so that will have a bearing on what you can get for yours. For example, I once picked up a relatively fancy Aria 4-string locally for 100. The fellow I bought it from had gotten so many calls from wannabe Buegrass players that he made certain I knew exactly what his banjo was good for before hed even drive five miles to meet me in a public place with it. Chances are if it had been a 5-string, he could have got 150-250 for it in our area, just because Bluegrass (which requires a 5-string banjo) is so predominant in SW Ohio, and traditional Jazz (which usually uses a 4-string) is not so popular. Most folks in that category dont want to spend much money on something theyre just trying out (and doomed to fail on if they dont accommodate their playing to the quirks of that instrument). So most modern 6-strings are fairly cheap, especially the ones that show up used. Vega Banjo S Upgrade From HisEven if you have a good one to sell, you may have trouble selling it for an appropriate price, unless you happen to luck into contact with someone whos already figured out 6-string banjo and is looking to upgrade from his or her first cheapy. Yes, it is possible to bring a badly damaged or neglected banjo back to playability, but its not always worth it. Any time a banjo changes hands, the new owner should see to it that it is cleaned up, restrung, and adjusted - something that can cost 50-100 if the new owner doesnt have the skills. If you add to that the need to straighten a damaged neck, clamp and glue a disintegrating pot, or replace rusted hardware, a worn head, or stiff tuning pegs, you can increase the cost of ownership beyond what the banjo is worth. I told my friends that if I put 3000 into it Id have a 2000 car. There are many banjos out there that a person could put 200 into and still have a 100 banjo. The average banjo buyer wont have those skills or the desire to take on such a project. If all theyre looking for is a banjo that they or their kid can learn on, a new 200 import - even with the requisite 50 additional setup costs that all cheap import banjos really should get - may be a better choice for them. Yes, I wish theyd get a banjo with guaranteed playability, like a Deering Goodtime. But buying a basket case to fix up is not going to give them what they want at any rate.
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