Vega Pete Seeger Banjo - February 2002 http://www.lazyka.com/linernotes/OddsAndEnds/VegaPeteSeeger.htm "The Vega Pete Seeger Banjo" a posting by Pete Curry on Ken Laing's 'Musician's Rendezvous' board (2/9/2002) The following information was assembled by me in preparation for a book about the Vega Pete Seeger -- an instrument that has been virtually ignored by banjo historians. Walter Scott and I had planned to work on this book together. But as you know, Walter is no longer with us. Walter and I did exchange some e-mail over the past year, however, and his input is noted in what follows. Early Early Early Early History History History History The Vega Pete Seeger model 5-string banjo came into being during the 1950s as a result of requests that the Vega Company received for an extended-neck banjo like the one Pete Seeger played. As Seeger explains in his book, "The Incompleat Folksinger": Well, it was like this. It was payola. About four or five years ago the Vega banjo company of Boston called me to say they'd received several requests to make banjos with especially long necks (an idea I got in 1942 when trying to play "Viva La Qunice Brigada" in the C minor position [i.e. first position, C tuning], which was a bit too high to sing). Vega asked, "Could we officially call it 'the Pete Seeger Model'?" "It would be an honor," says I. ”VEGA ピートシーガーモデル” ピートカリー氏によるケンレイング氏掲示板(音楽家のラ ンデブー掲示板)への投稿から(2002年2月9日) 以下のインフォメーションはVEGAピートシー ガーモデルに関する本の製作準備のためまと めたものである。このモデルはバンジョー歴史 家には事実上無視されてきたバンジョーであ る。 ウオルタースコットと私はこの本に関し一緒に 取り組もうと計画したが、ウオルターはご存知 のように今はいない。だが、ウオルターと私は 過去の何年間かEメールを交換していたので 彼からの情報は必要に応じ記載する。 初期の歴史 VEGA ピートシーガーモデル5弦バンジョーは、 ピートシーガーが弾いている拡張ネックバンジ ョーの製造要請を受け1950年代に製造した。 ピートシーガーは著書「不完全なフォークシン ガー」の中で次のように説明している。 まあ、こういった話には裏があるのだが、4、5 年前にベガバンジョーから、ロングネックの製 造要請を何件か受けているとの連絡があった。 (拡張ネックのアイデアは、1942年に”Viva La Qunice Brigada"をCm ポジションで弾こう とするとキーが若干高すぎることから思いつい たアイデアであった。) その時ベガは私にこう尋ねた。「このモデルを 正式に”ピートシーガーモデル”と呼んでもい いでしょうか?」 「それは名誉なことだよ」と私は答えた。
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Banjo"a posting by Pete Curry on KenLaing's 'Musician's Rendezvous'
board (2/9/2002)
The following information was assembledby me in preparation for a book about theVega Pete Seeger -- an instrument thathas been virtually ignored by banjohistorians. Walter Scott and I hadplanned to work on this book together.But as you know, Walter is no longer withus. Walter and I did exchange somee-mail over the past year, however, andhis input is noted in what follows.
EarlyEarlyEarlyEarly HistoryHistoryHistoryHistoryThe Vega PeteSeeger model5-string banjocame into beingduring the 1950sas a result ofrequests that the
Vega Company received for anextended-neck banjo like the one PeteSeeger played. As Seeger explains in hisbook, "The Incompleat Folksinger":
Well, it was like this. It was payola. Aboutfour or five years ago the Vega banjocompany of Boston called me to saythey'd received several requests to makebanjos with especially long necks (anidea I got in 1942 when trying to play"Viva La Qunice Brigada" in the C minorposition [i.e. first position, C tuning], whichwas a bit too high to sing).
Vega asked, "Could we officially call it 'thePete Seeger Model'?""It would be an honor," says I.
"Would you like us to pay a royalty oneach one sold?""No, I'd rather not get involved. (After all,how many such requests could there be,at $295. a piece?)However, in 1959 Vega called again. "Wethought you'd be interested to know thatwe've sold over three hundred of thePete Seeger models.""Holy mackerel. I did some rapidarithmetic and began to wonder if Ishouldn't have asked for a royalty."By the way, which model of out banjosdo you yourself play?" asked Vega."Oh, I have an old Tubaphone with ahomemade neck.""Good heavens, that will never do. Couldwe present you with a Pete Seegermodel?""I'd be delighted."
Thus so easily is the human racecorrupted. The banjo arrived last week,and is a beaut quite the nicest I ever had.("Incompleat Folksinger, pg.442.)This entry in Seeger's book is datedSpring 1960. (It should be noted thatSeeger later donated this instrument to"Sing Out!" magazine, to use as a prizeduring a subscription drive.) If hisrecollection is correct, Vega probablystarted working on the Pete Seegermodel in 1955 or 1956.
As of this writing I have been unable todetermine exactly when the first official"Vega Pete Seeger" models wereproduced. But we have some clues.
On Bob Gibson's second and third LPs,"I Come For To Sing" and "CarnegieConcert," both released in 1957, thecover photos show him with a long neckVega open-back banjo with a squared-offpeghead, side tuners and "block and dot"inlays on the fingerboard. Similarly, I haveseen photos of Peggy Seeger playing along-neck Vega with the same inlaypattern (eg. in Pete Seeger's book, "Howto Play the 5-String Banjo," Third EditionRevised, 1962, pg. 52), which probablydates from the same period.
So the question is:Were Bob Gibson'sand Peggy Seeger'sbanjos official "PeteSeeger" models orcustom instrumentsmade by Vega before
the company secured Pete Seeger'spermission to use his name on along-neck model?
最初のスタンダードモデル
これを書いている時点(2002年)では、最初
の正式なピートシーガーモデルが製造された
時期を正確に特定することは出来なかったが、
いくつかの手がかりがあった。
ボブギブソンの2作目のアルバム「I Come ForTo Sing」と3作目の「Carnegie Concert」は両
In an article about Peggy Seegerpublished in the book "Artists of AmericanFolk Music," the author says: "One of theideas gleaned from her half-brother [Pete]was that of playing a long-neck banjo.Her first banjo had been an old S.S.Stewart that she shared with Mike[Seeger]. Later, however, she switchedand acquired the first long-neck VegaPete Seeger model."
Given their peghead shape and inlaypattern, which differ considerably fromthose commonly associated with thePete Seeger model, I believe that thesewere custom and not official "PeteSeeger Model" instruments. (Accordingto Walter Scott, Peggy Seeger's banjoutilized a high-end Tubaphone pot withornate abalone rim trim. Based on thatinformation alone it is safe to assume thather banjo was not an official Pete Seegermodel but an earlier, custom instrument.
The earliest Vega literature I have foundthat mentions the Pete Seeger model is acompany price list dated March 1, 1958,which lists the following available models:"Ranger, Tenor or 5-string; Ranger,special, with heavy notched hoop andgear pegs; Little Wonder, with gear pegs;Professional; Vega-Vox I; Vega-Vox III;Vega-Vox IV; Pete Seeger Model, 5string, extra long neck, 3 extra frets, noresonator, on special order...295.00" Thisseems to indicate that the Pete SeegerModel was not a standard productionmodel as of that date.
In a letter he wrote to Mandolin Brothers,Dave Guard says he purchased his"Pete Seeger model Vega banjo 99836brand new in 1959" (note: this instrumentcan be seen as early as the EP "TijuanaJail" which was released in April of 1959).
Author William J. Bush says in his June1984 Frets Magazine cover story aboutthe Kingston Trio that Dave purchasedthis instrument in "late 1958." And whilenot stating his source, author NeilRosenberg says in his book"Bluegrass--A History" that the Vega PeteSeeger model was introduced in 1958.
According to Mike Longworth at theMartin Guitar Company (whichpurchased the Vega Company in May of1970), Vega's records were very sketchyand did not include specific informationas to when the Pete Seeger model wasintroduced. But given the sourcessketchymentioned (Guard, Vegaliterature, Bush, Rosenberg), I believethat the Vega Pete Seeger modelbecame a standard production item in1958 (but after March 1), and that DaveGuard was one of its firstpurchasers--either in late 1958 or early1959.
