Janet Deering - Posted - 10/14/2009:  08:16:54

We have taken the opportunity this year to make many improvements in our tooling and banjo production techniques that add value to each and every banjo that we make. In making these many changes I realize there are questions from customers that I can answer here on the Banjo Hangout.

I will make time to answer questions as often as I can, possibly each morning for those who would like to contact me here.

In the Deering Banjo line we recently upgraded all the models with improved neck shapes. So if you have heard that the Tenbrooks shape was thick and a bit large, that is a thing of the past. The new Tenbrooks banjos have been resized to a wonderful neck shape that is comfortable and fast to play.

The shape of all Deering necks has been adjusted to a smaller thumb stop so that you can put a paige capo past the nut.

Each Neck shape we make has been reviewed personally by Greg and improved to what he originally intended.

Over the past year Greg has also designed and built the tooling to steam and bend our three ply maple rims in house and now we are able to use a high grade of violin maple for our rims and ensure perfect joints which in turn creates a more vibrant rim that resonates more fully the tone of the banjo.

Additionally, Greg has spent this past two months designing new inlays for the Sierra and the Deluxe banjos and these new inlay patterns can be seen on our website at deeringbanjos.com.

Feel free to ask me any questions you have and I will be happy sign in each morning over coffee and answer you.

I enjoy hearing from you.

Janet Deering

Va Picker - Posted - 10/14/2009:  08:24:52

Janet,

Deering has always made terrific banjos but like most other american made products, imports are being shipped in that are also very good but with a lower price point. And given the state of our economy, less is sometimes more. Of course we all know why they cost less.

DeanT - Posted - 10/14/2009:  08:31:50

Thanks for your time!
I would like to know if Deering has ever considered offering a banjo builder's "Kit". I've alway liked the idea of building a banjo, however do not have the expertise, $$, or tooling to do some of the harder procedures (heal cuts, rim glue-ups, neck shaping etc...). A rough cut Goodtime, Boston or Sierra type "kit" would be a tinkerer's dream. There are other kits available out there, (Saga, Gold Tone, StuMac, etc) but I'd love a good quality American made banjo builders kit.

Happy Goodtime and Calico player

Dean

Edited by - DeanT on 10/14/2009 10:19:27

goldtopia - Posted - 10/14/2009:  08:32:48

Yes, and the imports are getting better all the time.

Bill.O

bluegrassminstrels.co.uk

brundecarli - Posted - 10/14/2009:  09:05:29

Hi Janet
I love Deering's banjos. I have a Vega Little Wonder and I had a Goodtime II and a Goodtime.
I think that the price for Deering banjo is not the best. Yes, I know the problems about quality,new product, the market..etc.Another problem is the poor option for customize the banjo.
In the other side I think that Goodtime Banjo is the best first banjo. (I don't understand the price of Midnight Special and the Classic).
New product: Sierra is very good, the inlays are special.The neck is a example of a perfect neck (playability).
Deluxe is out of my budget.
Thanks for Deering's work
Bruno

PharmBoy - Posted - 10/14/2009:  09:30:54

Hi Janet;

Thanks for your post. It is terrific that you are doing this.

I just bought a Goodtime 2 Classic, and while I love it overall, there are two things I think you should consider adding to the design:

1) There are no side dots. I think that these are essential, particularly for those just starting out.

2) The dark fret markers on the dark brown maple neck are about as close to invisible as you can get. Please consider changing the color of the markers to a light color so that they can be seen.

See my review for more details.

Best Regards,

PharmBoy

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is no growth in the Comfort zone, and no comfort in the Growth zone.

"The instrument proper to them is the Banjar, which they brought hither from Africa."
-Thomas Jefferson

( )======"===::}

airborne - Posted - 10/14/2009:  09:38:14

hi Janet i have a Deering GDL, a great banjo and i love it, i am thinking about upgradeing it with a 20 hole tone ring i think the new GDL's have them, will i have to go through you guy's or get one from Eagle music im happy to do that, and what price would it be. keep up the good work, Deering banjo's all the way.

all the very best john. (airborne)

Grinnin&Pickin - Posted - 10/14/2009:  09:45:18

Hi Janet,

Glad to see that Deering is continuing to strive to improve their product line and ask for constructive comments from the public as part of the process. I have only been playing for 16 months. My main banjo is a 2001 Maple Blossom and I really like the feel of the neck and the tone of the banjo. Are their any improvements planned to the Maple Blossom line?

Trashbanjo - Posted - 10/14/2009:  09:59:42

Janet,
Love my Goodtime Special!! You should consider a aftermarket armrest,you would probably sell as many of them as you did banjo's.

"Pick it right or pick through it,just dont stop".
Vic Jenkins

Eastbaygeorge - Posted - 10/14/2009:  10:14:08

I do not own a Deering. All three of my banjos were purchased before Deering existed as a company. (You and Greg did build the neck on my California-made Staghorn, I believe.) I do want to say, though, that I really admire the way you have grown your company, and your involvement with the playing community. The fact that you show up with a manufacturer's booth at Grass Valley every year is great.

Eastbay George

tombriarhopper - Posted - 10/14/2009:  11:03:28

I am asking this not to be mean but to clarify...can instrument makers make similar posts onto this site? I never asked the question before. Thanks

Tom Briarhopper
wbtbriarhoppers.blogspot.com
myspace.com/tomwarlick

Grey Dog - Posted - 10/14/2009:  11:42:29

quote:

---

Originally posted by goldtopia

Yes, and the imports are getting better all the time.
Bill.O

---

five_string - Posted - 10/14/2009:  11:58:27

Janet:
My first good banjo was a Sierra (then called the "standard"). I loved it but eventually bought a Gibson RB3 because I thought I must have a Gibson.
Now I have switched to Clawhammer and recently purchased a Deering Vega number 2.
I absolutely love it. My dog is very upset because now my lap is never open for her.
Sometimes I just look at it. I clean it all the time and can't stop playing it.

Thanks for the craftsmanship that goes into your banjos.
Thanks also for your willingness to join this forum.

One question, I wish I had gotten the banjo with a scoop. What would be the cost to return it to the factory and have the scoop added?

Thanks in advance.

Mike

Axeman79 - Posted - 10/14/2009:  12:13:50

Janet,

Thanks for the post and the offer to answer questions!

I've seen several posts regarding the price of a Deering compared to foreign made banjos, but I reject the comparison. A buddy of mine plays a Maple Blossom and I think it is comparable to and at a better price point to my Gibson. At the lower end of the price scale, I don't think there's a starter banjo that can compare to the Goodtime 2.

A good banjo is going to cost some money, so I appreciate the great quality you produce and will continue to support American Made. At least I know your banjos are made here by free people, not offshore, and not subsidized by a crooked government.

Also, thank you for all the opportunities you give to BHO members to win one of your Banjos, it always grabs my attention!

Axeman

If the minimum wasn't good enough...it wouldn't be the minimum.

72chevy - Posted - 10/14/2009:  13:40:25

Hi Janet. I love the new Sierra inlay. I think it looks fantasitic. Sounds like these several improvements are a real nice step for Deering. I want one of those Sierras. Now for the question. I have seen a few pictures of the new maple sierra with black binding and white binding. I know one can order whatever they want from Deering but what will most likely be in the dealers hands, white I presume? IMO the black looks sweet.

Thanks,

Tommy

jsowers - Posted - 10/14/2009:  14:23:29

Thanks for taking our questions. Mine is regarding the Tenbrooks neck. Bought a used one about two months ago and still not sure how I feel about the neck, somedays like it better than others. Past posts on this site have speculated that a thick neck was chosen because of tone characteristics. I was wondering if that is true, and if so, does the thinner neck Tenbrooks have the same sound. Can you share with us the considerations that lead to the original neck shape? Thanks

Edited by - jsowers on 10/15/2009 08:07:09

Old Man - Posted - 10/14/2009:  16:39:32

I would love to have a new Calico.

5strings3picks1banjo - Posted - 10/15/2009:  04:41:51

Good luck and say hello to Greg from Banjobrothers Australia. He gave us a really good welcome and told us to continue with our dream. He is so willing to talk and share his time. We were also pleased that he said our rims where great for beginners. Since Greg encouraged us we have grown soo much in the last year.

Thank you,
Leon.

banjobrothersaustralia.com

uncledaveh - Posted - 10/15/2009:  06:20:57

Thank you for making yourself available for questions. What is the chance of Deering offering a Whyte Laydie tonering in the Vega line?
Thanks


David "Uncle Dave" Holbrook
The Rockdale Ridgerunners

"Now good people, we're going to play this next tune with more heterogeneous constipolicy, double flavor and unknown quality than usual! Make it light on yourself."

country frank - Posted - 10/15/2009:  07:35:48

Many thanks for your time Janet.

I own an 03 Maple Blossom custom and a Goodtime standard. From my point of view the MB is as good as most standard Gibson's and better than some. The Goodtime is just excellent value for money all round and tonally head and shoulders above its price competitors. Deerings imminent problems [FMPOV] are going to be with the quality and price of chinese imports, specifically the Recording King and Goldstar banjos. They are very good instruments for the money, not better, but cheaper and that matters right now.

What needles me [and perhaps others] is when i see additions to the Deering line which are fundamentally only cosmetic, the huge variety of Goodtime options has now [IMVHO] priced you out of that starter market and my feeling is you need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath-water, the Goodtime is you bread and butter banjo, its many players first banjo and it needs to be cheap. Close to $1000 for any Goodtime is just nuts.

Secondly unlike several posters here i really dislike the new inlays on the Sierra, this is clearly subjective and down to taste, but to my mind fiddling around with inlays is not going to be a deal clincher. Greg said it best, the Sierra is the best banjo for the money around, keep it affordable and keep it simple. Ever seen a badly fitted go-faster-body-kit on a SUV? well its that kind of look the new Sierra has, unnecessary.

With that all said and done i really appreciate that you come on the HO and solicit public opinion on your products, it sends a message to us [your clients] that you both care and are listening, something i get the impression that Gibson could do with learning right now.

Many thanks for the opportunity to air my thoughts on your otherwise most excellent company and i will continue to buy Deering.

Incidentally, i'd like to take this opportunity to pass on to you how good a service Eagle Music [Deering UK] provide to the british player. Tim is an excellent ambassador for Deering banjos and arguably one of the most upright men in the English banjo fraternity.

Proud Union Man

Regards from London.

Edited by - country frank on 10/15/2009 07:43:23

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/15/2009:  08:03:48

Thanks for your response! This may take a few cups of coffee and I will enjoy answering each of you.

Deering has always made terrific banjos but like most other american made products, imports are being shipped in that are also very good but with a lower price point.

Yes, there are lots of choices on the market now and that is good. Some look better than they perform and as a player gets more advanced the differences will become much more apparent. Also, as the life of the instrument requires quality parts for durability, lower prices may include an early demise.

Once at a festival I sold a new head to a lady and I tried to help her by changing the head on her Morgan Monroe. As I tried to tighten the hooks on the new head each hook began to give way under the stress of proper tension. All I could do is get the head on and apologize for the fact that I could not tighten the head to the proper tension without the hooks breaking. She would have to make do with the sound as it was.

This is a good example of the kind of challenge that comes with something made far away by a company that knows nothing about what it really takes to make a quality banjo good enough to have lifetime warranty. The quality is just enough to pass it for a banjo and sell it. We call these banjos BLOs - "Banjo Like Objects.

In every field of product you will find this - even in tools, you can buy a wrench of inferior metal, take it home and it will bend rather than turn the nut you need to adjust. You just threw your money away because it doesn't do the job, but you had the satisfaction of getting a great price on it.

country frank - Posted - 10/15/2009:  08:16:01

Janet, you are of course correct about the BSO's out there however Recording King and Goldstar [specifically] are not in that league. They are well constructed instruments designed from the ground up by expert builders, they are the new wave of imports and need to be taken seriously.

On another note both brands mentioned above enjoy a fair bit of support here on the HO and that is down [in no small part] to Greg and Scott's consistent and comprehensive input on this site. Communication with your customer base is of paramount importance and a very powerful marketing tool as they have proved. Once again you presence here is doing exactly that, communicating with us.

Proud Union Man

Regards from London.

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/15/2009:  08:22:38

I would like to know if Deering has ever considered offering a banjo builder's "Kit".

We have thought about this. Have not decided to do it. Have not decided never to do it. It's like asking Martin if they will make a kit guitar.

Our main focus has always been to make the highest quality banjos possible. It takes great precision to do this.

