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1938 Vega C-66
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Serial #: 38935, gold Boston label
Body size at lower bout: 17". Scale length: 25" Nut Width: 1 10/16"
Finish: Original sunburst finish, nitrocellulose type
Materials: Handcarved bookmatched solid spruce top; highly figured solid tiger flame maple back and sides; solid mahogany neck; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with diamond inlay; star peghead inlay; bound fingerboard; triple-bound top; steel reinforced neck.
Hardware: 100% original Vega hardware includes engraved nickel 'Adjustone' art-deco adjustable trapeze tailpiece, adjustable compensated 'Acoustic-Balanced' bridge, open-back nickel Grover Stat-Tite tuners, original bound tortoise pickguard.
Notes: By the time Elmer Stromberg started building guitars in Boston, the Vega Company had been making instruments in that city for over a generation. One of the preeminent banjo manufacturers, Vega introduced its first archtop in 1933, and continued making top-flight hand carved instruments for several decades. This guitar is an outstanding example from their prime years, with a solid handcarved bookmatched spruce top, all original hardware, and a rare spectacular solid carved tiger flame maple back and sides.
This guitar from 1938 is a rare transitional model: an early 17" body in the last year with solid carved maple back and sides. Originally from sunny Hawaii, this example has been preserved in exceptional condition, with all its original hardware and sunburst finish in uncannily fine shape, free of pick or buckle wear. The solid spruce top is handcarved of tight grained bookmatched spruce, and is one of the most finely graduated soundboards we have seen. Back and sides are made of extravagantly figured solid handcarved tiger flame maple, with rollers extending from rim to rim, and this model year is the last for solid maple on Vega archtops. The neck profile is slim and fast, without thumbwear or fingerboard divots, and the action is low and smooth over fresh pro fretwork, and a 1" grainline crack near the bass f-hole has been soundly resealed long ago. The sound is clear, open and well balanced, with excellent volume and projection.
A special plus is the engraved nickel 'Adjustone' art-deco adjustable trapeze tailpiece. The unique thumbwheel control allows the tailpiece angle to be adjusted over a wide range; an acoustic 'tone control' that allows the player to warm or brighten the voice at will. The device works so well it's surprising how rare it is: this is the only example we've seen outside of catalog pictures. A rare and stylish instrument, this exceptional beauty combines the best of prewar tone with contemporary playability.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge radius inspected and recurved as necessary; bridgewheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.
This instrument is strung with medium gauge bronze strings (.013-.057). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Original Vega brown plushlined hardshell case.
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