DowelDowelDowelDowel StickStickStickStick ModelsModelsModelsModelsThe first Vega PeteSeeger model banjosutilized a wooden dowelstick to secure the neckto the rim, a carry-overfrom Vega's earliest days.(Actually, Vega wasoriginally a guitar andmandolin manufacturer.They did not get into thebanjo business until theypurchased the A.C.Fairbanks company in1904. And up until themid-1920s, Vega banjoscarried the inscription"Fairbanks Banjo madeby The VegaCompany.")
Basically, the Vega Pete Seeger modelwas a Vega "Tubaphone" with anextra-long neck. (In the early days, Vegaspelled this brand name "Tu-ba-phone,"with hyphens to show how it was to bepronounced. This was to make sure theirbanjo would not be associated with a"tub.")This model remained virtually unchangedfrom its introduction in 1909 until the1950s--and the basic design of theTubaphone "pot" lived on for quite a fewyears more in the Pete Seeger model.The heart of the Vega Tubaphone is itstone ring which consists of a squarebrass nickel-plated tube with roundsound holes along its inner surface. Thecomplete tone ring assembly alsofeatured a round steel rod (over whichthe head is fitted) which was attached tothe top of the tube via a "spun Germansilver band extending down outside thetube."Another important Tubaphone (andWhyte Laydie) design feature that wascarried over to the Pete Seeger modelwas the famous Vega bracket shoe band.This device eliminated the need fordrilling bracket shoe screw holes in therim. Here's how it worked: First, thebottom outer face of the rim was milledaway the approximate thickness of thebracket shoe band to allow the bracketshoe band to be slipped on, flush with theupper, unmilled portion of the rim. Beforethe bracket shoe band was mounted,however, the bracket shoes weremounted to it via flat-head screws that fitflush to the the inner surface of the bandvia countersunk screw holes. Voila! Nounsightly screw heads and washers onthe inside surface of the rim. Moreimportant (according to early Vegaliterature), the "tonal integrity" of the rimwas preserved (i.e. by not having bracketshoe screw holes drilled through it).
Opinions vary about which Vegainstrument had the better sound, theTubaphone or the Whyte Laydie.However, it is instructive to note that theTubaphone is described in the 1923Vega catalog as having "the clear crisptone quality and great carrying power ofthe Whyte Laydie," but as being "moreresonate, especially in the upperregister." Having played both models, Iagree with Vega.Like its predecessor the Tubaphone, theearly Vega Pete Seeger model banjoshad 28 brackets. This number was laterreduced to 24--a change that occurredsometime before the switch from dowelstick to coordinator rods which took placein late 1962.
HeadsHeadsHeadsHeadsfeatureThe earliest Vega catalogfeaturing the Pete Seeger model that Ihave is dated Feb. 1, 1960. According tothis catalog, this model was fitted with a"5 Star calfskin head." However, it goeson to say: "Plastic head optional at sameprice if desired." The January 1962 Vegacatalog shows that plastic heads hadbecome standard by that time.Given the vagueness of this data, there isno way to know how many early VegaPete Seeger models left the factory witha calfskin head. The fact that most earlyVega Pete Seeger model banjos incirculation today have plastic heads tellsus little in this regard since virtuallyeveryone who had a calfskin head ontheir banjo in the 1950s switched over toplastic by the early 1960s.(Younger players may not know that acalfskin head, when properly mountedand tightened, has a surprisingly brightsound. All of Earl Scruggs classicrecordings of the late 1940s, for example,were performed on a Gibson Mastertonewith a calfskin head.)
CoordinatorCoordinatorCoordinatorCoordinator RodsRodsRodsRodsIn late 1962, Vegastarted using two metalcoordinator rods ratherthan a wooden dowelstick to secure the neckto the rim, a practice
that the Gibson Company had pioneered.While many Vega Pete Seegerenthusiasts (myself included) say thischange had little effect on the sound orstructural integrity of these instruments,at least one critic disagrees. Mugwumpspublisher Michael I. Holmes had thefollowing to say on the topic in a postinghe made at the Banjo-L Internetmessage board:
"There is actually a difference. It's not therods per se, but the changes that wentalong with them, either immediately orshortly thereafter. I'm not sure exactlywhen, perhaps at the same time theywent to the co-ordinator rod design, butVega introduced a pair of [my sunburstmodel #102,471 has 4] adjustable Allenhead set screws which were intended tobear against a thin metal piece attachedto the bottom of the neck. Thisarrangement was intended to stabilizethe neck when the coordinator rods wereused to adjust the action by pushing theneck away; it also allowed for slight sideto side adjustments if the neck didn't hitthe rim squarely. I believe they failed tounderstand what the purpose of the 2rods was, and the consequent reshapingof the neck bottom often requires that theneck not touch the rim firmly, causing anoticeable loss of tone and volume. Theneck should be firmly attached to the rimfirst, and the the coordinator rods used toslightly distort the rim to adjust the actionif necessary the operative word beingslightly!