We only have about 30 people working here and only a few office staff. Carolina Bridges alone handles customer service calls and she is very busy since we are the only banjo company that answers customers questions directly with a person dedicated to this job. But Carolina also does the factory tours for people who come to visit us each day.

Imagine if we sold kits how many people would have questions about how to build their kit banjo. It could swing our focus away from making great banjos to teaching people how to assemble their kits.

For us, it is important to build the greatest banjos that have ever been made and to develop the sound and quality of our banjos such that the banjo as a musical instrument reaches a higher level of perfection and enables players to express themselves in ways never possible before.

I'm not sure that as a small company we could do both, so kits will wait.

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/15/2009:  08:42:27

I just bought a Goodtime 2 Classic, and while I love it overall, there are two things I think you should consider adding to the design:

1) There are no side dots. I think that these are essential, particularly for those just starting out.

2) The dark fret markers on the dark brown maple neck are about as close to invisible as you can get. Please consider changing the color of the markers to a light color so that they can be seen.

Thank you. As we have been improving our tooling to be able to provide more features, these are two items we have discussed. We actually changed already to white inlays on the Goodtime Classics last year. We will have a new catalog out showing this soon. One down, one to go.

So much of what we have offered has been dependent on time and tooling. The side dots on all of our banjos are put in by hand with a drill, and to keep the cost down, we figured the customers could put a dot mark with a permanent marker by the inlay frets if they wished. Many customers have done this if they wanted it on the 25,000 Goodtimes we have sold since 1995.

When we started this company 35 years ago, we had nothing but determination. Greg has personally built many of our machines by scrounging parts from aircraft salvage yards when General Dynamics, and Rohr industries were here in San Diego.
So, having built it personally from the ground up making banjo equipment has taken many years. In more recent years the improvements have come faster.

There are always more things to do as we progress.

Edited by - Janet Deering on 10/15/2009 10:57:20

DeanT - Posted - 10/15/2009:  08:46:13

quote:

---

so kits will wait.

---

Edited by - DeanT on 10/15/2009 08:47:03

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/15/2009:  08:48:45

hi Janet i have a Deering GDL, a great banjo and i love it, i am thinking about upgradeing it with a 20 hole tone ring i think the new GDL's have them, will i have to go through you guy's or get one from Eagle music im happy to do that, and what price would it be.

I'm glad you love your GDL. You can upgrade it to a 20 hole tonering and you can buy it through Eagle. I cannot guess the price because there are monetary conversions between dollars and pounds and other costs involved in the work of changing it over. Eagle Music in Yorkshire has a wonderful banjo repairman who can put the new tonering on for you and set your banjo up. I'm sure if you call them this can be arranged at a reasonable price.

Grinnin&Pickin - Posted - 10/15/2009:  09:04:56

I like Dean's idea of a banjo building workshop. I would appreciate a one day class on banjo maintenance and setup tips.

Bob Murphy - Posted - 10/15/2009:  09:39:20

Hi Janet,

I have a question and several comments.

I am fortunate enough to own a 1999 Golden Era, and a 2006 Tenbrook Legacy. I have noticed that on my GE the distance between the last fret and the head is about twice as long as on my Tenbrooks. Did you change the scale of the fretboard, and how does that affect the bridge placement, tone, etc?

My comments:
1. I recently had the tone ring on my GE swapped out at the factory for the newer 06 ring. The difference is astonishing! I would highly recommend the new tone ring to anyone. It sounds ALOT like my Tenbrooks tone ring.

2. I am one that really likes the shape of the Tenbrooks neck. Will the new neck alter the tone of the Tenbrooks in any way?

Thanks for taking the time to come online and answer questions. Your company is outstanding in every way.

Bob

Edited by - Bob Murphy on 10/16/2009 05:49:05

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/15/2009:  11:07:28

Are their any improvements planned to the Maple Blossom line?

We have made a great improvement on the Maple Blossom this year - we have changed the rim to our new violin grade maple which greatly improves the response and tone of the Maple Blossom. This change started in November 2008.

Right now, I have one Maple Blossom banjo made of walnut that we can sell at no extra charge.

We are experimenting with offering some choice on woods without an upcharge - for instance we are making Sierra banjos of maple and these have been very popular.

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/15/2009:  11:21:55

Love my Goodtime Special!! You should consider a aftermarket armrest,you would probably sell as many of them as you did banjo's.

Yes, we do plan to make a new armrest for the Goodtime banjos that is more comfortable. It is another item on the long list of new tooling to do.

At this point we are selling an armrest that works well as an aftermarket armrest called a Banjo Mate Thinline Armrest and sells for $59.95.

It fits the Goodtime banjo because the attachments go onto the banjo hooks and can slide in a groove in the underside of the armrest to anchor in alignment with where the hooks are and so it can fit any banjo.

This can be ordered on our website part # AR-BM at DeeringBanjos.com

Grey Dog - Posted - 10/15/2009:  11:24:30

(As Janet starts her fifteenth cup of coffee....Wondering what she got herself into....)


:-)

][ Grey Dog in NH

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/15/2009:  11:34:13

I could also see a future shop class, where the project would be assembling Goodtimes (instead of birdhouses or something). Had I been involved in something like that as a teenager, my life might have been totally different musically.

Dean,

It's funny you should mention that. We have been donating our reject banjo parts to a wood shop class at the West Hills High School in Santee, CA for the past 4 years. The woodshop teacher came here and took some lessons on banjo building after hours and we set him up so he could help his students build their own banjos.

The guitar teacher in their music department came here on one of our Saturday factory open house days for free banjo lessons that we offer periodically and so he started an after hours class teaching banjo at the high school.

At the end of each semester the shop teacher, has the kids final event of class be to play a song for the class. We have videos of some of these kids and their banjos. It is quite something to see what they are able to do. Talk about modified Goodtimes! It can get wild!

I ran into one of these young adults last summer at a Boy Scout event and he thanked Greg and I for the banjo and the wood shop class. He said he was still enjoying playing his banjo. It is very rewarding to see kids make better projects in woodshop than what I made at my high school back in the '70s.

There are now only 11 shop classes still in high schools in San Diego area. We and Taylor Guitars are both supporting these classes with parts and materials so kids can learn the joy of wood working and also the benefit from making their own instruments. In some cases it revitalizes their interest in learning so that they don't drop out of High School.

DeanT - Posted - 10/15/2009:  11:37:29

I want to be young again and attend West Hills High School in Santee, CA!!! Thanks for influencing young lives!

Dean

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/15/2009:  11:40:37

Yes! It's almost lunch time. Lots of coffee later!

I'll sign off for now and pick it up tomorrow morning.

sammys - Posted - 10/15/2009:  11:51:19

quote:

---

Originally posted by tombriarhopper

I am asking this not to be mean but to clarify...can instrument makers make similar posts onto this site? I never asked the question before. Thanks

Tom Briarhopper
wbtbriarhoppers.blogspot.com
myspace.com/tomwarlick

---

PBGuardsman - Posted - 10/15/2009:  22:41:32

Very cool that you're doing this. Like someone said earlier, it shows a level of dedication not really shown by many companies at all.

I've been looking to buy a deering goodtime special for my next banjo, so I have been doing a lot of web research on the deering site. Some of the links don't go where they say they do, (the Goodtime Special "Buy now" link goes to the same page as the "more" link etc), and some of the stuff is a little out of the way, (it would be nice if there was a clip of the banjo playing in the description), but none of this stuff is major.

That being said, Deering is a banjo company, not a website company. And again, thank's for coming here and asking for responses.

Paul

"But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, 'Why have you made me like this''? Romans 9:20 (NRSV)

jack64 - Posted - 10/16/2009:  03:59:44

Thank you, Janet, for your time!
We met in '94 in Owensboro, where I showed you my GDL.
Just a few words to let you know the baby (it's an adult, now!) is still a really terrific banjo!

Ciao from Italy.

Jack ོ
--------------------

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/16/2009:  05:46:00

I think that Goodtime Banjo is the best first banjo. (I don't understand the price of Midnight Special and the Classic).

The Midnight Special and the Classic line have been a work in progress and you may have seen them before they reached their current status. What they have come to is quite an upgrade from a regular blond Goodtime banjo.

The Midnight Special is a Goodtime Special with the beautiful fiddle peghead shape, planetary geared tuners, painted black with white inlays and white detailing complimenting the black. The difference in price is wrapped up in the extra work of the painting and detailing, the planetary tuners, and the spikes at 7,9, and 10.

