SFIV1967
Venerated Member
NMD - New Mandolin Day !
Some of you probably remember that I was looking for info about a Jethro Burns kind of style mandolin some month ago: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?182199-Mel-Bay-Mandolin-question
Only shortly after I found one in Manlius/NY and since it looked like in excellent condition it went home to me!
It's a Vega VM-35 double cutaway (or two pointer) arched top mandolin.
They don't have any labels or serial numbers but as far as I found out they were manufactured in South Korea between 1984 and 1987.
A few words about Vega (as far as I found out from various internet sources): The Vega company was founded in Boston back in 1881, so it was a very old American instruments company. Or at least some people founded a company in 1881 that they named Vega shortly after. Who knows. Over time they acquired a few other companies and produced various instruments.
Here are a nice little advertising from 1919, from 1928 and an old Vega mandolin label:
The first big change happened when C.F.Martin acquired the Vega rights from the Bostonian Nelson Family in May of 1970.
Here's a nice vintage Martin add for the Vega guitars (which were actually rebranded former Alpha Guitar Company guitars manufactured in The Netherlands): http://www.egmond.se/Vega_640.png
It was hope at the time that C.F. Martin can continue to capitalize on the large popularity of Vega among serious banjo players.
In fact, arguably the most popular Vega product at the time would be the 5-string banjo that was designed and also used by the noted folk singer Pete Seeger.
As the Vega name returned to popularity, Martin eventually used the Vega brand for a line of strings used for different musical instruments. (The strings are still available today: http://ep.yimg.com/ay/juststrings/c...kel-wound-5-string-medium-010-023-v-730-9.gif)
In March of 1979 C.F.Martin sold the franchise to the Galaxy Trading Company of South Korea.
And in 1989, Vega (at least the Banjo rights) was bought by the Deering Banjo company which continued the storied history of Vega musical instruments.
O.k., enough about history, since we all like pictures here they are:
It came in a nice chipboard case:
To be continued in next post below ->
Some of you probably remember that I was looking for info about a Jethro Burns kind of style mandolin some month ago: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?182199-Mel-Bay-Mandolin-question
Only shortly after I found one in Manlius/NY and since it looked like in excellent condition it went home to me!
It's a Vega VM-35 double cutaway (or two pointer) arched top mandolin.
They don't have any labels or serial numbers but as far as I found out they were manufactured in South Korea between 1984 and 1987.
A few words about Vega (as far as I found out from various internet sources): The Vega company was founded in Boston back in 1881, so it was a very old American instruments company. Or at least some people founded a company in 1881 that they named Vega shortly after. Who knows. Over time they acquired a few other companies and produced various instruments.
Here are a nice little advertising from 1919, from 1928 and an old Vega mandolin label:
The first big change happened when C.F.Martin acquired the Vega rights from the Bostonian Nelson Family in May of 1970.
Here's a nice vintage Martin add for the Vega guitars (which were actually rebranded former Alpha Guitar Company guitars manufactured in The Netherlands): http://www.egmond.se/Vega_640.png
It was hope at the time that C.F. Martin can continue to capitalize on the large popularity of Vega among serious banjo players.
In fact, arguably the most popular Vega product at the time would be the 5-string banjo that was designed and also used by the noted folk singer Pete Seeger.
As the Vega name returned to popularity, Martin eventually used the Vega brand for a line of strings used for different musical instruments. (The strings are still available today: http://ep.yimg.com/ay/juststrings/c...kel-wound-5-string-medium-010-023-v-730-9.gif)
In March of 1979 C.F.Martin sold the franchise to the Galaxy Trading Company of South Korea.
And in 1989, Vega (at least the Banjo rights) was bought by the Deering Banjo company which continued the storied history of Vega musical instruments.
O.k., enough about history, since we all like pictures here they are:
It came in a nice chipboard case:
To be continued in next post below ->
Last edited:
