Vega SG-99-2 Solid Body Electric Guitar (1958)
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Item # 11485
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Vega SG-99-2 Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1958), made in Boston, Mass., purple-ochre sunburst finish, mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, tweed hard shell case.
The sadly obscure Vega solidbody line from the 1950s is one of the great also-rans of vintage guitar history; they came THIS close to creating viable professional instruments to challenge Gibson and Fender but like a few others (Magnatone comes to mind) never found an audience for them. This is the SG-99-2 from 1958-9 (note they copped the "SG" designation before Gibson!), a fairly short-lived model that was packed with potential but seems to have sold in minimal quantities at best.
The SG-99 was introduced in Vega's 1959 catalogs in single and double pickup configuration. These were a later development of the VERY Les Paul-like gold-topped "Westerner" model from the mid-50s, itself a seldom seen instrument. This extremely rare twin-pickup SG-99-2 model is most akin to Gibson's Les Paul Special, which at the time was mutating from a single to a double cutaway. By 1958-9 Vega had also moved from an LP styled singlecut to a new sort-of-double cutaway body not unlike some '50s Rickenbackers, with a semi-Telecaster lump upper horn and conventional lower cutaway. The final models went to a symmetrical double cut format; all of them disappeared by 1962 as Vega was by then too busy making banjos for the folk scare to bother with their abysmal-selling solid bodies!
Vega's 1959 catalog led off with this model, described as "The only solidbody in its price class with so many extra features!". The single pickup SG-99 listed at $120, while this double pickup SG-99-2 sold for $165. They are identical except for the second pickup at the neck and attendant switch. A Bigsby Vibrato was available at a $60 upcharge. Vega touted "The entire slim fingerboard is easily accessible" which was more-or-less true, and spotlighted "new High powered pick-up with extra large alnico magnets". These white-covered single-coil units are indeed quite powerful, and have a sharp muscular snarl that mellows nicely when turned down. "Finish is ivory sunburst top and back with mahogany shading all around" was the company's description; it really (at least after 60+ years of aging) has more of a curdled cream look with a slightly grape-tinged dark edge.
All 1950s Vega solidbodies were basically handmade, so there is some variation among the few actually built. The design is simple but neat and handy. The body is fairly thick with a chunky feel, reminiscent of late '50s Les Paul student models. The round-backed set neck is quite slim with a very narrow 1 1/2" nut width. The strings run over a wooden archtop bridge mated to a solid metal tailpiece pinned to the body. The gold pickguard is back-painted Lucite like Rickenbacker, carrying volume and tone knobs and a large lever switch. The original pots are coded 134-804 indicating fabrication in early 1958; the guitar itself was likely built later that year or early in 1959. While almost hopelessly obscure (try finding them in most guitar reference books!) these 1950s Vega solids are really neat instruments, well built, great sounding and definitely unique than and now.
Overall length is 38 3/8 in. (97.5 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
This rare guitar remains 100% original showing some fairly light general wear. The body has some small dings and dents mostly on the edges (some have been discreetly touched up) and a couple of larger worn spots on the back/side edge. The back has some light belt buckle scarring into but not through the finish and a couple of very small spots of curly-cord burn. The back of the neck has a few dinks and dents, the deepest in the 5-7th fret area. The headstock edges show some typical wear.
All finish, fittings and hardware are original and the guitar is fully functional as intended. There is a small repaired crack at the bottom of the wooden bridge saddle that is completely solid. The original frets have some light wear in the lower positions but the guitar still plays very well. This is a very high quality instrument, one of the best non Fender/Gibson solidbodies of the 1950s and a cool sadly overlooked piece of Vega's mostly forgotten electric history. With a bit more promotion (and OK, maybe a less curdled-looking finish) this guitar could have been a real contender in the late 1950s. This one is the nicest example we have ever seen, housed in a later heavy-duty tweed case of unknown origin. Overall Excellent - Condition.
The sadly obscure Vega solidbody line from the 1950s is one of the great also-rans of vintage guitar history; they came THIS close to creating viable professional instruments to challenge Gibson and Fender but like a few others (Magnatone comes to mind) never found an audience for them. This is the SG-99-2 from 1958-9 (note they copped the "SG" designation before Gibson!), a fairly short-lived model that was packed with potential but seems to have sold in minimal quantities at best.
The SG-99 was introduced in Vega's 1959 catalogs in single and double pickup configuration. These were a later development of the VERY Les Paul-like gold-topped "Westerner" model from the mid-50s, itself a seldom seen instrument. This extremely rare twin-pickup SG-99-2 model is most akin to Gibson's Les Paul Special, which at the time was mutating from a single to a double cutaway. By 1958-9 Vega had also moved from an LP styled singlecut to a new sort-of-double cutaway body not unlike some '50s Rickenbackers, with a semi-Telecaster lump upper horn and conventional lower cutaway. The final models went to a symmetrical double cut format; all of them disappeared by 1962 as Vega was by then too busy making banjos for the folk scare to bother with their abysmal-selling solid bodies!
Vega's 1959 catalog led off with this model, described as "The only solidbody in its price class with so many extra features!". The single pickup SG-99 listed at $120, while this double pickup SG-99-2 sold for $165. They are identical except for the second pickup at the neck and attendant switch. A Bigsby Vibrato was available at a $60 upcharge. Vega touted "The entire slim fingerboard is easily accessible" which was more-or-less true, and spotlighted "new High powered pick-up with extra large alnico magnets". These white-covered single-coil units are indeed quite powerful, and have a sharp muscular snarl that mellows nicely when turned down. "Finish is ivory sunburst top and back with mahogany shading all around" was the company's description; it really (at least after 60+ years of aging) has more of a curdled cream look with a slightly grape-tinged dark edge.
All 1950s Vega solidbodies were basically handmade, so there is some variation among the few actually built. The design is simple but neat and handy. The body is fairly thick with a chunky feel, reminiscent of late '50s Les Paul student models. The round-backed set neck is quite slim with a very narrow 1 1/2" nut width. The strings run over a wooden archtop bridge mated to a solid metal tailpiece pinned to the body. The gold pickguard is back-painted Lucite like Rickenbacker, carrying volume and tone knobs and a large lever switch. The original pots are coded 134-804 indicating fabrication in early 1958; the guitar itself was likely built later that year or early in 1959. While almost hopelessly obscure (try finding them in most guitar reference books!) these 1950s Vega solids are really neat instruments, well built, great sounding and definitely unique than and now.
Overall length is 38 3/8 in. (97.5 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
This rare guitar remains 100% original showing some fairly light general wear. The body has some small dings and dents mostly on the edges (some have been discreetly touched up) and a couple of larger worn spots on the back/side edge. The back has some light belt buckle scarring into but not through the finish and a couple of very small spots of curly-cord burn. The back of the neck has a few dinks and dents, the deepest in the 5-7th fret area. The headstock edges show some typical wear.
All finish, fittings and hardware are original and the guitar is fully functional as intended. There is a small repaired crack at the bottom of the wooden bridge saddle that is completely solid. The original frets have some light wear in the lower positions but the guitar still plays very well. This is a very high quality instrument, one of the best non Fender/Gibson solidbodies of the 1950s and a cool sadly overlooked piece of Vega's mostly forgotten electric history. With a bit more promotion (and OK, maybe a less curdled-looking finish) this guitar could have been a real contender in the late 1950s. This one is the nicest example we have ever seen, housed in a later heavy-duty tweed case of unknown origin. Overall Excellent - Condition.