As the Vega banjo franchise changed hands among various owners during the 1970-1980 decades, the mother of pearl (MOP) features on their mid-range banjos underwent several iterations. In the Boston 1966 Vega catalogue, the “Pro II” series made its debut appearance with a new and innovative football-and-crowns mother of pearl inlay pattern on the fretboard (left) to replace the blockish inlays on the fingerboard of the preceding “Professional” banjo marketed in their 1963 catalogue. These same decorative but somewhat unadorned inlays were inherited as the fretboard appointments on the “new” VIP model that soon emerged in the 1968 Vega catalogue.

After C.F. Martin purchased the Vega brand in May of 1970, the VIP banjo line surged in popularity. A single-stripe engraving (below) was added to embellish the appearance of its MOP inlays. During the 1970-1979 Martin era, over six hundred VIP-5 string, tenor, and plectrum banjos were manufactured in Nazareth, PA.

In 1979, C.F. Martin sold the Vega franchise overseas to the Galaxy conglomerate which marketed their newly-acquired banjo lines in the USA via the TMC vendor (Targ & Dinner 20 Century Music Company). To upgrade the MOP pattern on their VIP series, a double stripe engraving (left) was implemented.

Galaxy went bankrupt in a few years, and Greg Deering purchased the Vega brand in 1989 to restore the franchise to greatness. The football-and-crowns fretboard ornamentation was not revived, and the history of this unique pattern of MOP inlay ended.

While local jam sessions have been on hiatus for several weeks in response to recent Covid-19 data, the BRC founder spends time with grandkids on the dock behind his workshop. Each youngster has a grandpa-built banjo in their home.

From the BRC: Be safe, be well, and be picking……or fishing.

P.S. In his workshop, the BRC founder has been listening to an audiobook of Tolstoy`s classic novel War and Peace, a prodigious narration of 55 hours duration. Only 18 hours of listening remain.

From the BRC Mailbox:

Dear Reader- Thank you for the detailed photos of the vintage V-41 Vega Martin banjo. This item was initially announced in a 1971 C.F. Martin price list for $850 without case, and thereafter it appeared in the Vega Martin 1972 catalogue. The shop logbook does not record this model instrument actually being manufactured until 1973, and it was advertised again in the 1976 VM catalogue.

The V-41 was the less expensive version of the fancy gold-plated and engraved V-45 banjo (retail $1650) designed to match the D-45 guitar. Both these models of banjo were available by special order only and reportedly fathered by Mike Longworth to attract the Bluegrass market.

The V-41 had a rosewood resonator and pot, and the resonator had a pearl abalone trim on its back edge. The neck was mahogany with a bound ebony fingerboard that featured distinctive hexagonal mother of pearl inlays. The metal parts were chrome-plated, and the heavy flat head tone ring was brass. Your banjo serial number 785 was one of a pair of V-41 five-stringers manufactured in 1974 per Shop Order #2187 in Nazareth, PA.

The last V-41 parts were made in 1977 and shipped to Japan for assembly. C.F. Martin produced only twenty-eight V-41-5 banjos, two V-41-P plectrums, and one V-41-T tenor banjo.

My estimate is that your single-owner instrument is probably worth around $1450-1750 these days. Thanks again for sharing the story of your unique and historical banjo.

In this circa 1975 photo, the new V-41-5 owner visits an iconic site in Pennsylvania.

From the BRC: Be safe, be well, and keep on picking.