The Vega name has a somewhat obscure and convoluted heritage. The company was originally founded around 1881 but was not incorporated as "Vega" (meaning "Star") until 1903 which at that time focused primarily on banjos distributed under the Bacon label. Guitar production began around 1920 and by the 1930s the focus had shifted from banjos to guitar production. The 1940s saw the introduction of the Duo-Tron and Supertron and by 1949 Vega had expanded to wholesale as well as production (even buying bodies made by Harmony). The company experienced rather lean times towards the end of the 60's and by 1970 had been sold to none other than C.F. Martin who intended to use the company for (once again) banjo construction. Local production of guitars was dropped and the Star logo and name were applied to a series of imports distributed by Martin until 1979 when Martin sold the name to a Korean company.

This solidbody is one of those C.F. Martin imported under the Vega name. Judging by the quality I would guess it was made by one of the finer Japanese builders of the period such as Matsumoku, Fujigen Gakki, or Kasuga. It's amazing how much the 1979 Martin E-series (E-18, EM-18) looks like this Vega, in particular the overall body design. Leo Quan style tailpiece, knob placement, veneered headstock, and finish! It's quite possible these Vega solidbodies are the predecessor to the Martin E-series.