The Classic Goodtime Banjos are the same basic structure as the Goodtime banjos with the added features of planetary banjo tuners, and spikes installed, along with the fiddle peghead, white inlays and logo, and with a dark brown stain.

One added benefit of these banjos is that in the process of putting on this extra stain and finish, they go through the curing process in our UV oven and we have found that this extra step has quite an effect on the sound. They have a more distinctive tone that is slightly louder.

The added cost is both in the labor and materials.

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/16/2009:  05:58:51

I do not own a Deering. All three of my banjos were purchased before Deering existed as a company. (You and Greg did build the neck on my California-made Staghorn, I believe.) I do want to say, though, that I really admire the way you have grown your company, and your involvement with the playing community. The fact that you show up with a manufacturer's booth at Grass Valley every year is great.

Eastbay George,

Thanks. Yes, Greg and I probably did build your Staghorn neck. We made the first 600 Stelling necks when we were first in business as subcontractors selling parts to Stelling after the partnership split. So even though you play a Stelling you are still a part of the bigger Deering family! Like Alan Munde.... He is part of the Deering family too and what a great player and a wonderful person.

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/16/2009:  06:08:43

Now I have switched to Clawhammer and recently purchased a Deering Vega number 2.
I absolutely love it. My dog is very upset because now my lap is never open for her.
Sometimes I just look at it. I clean it all the time and can't stop playing it.

Thanks for the craftsmanship that goes into your banjos.
Thanks also for your willingness to join this forum.

One question, I wish I had gotten the banjo with a scoop. What would be the cost to return it to the factory and have the scoop added?

Yes, you can return your Vega No. 2 for a scoup. The cost includes disassembly, reassembly and set up at $120 plus adding the scoup is $50. If you send it in December over the holidays at the end of the month or in January, it will be after our Christmas rush of shippping and we can get it back to you fairly quickly. Plan on it being here for about 2 weeks. If you want anything else done to it while it is here like spikes installed, write it all down in a letter and put it in the case with the banjo and we will make sure it all gets done while it is here.

brundecarli - Posted - 10/16/2009:  06:36:47

Thanks Janet for the answers, this contact is an added value for yours fantastic products.
A special thanks to the workers in Deering Banjo Company.
Bruno

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/16/2009:  06:47:24

I've seen several posts regarding the price of a Deering compared to foreign made banjos, but I reject the comparison. A buddy of mine plays a Maple Blossom and I think it is comparable to and at a better price point to my Gibson. At the lower end of the price scale, I don't think there's a starter banjo that can compare to the Goodtime 2.

A good banjo is going to cost some money, so I appreciate the great quality you produce and will continue to support American Made. At least I know your banjos are made here by free people, not offshore, and not subsidized by a crooked government.

Thanks. You are right. A good banjo does cost money to make especially paying American labor and health insurance like we do.

Some people have assumed that we do work in Mexico because San Diego (Spring Valley) is 20 miles North of the boarder but we don't. We hire and train real Americans to make our banjos because our purpose is to be part of the backbone of America and manfuacture here in the USA.

If we were in it just for the money we would be making guitars, and if we only wanted to make a profit from banjos we would make them in China like almost all the other brands.

The problem I have observed with companies that bring them in from China is something that no company can get away from in the nature of doing business overseas. They have challenges with their labor force wanting higher wages naturally, with the pennies they are paying them, and companies in China are hiring the trained workers away from one plant to another with a lack of continuity of knowledgeable workers making the products. They may get it right at one time, but then the workers who know what is needed get a higher paying job somewhere else and since the executives don't know banjos, the knowledge goes away with the worker and the quality goes back in the toilet. Unless banjo experts want to live over there, which most don't, you can't count on the quality one day to another.

I talked with one very knowledgeable banjo player who had visited one of the two factories in China mass producing the banjos and he told me how frustrated he was because everytime he visited them and told them the importance of the placement of the nut when he went back six months later they didn't keep the nut in the right place, they thought that if it was within a quarter inch it was fine. He could not get them to continue to do it right and so the whole scale was off.

It amazes me how many American name brands come from Asia now either in the full banjos or in necks and parts coming in to be assembled here.

