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1926 Vega Vegaphone Tenor Banjo Serial No. 69870 good condition - Answered by a verified Appraiser We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them. From the serial number, that would place it as being made in 1925. I generally like the sound of the Tubaphone tone ring for Irish. Interestingly, that one doesn’t really look like a Tubaphone tone ring from through the translucent head, but it’s really hard to tell.

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jacktraylor - Posted - 12/24/2010: 18:45:59

I have what I believe to be a Vega Vegavox 1 tenor banjo, however I am a little confused on how serial numbers work. The serial number on both the dowel and the pot is 99333, and I haven't been able to find that number anywhere online that lists serial numbers for Vega's, and there also isn't a model name. Serial #s for WL or Regent models with left (reversed) facing Gryphons all seem to be in the 24000 serial numbers. 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. For several years, the Vega Martin banjo was an amalgam of parts from Massachusetts and Nazareth, PA. Old 6 digit Vega serial numbers persisted on a yellow sticker on the inner pot until production was moved to Pennsylvania in 1972. Thereafter, C. Martin installed a serial number decal on the inner rim beginning with #2 and on through #1945. A Serial Number Dating Table (Revised 1 Feb 2019) As mentioned elsewhere on this site, there is now little doubt that all the Weymann guitars, banjos, mandolins, mandolutes, ukuleles etc. Are in the same serial number sequence. Joe Bethancourt, banjo player, listed dating for Weymann banjo serial numbers. Serial Number: 29047. The FAIRBANKS-VEGA TU-BA-PHONE Style M Tenor Banjos were first made in 1909. Note: My research shows the last TU-BA-PHONE banjos with the GRYPHON Head Design were made in 1918/1919.

I know there is a site or rather several sites that will date a Vega by its serial number. My question is,' Is there a source that will identify the model that bears that serial number?' An example being my banjo has a serial number of 42272 which indicates a 1921 production date and I am wondering if that same number will tell me to which model it was assigned and if so where might I find this information?
Thank you for your time,
jack

The Old Timer - Posted - 12/24/2010: 19:15:02

You'll be much better off posting photos of it here, plenty of good clear detailed ones, and the folks here will tell you what it is. I don't know of a site reverse linking serial #s and model names.

jacktraylor - Posted - 12/24/2010: 19:22:59

I know that my banjo is a Regent but I was curious to know if there was a source like the reverse phone directory.
Again thank you for your time
Be at peace,
Jack

mainejohn - Posted - 12/25/2010: 06:07:18

You might check with Mike Holmes at mugwumps.com. He has been compiling a list over the years as he receives the information in bits and pieces, but I believe it's far from complete.

BrittDLD1 - Posted - 12/25/2010: 08:22:03

Fairbanks and Vega banjo numbers are consecutive, and have no DIRECT
relationship to the model, or production date. (They are NOT a 'coded'
format.)
However, current thinking (thanks to Hank Schwartz) is that 999
numbers were assigned per year -- from the start, in 1880. So there
are gaps at the high end of each thousand series -- since Fairbanks
never made more that 1000 banjos year.
Hank has a key to the '999' series on his website, and it does seem
to hold true for the Fairbanks & Cole banjos -- and for the The Fairbanks
Co. banjos, up until 1904.
(Although, there was apparently a large 'jump' in the serial series in 1894,
for some reason. The Fairbanks Co. did change hands around that time --
when AC Fairbanks headed for my 'home town' of North Tonawanda, NY,
to make wooden bicycle rims.. )
The Fairbanks records were destroyed in the Feb 1904 fire. After the fire,
Vega bought the rights to Fairbanks, and hired Fairbanks' Manager, David
L. Day to continue managing the line of Vega-made 'Fairbanks' banjos.
But, when Vega took over -- they continued the serial series COMPLETELY
consecutively -- with no gaps from year to year.
home.comcast.net/~fairbankspag..bers.html
The Fairbanks serial number sequence was also continued, when they
re-branded the banjos 'Vega' around 1920.
So.. the original Fairbanks serial number series continued into the Vegas of
the 1960s (above #100,xxx). In the early-'60s a printer's error on the serial
labels dropped a digit -- and screwed-up the consecutiveness of the numbers.
Mike Holmes' Mugwumps site tracks Fairbanks serials by the approximate
'highest-known-number'. And the Vega series by estimates based on 'known'
orders, purchases, and receipts. (The Vega order and shipping records have not
turned up, either.)
mugwumps.com/acf_date.htm
Best-
Ed Britt

Edited by - BrittDLD1 on 12/25/2010 08:28:41

jacktraylor - Posted - 12/26/2010: 15:12:06

Vega Tenor Banjo Serial Numbers Chart

Thank you for all your information. I am still trying to assimilate information about this wonderful instrument. I find the more I know of its history the more I am drawn into it.
Again thank you all for your time and your refreshing attitude of sharing information
Be at peace,
Jack

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