When Martin took over Vega production,the first thing Mike Longhorn convincedthem to do was eliminate the Allenscrews and recut the neck bottoms to fitproperly."
Still quoting Holmes: "Another differenceis that in later Vegas the shoe screws gothrough the rim, also changing the sound.And they experimented with different"variations" to the Tubaphone tone ringsthemselves, none of them for the better."(Source: banjo-l, 18 Nov. 1999.)[Note: I am aware that Martin did someexperimenting with the Vega tonerings--such as changing the round soundholes to "dog-bone" shaped sound holes.I have no knowledge of Vega making anysuch changes.--PC]
VegaVegaVegaVega RimsRimsRimsRimsThe early Vega Tubaphone rims weremade of 7-ply maple. I have no data onrims of the earliest Pete Seeger models.But according to the 1960 catalog, therim at that time was 5-ply. Between 1967and 1968, the rim was changed again, to10-ply.Another key difference between the earlyTubaphone banjos and the Pete Seegermodel is that on the latter, the bracketshoe screws went through the bracketshoe band AND the rim, thus making thebracket shoe band merely decorative.(This was probably a cost-cutting moveon Vega's part, since the bracket shoebands could then be thinner and thusless expensive to produce.)
NeckNeckNeckNeck FinishesFinishesFinishesFinishesIn all the Vegacatalogs I have, thestandard finish on theVega Pete Seegermodel is described as"shaded mahogany."Unfortunately, theback of theseinstruments werenever shown in the
catalogs, so I have no way of knowing ifthis is the same as what is described as a"sunburst" finish today. By the early1960s, a "natural blonde maple finish"was also available as an option.Note: The natural blonde maple finishwas standard on the Vega Pete SeegerXcel Custom model. According to the1963 Vega catalog (in which this modeldebuted), the Pete Seeger Xcel was a"custom-built Seeger model with 5thstring peg moved up between the 9thand 10th [sic.] frets." (The 5th string pegon the Xcel was actually located betweenthe 8th and 9th frets. This error wascorrected in later catalogs.) According tothe 1963 and later catalogs, the Xcel alsofeatured "Rotomatic side machines" anda special geared 5th string peg."
TunersTunersTunersTunersFrom the earliest models onward, thestandard tuners on the Vega PeteSeeger model banjo were of the"straight-through" variety with oval plasticknobs, which I believe weremanufactured by the Elkinton Company(aka Elton). These precision-made,permanently sealed pegs with theirdistinctive off-set gear casing, taperedstring posts and felt washers offered asmooth-operating 4:1 gear ratio. (Thecurrent Waverly V-2 pegs are a closeequivalent.)
As an option, Vega offered chromeright-angle (or "guitar-style") GroverRotomatic tuners, which were standardon the Xcel Custom model. These tunersoffered a 12:1 gear ratio but required thedrilling of an additional hole in the back ofthe peghead for the guide screw. Whilethe first mention of these tuners is in the1963 Vega catalog, they were availableearlier--either as a factory-installed optionor separately, for customer change-out.Note: It was common for banjo players inthe 1950s and 1960s to experiment withdifferent tuning machines. Dave Guard,for example, tried virtually every availabletype, as a review of all "Guard Era"Kingston Trio album covers will reveal. Ithas also been said that Vega wouldhonor any tuner request if it meant thesale of another big-ticket Pete Seegermodel!The most common 5th string peg on theVega Pete Seeger was of the so-called"friction" (non-geared) variety. This waseither a "non-name" (probably made byElkinton) peg with a white plastic buttonto match the pegs on the other fourstrings, or an all-metal peg carrying theGrover brand name. By 1968, a Krollbrand geared 5th string peg wasavailable from the factory as an option.
