A tour-de-force presentation banjo from Professor Douglas Unger, featuring a fancifully augmented Vega Style R Whyte Laydie rim assembly from 1917, and a custom built five string neck, practically dripping in pearl inlay. The three piece curly maple neck was built with a 26" scale length fully bound ebony fingerboard, with extraordinarily detailed high-relief floral heel carving, with engraved pearlwork on the ivoroid heel cap, gryphon on the peghead underlay with long back strap, earlier style Gryphon and eagle on ebony overlay, with exquisite columns of pearl capping the fingerboard with highly ornamented pearlwork in between; equipped with scalloped bone nut, thin frets, with pronounced volute, 1-5/16" wide at the nut. The 10-3/4" diameter pot was originally stamped as a Style R Whyte Laydie, and shows Fairbanks-Vega stamps/plaque, and pearl maker's plaque on dowel; the rim cap features detailed colorful marquetry, divided with eight tiny engraved stars, with two bands of zipper marquetry inside the rim. Equipped with cam style No Knot, and pearl buttoned spring loaded Champion friction tuners.