How old is my Vega lap steel?

Mark MacKenzie · Post by **Mark MacKenzie** » 31 Dec 2007 1:28 pm

I would like to try to date my Vega 6 string lap steel. The volume and tone pots have no numbers on them. The pickup is a single coil with individual magnets for each string with a long brass base. 22.5 inch scale I think.

The body is black with a rosewood fretboard. Fret markers are small red, white, and blue circles. Square or rectangular body with wide ivory colored stripe down middle of top. The underside is red felt and the case is nice tweed. Knobs are bakelite knurled.

The logo almost looks inlaid but is probably painted. It is a 5 pointed star with Vega in the center.

It sounds sweet, not a overly loud pickup and clean.

Also the cap for the tone is a long bullet shaped cap almost like an electrolytic. It had paper wrapped around it which has scrapped off.

A guess a picture is worth all these words and more. I'll try to post one.

Thanks for any help.

Thanks for a great forum.

Mark

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 31 Dec 2007 1:59 pm

Mark, I think it would be difficult to pinpoint the exact year, but it sounds like 1940s.... one of the art deco models, late 1930's through the 1940's. I don't think there is any way to determine an exact date of production beyond that, even with a picture, but I could be wrong about that. Other Vega owners might have more info.

Vega was a Boston based company which began in 1903 and started making electric lap steels in 1936. Martin bought the company in 1970, and in 1980 Vega was bought by a Korean company.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 31 Dec 2007 10:10 pm

I have one of those. I bought it off Ebay and made a seven-string out of it. I still have the six pickup with all the wiring on it with pots etc. If you need a spare I have it!!
I used a Dimarzio 7 string humbucker in mine and really like the guitar.

The logo on my headstock has just the word VEGA painted on, with no star.

Craig Stenseth · Post by **Craig Stenseth** » 1 Jan 2008 6:39 am

Mark,
What numbers/letters are on the volume and tone pots? That might help to narrow it down, if they look original.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 1 Jan 2008 12:57 pm

The volume and tone pots have no numbers on them.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 1 Jan 2008 4:31 pm

The pots in the assembly I removed from mine didn't have any numbers either. Kind of unusual I thought.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 1 Jan 2008 5:02 pm

Souce/date codes on pots were not an industry standard until after World War II. I have opened up many late 1930s, early 40s Oahus and various other no-name lap steels with original wiring and pots intact, and the pots often have no numbers stamped on them. Some '30s guitars did have numbers on the pots. The standard source/date codes started appearing after about 1945.

Craig Stenseth · Post by **Craig Stenseth** » 2 Jan 2008 7:20 am

Doug Beaumier wrote:
The volume and tone pots have no numbers on them.

That's what I get for trying to read too early in the morning!

Mark MacKenzie · Post by **Mark MacKenzie** » 7 Jan 2008 11:38 am

Thanks for the help. I took some pictures today....
I know its hard to see, but the pickup has two small horseshoe magnets. The last picture is the logo on the tweed case. Looks kind of deco or "radio age" to me...

Mark MacKenzie · Post by **Mark MacKenzie** » 7 Jan 2008 11:42 am

I forgot to mention. The bar that came with it is unique. It says "EPI ROCCO" on it and is squareish with a wooden top to it. It looks like hard rosewood and is across the top where my middle finger rests.

Duh, I forgot to photograph it.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 7 Jan 2008 5:12 pm

That's a nice case you have for yours Mark. Mine had the same logo plate, but it was a cheap case, and I scrapped it and built a new one. I put the plate on the new one

Bill Fall · Post by **Bill Fall** » 8 Jan 2008 7:02 am

My 1st job out of high school, in 1961, was working for Vega, then on Columbus Avenue in Boston, and I worked there for two years. That doesn't qualify me as any kind of expert. But I did see a large variety of vintage instruments that came in for repair, and I did own (but never played) a 6-string Vega laptop of a later model than the one pictured above. If I were to venture an uneducated guess, I'd put that older one in the mid-30s.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 8 Jan 2008 9:38 am

Yes, I'd say late 30's or early 40s. I really like the art deco design.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 8 Jan 2008 10:37 pm

I had a few people identify the type of wood mine is made of, and all agreed it is GUM. That was a common wood in the eary 20th century, and used for siding etc on houses along with Cedar etc. It's reddish color is darker than redwood. The tone is very nice and mine seems to have a lot of bass response.

Tom Baylis · Post by **Tom Baylis** » 9 Jan 2008 12:21 am

Mark, I have a Vega that's nearly a twin of yours. Mine has a serial number (46124) clearly stamped & paint accented into the top edge of the headstock. This leads me to believe that mine's a '46, but I have no way of knowing if Vega used a numbering sequence that references the production year in such a way.

I love mine, nice wide neck, 23" scale length,great string spacing and a distinctive, warm tone.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 9 Jan 2008 12:46 am

I have no way of knowing if Vega used a numbering sequence that references the production year in such a way.

I can't find any info on Vega lap steel serial numbers, but there is info on line about Vega b^xj0 serial numbers/dates. Vega did not reference the production year in the b^xj0 serial numbers.

Chuck Rich · Post by **Chuck Rich** » 10 Jan 2008 8:10 am

I also have a Vega that I would like to date. Mine has the same logo as Mark's but is shaped a little different. It has two horseshow magnets under the pick up. On the body of the guitar under the PU I found a serial #35483 I'm assuming this guitar was made sometime in the 40's. The case has the name Vega on it and it is also just like Mark's. Thanks for any info.
Chuck Rich

Mark MacKenzie · Post by **Mark MacKenzie** » 11 Jan 2008 7:04 am

Thanks for all the replies!

My serial number is 36171 and obviously hand stamped in the end of the headstock.

I was wondering what wood it was. Certainly does sustain.

I am wondering if I should try to get these two horseshoe magnets re-fluxed. (Is that the word? Sounds rather unpalateable.)

My tuners are pretty stiff, too. Anybody have a suggestion for those?

THanks,

Mark

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 11 Jan 2008 7:29 pm

I just looked at the number on mine, its 36515. It would nice to find a reference somewhere to date these.

I used some chrome classic oval knob type tuners from Stewart MacDonald on mine. They are the individual type with enclosed gears, like the Deluxe tuners of the old days. They are #0933 in their catalog. They also have the three-on-a-plate type , #4095. I used the individual type because mine is a seven string.
Maybe Rick Aiello can re-mag those magnets.