Vega Vegaphone De-luxe 1926 plectrum 4-string banjo fancy origal lifton case

Description

Vega Vegaphone De-luxe 1926 plectrum EXTREMELY RARE IN THIS CONDITION
4-string banjo fancy original Vintage lifton case included in incredible excellent condition
Lifton case made in the USA
Includes some vintage strings in a box (found in the case) and the Vega Key7 and misc part
Clearly this banjo was not gigged with nor received heavy use.
This top of the line at the time Vega 4 string Plectrum has:
22 frets (very little wear) no grooving to speak of,  see the pics to see what I am saying
27” scale
SN 86492 this serial number is found on the inside of the rim as shown in the photo
Head 11”
Skin is Vegalone Weather Proof
Neck 19.5”
Ebony Fingerboard
New owner to do final setup and change vintage strings  This is an important point as this banjo has high action as you go up the neck.  I try to show in the photo ....that the strings are about 1/8" inch off the fret at the end of the neck last fret where it meets the body.   The string sat the top by headstock is about 1/16th" off the 1st and 2nd fret
gradually
going up as you go.  The action at the first 5-8 frets is on the lower side.
Some history of this banjo (I borrowed from researching other ads) ..NOT (“A . I”) lol
"This is a lovely and beautifully original example of one of the top-of-the-line "Industry Standard" Orchestra tenor banjos from the 1920s, the Vegaphone DeLuxe. Vega's "Vegaphone" line was introduced in 1923 as an answer to the Paramount line of resonator-and-flange banjos. Along with the slightly earlier Paramounts, they established the template for all others to follow in the design of the modern banjo.
Vega had been THE premier banjo builder since 1904, when they bought the charred remains of the A. C. Fairbanks factory and all their designs. Fairbanks manager David L. Day stayed on, and Vega prospered with their Whyte Laydie and Tu-Ba-Phone 5-strings which were undisputed leaders in the 1910s market. In 1923, spurred by Paramount, they produced modernized Tu-ba-Phones with long scale necks, geared tuners, and full flange/resonator systems. The resulting Vegaphones were available in several levels of trim and proved immediately popular with professional players. Although Vega created the Vegavox series in 1927 with a top-tension adjustment and deep-dish resonators, many banjoists continued to prefer the more traditional Vegaphone.
At the time this banjo was built, the DeLuxe was the top of the Vegaphone line and fancy as all get-out. Compared to many high-end 1920s competitors it is very traditional, with Vega's trademark beautiful engraved pearl inlay, a carved heel, and quilted maple pie-plate resonator. There is delicate engraving on the tension hoop and the 28 individual flanges. As a hold-over from Vega's open-back banjo line, there is a fantastic abalone cap on the bottom of the rim completely hidden by the resonator! The side wall of the resonator is covered with engraved ivoroid, but even that looks like old New England scrimshaw.
All workmanship is to the highest level, as is common with Vega. The pie-section resonator back has beautifully shaded figured maple sections contrasting with the engraved Pyralin outer edge. The elaborate engraved varied shaped pearl inlay in the heavy bound ebony fingerboard was a Vega specialty, and nobody ever did it better. The neck is 3-piece shaded maple construction featuring a carved, pearl-inlaid heel and ebony backstrap. The bound headplate is inlaid with Vega's fanciest floral pattern engraved pearl, with an engraved pearl inset on the back as well. The headstock carries Ludwig Planet tuners with real pearl buttons.
The Oettinger adjustable tension tailpiece has each arm engraved in turn "Deluxe Vegaphone The Vega Co. Boston". The mid-'20s Vegaphone banjos were simply classier than many of their celluloid-swathed peers, with the Edwardian flavor of their 5-string Fairbanks ancestors continued into the flashier jazz age. They are also arguably the best-sounding instruments of their type ever made; at least, they offer the most traditional banjo tone of the louder orchestral jazz era. From the beginning Vegaphones were extremely popular with period jazz musicians and can be seen in many old photographs, as well as heard on literally thousands of early dance band and jazz recordings. This DeLuxe is one of the nicest Vegaphones we have had and a real showpiece visually."