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I was curious if there is a single publication that would describe in detail the various mandolin, mandola, mandocello and mandobass models produced by Vega in the 1910's and 1920's? There is of course Vega banjo information to be found but I am having trouble with the mando line.
This site might help you as he has worked on a fair few Vega mandolins and gives a good insight into them through his repair work. However, the rarer more exotic instrument types you mention do not figure as I assume they are fairly rare.
https://jakewildwood.blogspot.com/p/museum-vega.html
In the 1910, most of the models were bowlbacks. By 1920, Vega made cylinderback and flatback mandolin family instruments. AFAIK no one book or publication details all the models. Paul Ruppa of the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra is an expert on Vega instruments and did a recording a few years ago of an ensemble of all Vega instruments, mostly cylinder back, I believe (not sure about the bass). I am honored to have lent him then sold him my Vega cylinder guitar for that recording.
In addition to the mandolin, mandola, mandocello and mandobass, there were two 10 string models one with a shorter mandolin scale and one with a longer mandola scale. (See below). In addition, Vega also made a tenor lute. (Also see below).
Attachment 195967 Attachment 195968
Bernunzio Uptown Music sells a reprint of a Vega cylinder back mandolin catalog.
Here's a rundown of the basic mandolin models:
Model 202-- Mahogany back and sides, plain appointments
Model 203-- Maple or rosewood back and sides, plain appointments
Model 205-- Maple or rosewood back and sides, rope pattern purfling around the top, abalone soundhole ring, pickguard with fancy inlay
Model 207-- Maple back and sides, abalone top border and soundhole ring, pickguard with fancy inlay.
Surviving cylinder back mandolins with rosewood back and sides are quite rare.
Most models were also available as mandolas.
Also available in a more limited range of models were mandocellos, tenor lutes, 10 string "mandolin-mandolas," and 10 string "mandola-mandolins."
As far as the 10 string models, the "mandola-mandolin" models were built on a mandolin body and the "mandolin-mandola" models were built on a mandola body. Talk about confusing terminology. Thanks to Jim's post of the catalog page to remind me which body went with which name.
I have personally seen three 10 strings. Two were in mahogany and one was in rosewood. All three of them were built on mandola bodies.
I've also encountered three cylinder top 6 string guitars, including one I wish I had bought. Yes, I said cylinder top. They are very rare. I have not seen or heard of one in the last 20 years. I see that there is an article on one on Jake Wildwood's website.
And I have seen one cylinder back mandolin on a plain teardrop body without the points. I call it a model 201.
BTW, Vega used the name "lute mandolin" instead of the term "cylinder back." I'll add that I have yet to encounter a cylinder back instrument that has survived in good condition that was not a good instrument.
As mentioned above I owned a Vega cylinder top and back guitar and the construction was very similar to the Howe-Orme instruments which makes me think that the was some connection since Howe was located in Boston area along with Vega. The main difference in the guitars was that the H-Os had a neck adjuster sort of similar to the later KayKraft ones with a cam IIRC.
The OP asked for one source of all models of Vega mandolin family instruments but I really don't think it exists until someone publishes a book about the brand. Maybe it is in the works. I do have a copy of circa 1910 Vega catalog showing the bowlbacks. I think they may show the mandola models but not larger instruments. I am not sure if the Vega catalog for cylinder lute mandolins show the larger instruments either. I have a repro one, also.
Thanks for all the great information! I went ahead and ordered a copy of the Vega catalog from Bernunzio Uptown Music. Your sharing of information and experience is greatly appreciated.
Thanks to rcc56! I, too ordered a copy of the catalog from Bernunzio's and was sorry to hear that mine was the last copy they had. I am very grateful to have this as it will be solid documentation for my cylinder-back mandolin, mandola, mandocello, and my Vega bowlback. The one thing, lacking, of course, is the ability to accurately date the instruments. Do you think Paul Ruppa might have a way of dating Vegas?
Paul had a lost of serial numbers and approximate years. I assume he updated that more recently.
Jim, I still have the Vega bowlback you sold me, plain but with a very sweet voice.
The two catalogs mentioned both have a lot of good info, but they don't cover everything Vega. Neither the bowlback nor the CB Vega catalog has a reference to the Vega mando-bass. There were two Vega mando-bass models, a 2-pt CB and a 2-pt flat back. The CB is the older (more elegant) design.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hearth_man
Here's a serial number list that I use:
Vega Serial Numbers
http://www.whitetreeaz.com/vintage/banjomfg.htm
17021...........................17963............. ..1898
18026...........................18939............. ..1899
19124...........................19993............. ..1900
20107...........................20957............. ..1901
21237...........................21961............. ..1902
22002...........................22897............. ..1903
23071...........................23203............. ..1904
23255...........................23548............. ..1905
23560...........................23969............. ..1906
24092...........................24195............. ..1907
24337...........................24973............. ..1908
25083...........................25986............. ..1909
26023...........................26999............. ..1910
27027...........................27991............. ..1911
28062...........................28930............. ..1912
29029...........................29993............. ..1913
30492...........................30891............. ..1914
31462...........................31711............. ..1915
32290...........................32850............. ..1916
33282...........................33822............. ..1917
34273...........................34759............. ..1918
35017...........................37162............. ..1919
37829...........................39942............. ..1920
40071...........................45235............. ..1921
45608...........................50773............. ..1922
51279...........................56313............. ..1923
56656...........................62248............. ..1924
62419...........................67436............. ..1925
67518...........................72204............. ..1926
73075...........................78371............. ..1927
79025...........................83827............. ..1928
84124...........................87896............. ..1929
89729...........................94716............. ..1930
95374...........................97962............. ..1931
98314...........................98149............. ..1932
Here's a look at some of the variety in the Vega designs. They made C-mandolas with 14", 15" and 17" scale lengths. I know the 4-string Vega tenor lute that is tuned an octave lower that a mandolin, but I've never seen a Vega G-mandola (octave mandolin).The photo montage of the Vega mandolin is one of several photo arrays I've been assembling for a future online Vega archive.
