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1951 Vega Model C-171
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Serial #: 5193, white Boston label
Body size at lower bout: 17". Scale length: 25" Nut Width: 1 10/16"
Materials: Solid hand carved spruce top; highly figured tiger flame maple top, back and sides; solid Honduras mahogany neck; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and headstock; triple-bound top
Hardware: Original nickel Duo-Tron trapeze tailpiece with tone and volume controls. Adjustable ebony bridge, Grover Imperial tuners, bound tortoise pickguard with gold Johnny Smith style adjustable humbucking pickup.
Notes: One of America's pioneering builders of fretted instruments, the Vega company of Boston introduced its first archtop in 1933, and its first cutaway in 1949. This guitar is a rare example of their later production, with a 17" parallel braced Venetian cutaway body reserved only for the top of the line.
This example most likely dates to the mid-50's, and is equipped with the ingenious Duo-Tron tailpiece, with tone and volume controls. The amber blonde finish is of recent vintage, without pick, buckle, or thumbwear, and the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard is straight and true, with an adjustable truss rod and fresh new fretwork. Completing the package are the art-deco Grover Imperial tuners, a bound tortoise pickguard, and a gold Johnny Smith style adjustable humbucking pickup.
Vegas are particularly renowned for their slim, fast necks, and are ideal for the contemporary player looking for vintage tone without the bulky neck profile found on many instruments of the period. An unbeatable value in a classic American carved top guitar.
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 nickel roundwound 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: Black plushlined hardshell case.
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