OtherOtherOtherOther HardwareHardwareHardwareHardwareThe standard tailpiece on the Vega PeteSeeger model was the "flip-top" Prestotype. This tailpiece covered the stringends (saving many a sweater from pulls!)and made changing strings a relativelysimple matter.A small but interesting detail about theVega Pete Seeger from at least 1960 onwas the original armrest and the uniqueway it was mounted--via two thin, curvedand slotted flanges that were mounted tofour of the brackets.
This armrest/flange arrangement gavethe banjoist more latitude in positioningthe armrest. It also contributed to thisbanjo's distinctive appearance.(Unfortunately, armrests tarnish, wearand show "brassing" rather quickly. Andmany Pete Seeger model ownersreplaced the stock armrest with a newone that was not designed to bemounted in this fashion. In the process, alot of these original armrests andmounting flanges have been lost.)
LogoLogoLogoLogo InlaysInlaysInlaysInlaysOn all Vega Pete Seeger model banjos(excluding those made by Martin), theVega name was inlaid in the peghead inlarge capitol letters. There was a slightvariation in these letters, however. Onsome instruments, the letters have"serifs" (little extensions or "feet," as perthe letterforms used on the U.S. onedollar bill), while on others they do not.This type of variation (like the way Martinguitar pegheads "evolved" from square torounded corners) is usually due to theover-use of a cutting form. However, thisvariation can be found in both early andlate instruments, with no apparent rhymeor reason.
DatingDatingDatingDating VegaVegaVegaVega PetePetePetePete SeegersSeegersSeegersSeegersFairly accurate and complete Vegadating information has been assembledby various persons over the years, whichmakes dating any Vega banjo an easyprocess. All that is required is aninstrument's serial number. The startingserial number for the Vega Pete Seegermodel years are shown below:
YEAR STARTING SERIAL NUMBER1957 994281958 995821959 997171960 1000221961 1005601962 1019991963 10522*1964 10130*1965 1256411966 1267721967 1276821968 1285651970 129120(C.F. Martin takeover in May, 1970)1970 1296831972 130049New Series, M1 1972*The so-called "printer's error" years, with5-digit serial numbers.
OriginalOriginalOriginalOriginal VegaVegaVegaVega PricesPricesPricesPricesThe earliest information regarding VegaPete Seeger prices that I have comesfrom a Vega Company price sheet datedMarch 1, 1958, where the Pete Seegermodel (special order only) is listed at$295. By January 1962, the price was$340. In 1963, the price was $360. (ahardshell, plush lined case was another$60.) In 1967, the price was $385. And in1968, the Vega Pete Seeger model waslisted at $456. (All prices shown are list.)
BeyondBeyondBeyondBeyond BostonBostonBostonBostonIn May of 1970, The Vega Company waspurchased by the Martin GuitarCompany of Nazareth, Pennsylvania.Martin produced various banjo modelsunder the Vega name, including a VegaPete Seeger model. According to MikeLongworth at Martin, the companyproduced 101 of these instruments,whose name was later changed to the
Vega Tu-Ba-Phone XL. (According toLongworth, the name switch occurred atPete Seeger's request, who "felt theinstrument should stand on its ownmerits.")Like Vega before them, Martin alsoproduced an economy long-neck model,called by both companies the "Folklore"model.While the original Martin Vega PeteSeeger/No. 2 Tu-Ba-Phone XLinstruments were of comparable (if notbetter) quality than those made by Vegaof Boston, most enthusiasts believe thatthe quality of later instruments showed adecline, most notably in the way the tonering was constructed. (See discussion ofVega rims above.)Interestingly, while Martin used the samestyle block letter Vega name inlay styleon some of its other instruments, the logoon the Martin Vega Pete Seeger/No. 2Tu-Ba-Phone XL consisted of a capitol"V," followed by a the lower case letters"e-g-a."In 1979, Martin sold the rights to theVega name to a Korean firm calledGalaxy Trading Corporation which, to myknowledge, did not produce anylong-neck instruments(a fair number of Galaxy/Vegaresonator-back models are in circulation,however). More recently, the DeeringCompany of Lemon Grove, CA hasacquired the Vega name and has beenproducing their version of the Vega PeteSeeger which they call the "Long NeckVega." This is a fairly close copy of theoriginal Vega of Boston instruments(Tubaphone-style tone ring, Groverguitar-style tuners, bracket shoe bandAND screws through the rim, etc.). Butthe rim is thicker, and the neck finish isdifferent (walnut stained versus shadedmahogany or natural blonde maple).
