The Zoëphone: At the beginning

My friend Marjorie Thompson wanted to give a banjo to her daughter Zoë as a high school graduation present. I said I could build one better than can be bought. The best banjos ever, in my view, are Vegas from the early 20th century. After shopping around, I found this Vega Tubaphone Professional pot, from the late 1920s. I'd already steamed the four-string neck from the dowel stick -- both pot and dowel stick have serial numbers, and they must match.