The Legend of the Vega Dragon Star

Just like the mythical creature, the Vega Dragon Star is a rare beast indeed. In my 15 years at Deering banjo company, I have only ever seen one up close, right before it was shipped to an eager customer. This time, I decided to document as much of the process as possible.

On the surface, the Vega Dragon Star is a beautiful Vega Tubaphone model, similar in ways to a Vega #2 banjo. A stunning curly maple neck, stained in a glowing honey, while the rim is clad in bright, perfectly finished nickel.

However, the big differences lie in the incredible inlay work on the neck that sets it apart. It takes its name from the Dragon that wraps its tail around the peghead. But while this is an original Deering design, banjos are no strangers to dragons! 

Origins of the Dragon Star

Let's be clear, dragon inlays made of mother-of-pearl adorning the peghead of a banjo is not a new idea. Some wonderful Bacon FF Professional models from the early 1900's feature the coveted "chubby dragon" design that many believe was originally conceptualized by legendary engraver, Icilio Consalvi. This design has also featured on several custom presentation Bacon & Day and Vega banjos over the years. 

Inspired by the chubby dragon, Greg Deering was adamant that he wanted to incorporate his own design, inspired by those early Consalvi-style dragons. At the time, a young, budding designer named Chris Kopotic, brother of current Deering Master Builder Chad Kopotic, began sketching that design. Not too soon after, Kopotic left Deering to pursue a successful career in graphic design. The dragon was not finished, but had been set in the right direction, and so the dragon, with its tail wrapped around the Vega star, was finished by Greg himself.

"In English lore, there were good dragons and bad dragons. Some dragons took care of the king and his kingdom. Other dragons tore things down." Greg Deering told me. 

"So, ours is a good dragon", he said with a smile. 

The result is an incredible piece, with the dragon's body made of mother-of-pearl, all hand-engraved, while the wings are made of abalone shell. The dragon is perched on a gold mother-of-pearl Vega Star, while its tail wraps around it. It's one of those things where the more you look at it, the more you notice. 

The Lady in the Red Dress

At the base of the fingerboard stands a lady in a red dress, looking up towards the dragon, holding a staff which features the Vega Star shining brightly. 

"I wanted somebody who was looking up towards the dragon and the star, and I envisioned a lady looking up," said Greg. 

"We had a girl working in reception for us at the time, and so I went over to the costume place down the street and rented some Medieval-type costumes, and she wore 2-3 different costumes and we took pictures to use as a reference point for the inlay."

Incredible Details

The star of the show, however, is the painstaking level of detail, hand skill, and micro movements. I had never had the chance to watch, much less document how all this was done. Each scale is painstakingly engraved one by one, and each tiny piece of pearl is cut by hand. Every fret tang hand filed for a perfect fit.

Everything about this build was a true test of patience and precision. Every step taken with intention and purpose to ensure a perfect result. 

Check out the Vega Dragon Star for more amazing images!