And so it was a company that had beenowned by one family--the Nelsons--fornearly 100 years faded into history. Butfor as long as quality open-back banjosare prized, the Vega name will representthe best of the best--with the late-comingPete Seeger model among them.
PostscriptPostscriptPostscriptPostscriptI always assumed that Vega was a fairlylarge company--at least as far as banjoswere concerned. But recently I cameacross some of their banjo productionfigures which tell quite a different story.Here's what these figures reveal:In 1950, Vega produced 75 banjos total(all models). In 1954, they produced 77.In 1955, they produced 146. In 1956,sales jumped again, to 215, possibly dueto the success of the album "TheWeavers at Carnegie Hall" which cameout in late 1955 and opened with Pete'sSeeger's great 5-string banjo introductionto "Darlin' Corey," which prompted manyearly folk revival artists to take up thatinstrument.For 1957, Vega banjo sales were 154; for1958, 135. In 1959, however, sales morethan doubled, to 305, possibly due to theintroduction of the Pete Seeger model in1958. For 1960, sales were 538,probably due to the continued success ofthe Pete Seeger model and the fact thatthe Kingston Trio, the most popularrecording group in America at the time,were by then featuring Vega banjosprominently on their album covers,starting with "At Large" which came out inJune of 1959.For 1961, Vega's annual banjo saleswere an amazing 1439 instruments--nodoubt due to the fact that the "Folk Era"was in full swing by then and everybodywho was anybody was playing a Vegabanjo. The Vega Company alsointroduced the Earl Scruggs model in
1961, which enjoyed some popularity notonly in bluegrass circles but also on thefolk scene (eg. with Dick Weissman whois shown playing one on the firstJourneymen LP).In 1965, with the rise in popularity ofbluegrass and with it a growing demandfor resonator-back 5-string banjos (a stylewhich Vega never had much successwith), Vega banjo sales declined to 1081;in 1966, to 960; in 1967, to 883; in 1968,to 555; in 1969, up slightly to 563; but in1970, sales were down to 366. In May ofthat year, the company was sold to TheC.F. Martin Organization.So how did they stay afloat during theearly to mid-1950s? A look at theircompany price sheet for 1958 tells part ofthe story: To supplement their slow bysteady banjo business, the company alsosold Electric Spanish Guitars, CutawayElectric Guitars, Carved Guitars, SolidBody Electric Guitars, Flat Top Guitars,Electric Flat Top Guitars, ElectricHawaiian Guitars, Amplifiers, andBaritone Ukuleles (anyone remember theVega Arthur Godfrey model?). So whenwe hear stories of customers such asPete Seeger and Erik Darling stopping bythe Vega office and being greeted by thepresident--who was always more thanhappy to put a banjo together forthem--we now have a betterunderstanding of the size of the companythey were dealing with.
1. According to an e-mail messagefrom Walter Scott that I overlooked whenwriting this article, Peggy Seeger'slong-neck banjo utilized a Tubaphone"De Luxe" model pot. Per the 1923 Vegacalalog, the bottom edge of the rim onthis model was "inlaid with heavy motherof pearl...". Otherwise it was the same asa standard Tubaphone. Also per Walter,the serial number on her instrument was99181 which, according to the serialnumber lists I have, was made in 1955.
2. According to Wyatt Fawley (who hasprobably seem more disassembled Vegabanjos than anyone else on the planet),the Vega catalog I quoted from was inerror in one detail regarding theconstruction of the Tubaphone tone ringassembly. Says Fawley: "Vega's tonering sheath was nickel plated brassrather than German silver. The earlyElectrics were German silver, butbeginning with the Whyte Laydie, all ofthe half spun rings were sheathed inbrass and nickel plated."
3. And one detail I forgot to mention:the original Tubaphones (and other earlyVega models) featured closed endbracket nuts. The bracket nuts on theVega Pete Seeger model were of theopen end variety.