Deering Sierra
submitted 10/23/2009
|
Submitter |
uncdavefan |
Where Purchased |
N/A |
Year Purchased |
2007 |
Price Paid |
Don't Remember
historic exchange rates / currency converter
|
Sound
|
Play all kinds of banjo music from bluegrass, blues, jazz, to Irish etc..
Very bright, balanced sound - good mids, plenty loud. The few Gibsons I tried
had more bass in the sound.
Variety of sounds - not sure, since not enough experience with banjos.
Dislike - as good as this banjo is, there was a Crafters of Tennessee banjo
that sounded similar, but more punchy and louder. The Crafters cost twice
as much. |
Sound Rating |
10 |
Setup
|
Banjo had so-so setup when I purchased it. The sound was great, but
not excellent as it is now. I recently got a Desert Rose Vintage Z bridge and
tried Earl Scruggs medium strings and the heavier strings (came with lights) and
new bridge plus a professional setup by a knowledgeable banjo repairman
improved the sound and playability 100%. Action is lower, more punchy sound,
more volume, better overall banjo tone. |
Setup Rating |
10 |
Appearance
|
I prefer plain instruments. The Sierra is perfect for me, as far as that goes.
I am not sure of the exact year of this banjo, but I believe it was sitting in a
store for a few years. It is probably a 2005 no-hole model. It has the dots
on the fretboard, which is fine by me. |
Appearance Rating |
not rated |
Reliability
|
Except for the bridge, which I suspected could be improved, the hardware
is excellent. The bridge, for all I know about banjos, might be excellent too, but
with the new setup and bridge, everything improved greatly, so I am not sure
how much is due to the bridge. Nothing rattles, though I got a little rattle
initially from the tail piece but it went away when the humidity changed and
hasn't come back. This is built like a tank and I haul it around to jam
sessions - it weighs a ton, so I think it will last forever. |
Reliability Rating |
10 |
Customer Service
|
I heard Deering has the best support, but no first hand experience. |
Customer Service |
10 |
Components
|
all components are very good. The bridge could be upgraded. Use medium gauge
strings for better tone. |
Components Rating |
9 |
Overall Comments
|
Excellent banjo. If you buy one, get it set up properly, since you may not be
able to accurately judge how good it is in some of the stores you go to. |
Overall Rating |
10 |
|
|
|
|
RSS Feeds