Attachment 196110Attachment 196107Attachment 196108Attachment 196109
Paul: that whitetreeaz link is dead. Good you posted the SN list,
I seem to have found a more complete version of the Vega numbers, by searching the Internet Archive. It includes Paul Ruppa's numbers above (post #10), but also both earlier and later numbers, as well as more Vega history. We should note that the working assumption here is that the Vega mandolin serial numbers are presumed to be the same as the Vega banjo serial numbers, which is what was actually being archived here. AFAIK, Vega seems to have used the same series of numbers, regardless of instrument type, chronologically from the beginning.
__________
Vega Serial Numbers
from internet archive, version April 18, 2016
FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM INTERNET ARCHIVE. It came from an archived version of the whitetreeaz.com site:
https://web.archive.org/web/20160418...jomfg.htm#VEGA
Earliest Known Serial Number....Latest Known Number......Year
243............................................... .1875-1880
1741............................1988.............. .1891
2246............................2857.............. .1892
3707............................8662.............. .1893
(note: few 4000 thru 8000 numbers were used)
(note: few 10,000 thru 14,000 numbers were used)
9366............................9920.............. .1894
14000...........................14909............. .1895
15021...........................15843............. .1896
16029...........................16995............. .1897
FAIRBANKS & COLE BANJOS
77..............................691............... ..1880
983.............................1868.............. ..1881
1920............................2666.............. ..1882
2854............................3647.............. ..1883
4022............................4698.............. ..1884
4753............................5503.............. ..1885
5735............................6468.............. ..1886
6760............................7317.............. ..1887
7849............................8460.............. ..1888
9041............................9221.............. ..1889
A.C. FAIRBANKS/VEGA BANJOS
67..............................992............... ..1890
1464............................1638.............. ..1891
.................................................. ..1892
.................................................. ..1893
....(No information available)......................1894
.................................................. ..1895
.................................................. ..1896
16971.............................?............... ..1897
17021...........................17963............. ..1898
18026...........................18939............. ..1899
19124...........................19993............. ..1900
20107...........................20957............. ..1901
21237...........................21961............. ..1902
22002...........................22897............. ..1903
23071...........................23203............. ..1904
23255...........................23548............. ..1905
23560...........................23969............. ..1906
24092...........................24195............. ..1907
24337...........................24973............. ..1908
25083...........................25986............. ..1909
26023...........................26999............. ..1910
27027...........................27991............. ..1911
28062...........................28930............. ..1912
29029...........................29993............. ..1913
30492...........................30891............. ..1914
31462...........................31711............. ..1915
32290...........................32850............. ..1916
33282...........................33822............. ..1917
34273...........................34759............. ..1918
35017...........................37162............. ..1919
37829...........................39942............. ..1920
40071...........................45235............. ..1921
45608...........................50773............. ..1922
51279...........................56313............. ..1923
56656...........................62248............. ..1924
62419...........................67436............. ..1925
67518...........................72204............. ..1926
73075...........................78371............. ..1927
79025...........................83827............. ..1928
84124...........................87896............. ..1929
89729...........................94716............. ..1930
95374...........................97962............. ..1931
98314...........................98149............. ..1932
From 1933 we have a full sequence of numbers, and thus can date with certainty:
Starting Serial Number#........................#Year
98150...........................1933
98185...........................1934
98220...........................1935
98225...........................1936
98290...........................1937
98325...........................1938
98360...........................1939
98395...........................1940
98430...........................1941
98465...........................1942
98500...........................1943
98535...........................1944
98570...........................1945
98605...........................1946
98640...........................1947
98675...........................1948
98710...........................1949
98745...........................1950
98780...........................1951
98820...........................1952
98896...........................1953
98990...........................1954
99067...........................1955
99213...........................1956
99428...........................1957
99582...........................1958
99717...........................1959
100022..........................1960
100560..........................1961
101999..........................1962
These are the famous printer's error yellow labels, used from October of 1962 to February of 1964:
10300...........................1962
10522...........................1963
12130...........................1964
A new series of numbers was begun in February of 1964.
124001..........................1964
125641..........................1965
126772..........................1966
127682..........................1967
128565..........................1968
129120..........................1969
On 05/17/70, Vega was sold to the C.F. Martin Co. These banjos may have the Martin logo on the -back- of the peg-head, with the Vega logo on the face.
129683..........................1970
130049..........................1971
A new series of numbers was adopted after 1971:
M1..............................1972
The name was then sold to Global Trading, of S. Korea. No serial number information is available after 1972 at this time. Deering banjos recently purchased the name, and is currently making reproduction models of the Pete Seeger Tube-a-phone long-neck.