JRushing - Posted - 12/23/2011:  18:11:20

In this months issue of The Fretboard Journal they have an article about the Kingston Trio. They say that in 1997 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the trio Martin came out with a Martin 0-18 like Reynolds, a D-28 like Bob Shanes and a copy of the Vega PS-5 longneck like Dave Gaurds.

Now they have a picture of one of the newer Deering Kingston Trio Vegas and say so later on in the article. I don't know if the first reference to Martin making one in 97 is just a misprint or did they??? I haven't been able to find anything on it.

????

Edited by - JRushing on 12/23/2011 18:16:01

klgera - Posted - 12/23/2011:  19:50:12

I remember seeing those 3 instruments for sale, I think in a Mandolin Brothers monthly flyer, back about '97 or so.
Ken

pastorharry - Posted - 12/23/2011:  21:07:25

Deering made the banjos for the collection.

Seansvoice - Posted - 12/23/2011:  21:16:39

Bob Shane is selling his set...the three with the earliest serial numbers for a cool $90,000...

mainejohn - Posted - 12/24/2011:  07:38:01

Martin had long since sold the rights to Vega by '97.  As Pastor Harry stated, Deering made the 40th anniversary Vega longneck,

edit: ....and you are correct. I just checked p. 39 in FBJ #23.  It states that Martin "honored the 40th anniversary with this trio of instruments" which implies they made all three.

Edited by - mainejohn on 12/24/2011 07:47:24

mikehalloran - Posted - 12/24/2011:  07:56:14

The press releases always mentioned that Deering made the banjo. You could buy the anniversary set as a trio from Martin dealers. After a few years, some dealers broke up the sets. It was CFM's first reissue of the tenor guitar. Later they made a Nick Reynolds reissue that was more accurate. Soon afterwards, Deering announced their own KT reissues - still available special order I believe.

pastorharry - Posted - 12/26/2011:  11:45:47

Gonna link this to our long neck group.

Helix - Posted - 12/26/2011:  17:23:56

Cool, there were other Martin Vega shortnecks, 5 are in a series with gold hardware and extensive abalone binding inside and out, then the resonators had turtle, another a butterfly, another a frog, don't know the other two.

I wish someone would invite Bill Zorn of the Kingston Trio to join the hangout, he plays Bob Shane's guitar on stage. He owns a Gibson Longneck as well, I think.

Deering Vegas are authentic and true to the originals.

Martin had a chance to make mainstream longnecks even with an ornate and historical peghead,, but just couldn't get there. The market had changed so much by then. I'm glad they made a few.

( ))===='=== ::}

mainejohn - Posted - 12/27/2011:  04:48:18

Helix said: "Deering Vegas are authentic and true to the originals."

...except for the fact that the Deerings have 1-piece necks, which are shaped differently, both in terms of the heel and the overall neck shape. They also have some kind of plastic finish which I didn't like (I owned a Deering/Vega longneck for about 9 years, which I bought new in 2000. In '07 I acquired a 20's Vega with a Fawley Vega-style longneck, and sold the Deering.) The Fawley neck is very true to the pre-1960 Vega longnecks, except it is made better.

Edited by - mainejohn on 12/27/2011 04:49:47

Helix - Posted - 12/27/2011:  05:41:54

Maine John, lets call them tributes, then, I just meant more the shape, I see now that you are correct, it's more than skin deep. I was just tryin' to keep the peace with my personal opinions. They bought a line called VEGA like buying Oldmobile. The VEGA line is not that deep.



After I saw what the luthiers at Martin could do to a banjo, I was disappointed that they didn't continue.



What if I bought a line, and then overshadowed it with my own offerings, I guess that's one way to do it.

Edited by - Helix on 12/27/2011 05:42:48

John Gribble - Posted - 12/27/2011:  08:02:55

While Fretboard Journal is a lovely thing, the information is often not accurate. I find several mistakes in every issue, and they don't print corrections. I dropped my subscription because of it. Eye candy, but......

thefolkshop - Posted - 12/27/2011:  08:25:56

Deering's earliest Vega PS style long necks, including those in the K3 set, had a pot diameter of 10 15/16 inches, like the original Tub-A-Phones.  Shortly after, Greg made the decision to go to 11" as the tonerings were too expensive to make.

Edited by - thefolkshop on 12/27/2011 08:28:04