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/16/2009:  06:57:17

Hi Janet. I love the new Sierra inlay. I think it looks fantasitic. Sounds like these several improvements are a real nice step for Deering. I want one of those Sierras. Now for the question. I have seen a few pictures of the new maple sierra with black binding and white binding. I know one can order whatever they want from Deering but what will most likely be in the dealers hands, white I presume?

I would be curious which you would prefer.

When we started making the maple Sierra banjos about a year ago we make the first ones with black binding because it had continuity with the neck's ebony fingerboard and the black on the resonator.

Recently, within the last month, we changed to white binding on the maple Sierra banjos to stay in keeping with the model as shown in the catalog.

Which would you prefer? Black binding or White binding on the resonator of maple Sierra banjos?

We can do either. But at this point all the new ones being made now are being made with white.

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/16/2009:  07:28:55

I am fortunate enough to own a 1999 Golden Era, and a 2006 Tenbrook Legacy. I have noticed that on my GE the distance between the last fret and the head is about twice as long as on my Tenbrooks. Did you change the scale of the fretboard, and how does that affect the bridge placement, tone, etc.

Thanks, Bob. Good questions!

No, we did not change the scale of the fret board. We did change the amount of wood left at the end of the fingerboard where it attaches to the pot. What this does is affect the placement of the bridge on the head. The scale is the same.

Yes, any difference affects the sound. John Hartford once told me that the more toward the center the bridge is placed the the more the head will resonate and so the sound becomes a bit rounder.

My comments:
1. I recently had the tone ring on my GE swapped out at the factory for the newer 06 ring. The difference is astonishing! I would highly recommend the new tone ring to anyone. It sounds ALOT like my Tenbrooks tone ring.

Yes, the new '06 tonering is an astonishing improvement especially on stage. The original tonering we used for the past 30+ years was also a good tonering in most circumstances was really great. It performed well in regular settings, jam sessions etc. yet when you amplify the banjo or record with the banjo the '06 is a much better tonering for this purpose as it has less overtones.

2. I am one that really likes the shape of the Tenbrooks neck. Will the new neck alter the tone of the Tenbrooks in any way?


Any part that is made differently will alter the tone in some way. The heavier the neck will generally give you more sustain. Since we have made the neck more slim and comfortable it has a bit less sustain. You would have to listen to see if you even notice it.

If you compare a new Tenbrooks to Tony Trischka's larger Saratoga Star neck on his website you can judge the difference. If you google Tony Trischka you will find his wonderful new banjo lesson website. He plays his Saratoga Star all the time. You can hear it there.

Edited by - Janet Deering on 10/16/2009 07:36:02

Brian - Posted - 10/16/2009:  07:38:11

I own a Fender Deluxe. It is so painfully obvious that there are quality issues. Inlays are badly aligned. While taking the head off, the nuts move roughly on the hooks. The thumb screws for the resonator are impossible to turn let alone line up. It's as though everything is just not machined quite right. (or something) The banjo sounds nice. It plays nice. But it is not what I would call a quality instrument. (it's pretty much a BLO)

I don't know where I get off saying this as I own an asian banjo but, we need to tax products (imports) that are being made with little or no regard to human and environmental (to only name two) elements. Most of us are guilty of choosing the cheaper object at one time or another (especially when the object is expensive). Eventually, this will bite us in the behind.

Love my Goodtime!!

Brian

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/16/2009:  07:56:59

Thanks for taking our questions. Mine is regarding the Tenbrooks neck. Bought a used one about two months ago and still not sure how I feel about the neck, somedays like it better than others. Past posts on this site have speculated that a thick neck was chosen because of tone characteristics. I was wondering if that is true, and if so, does the thinner neck Tenbrooks have the same sound. Can you share with us the considerations that lead to the original neck shape? Thanks

John, Yes, it's all a work in process. The original neck shape was not intended to be as thick as it became. We were fairly new at programming the neck shapes to be cut on the CNC machine. For the previous 26 years we had carved all our necks on a shaper and sculpted the heel and thumb stop by hand using a flexible arm shaft with a 60 grit sanding sleeve. Our neck shapes varied a lot in the size and shape of the heel and thumb stop.

So when we began the complex process of writing tool paths to shape necks on the CNC machine with 3 dimensional carving there was a learning curve that took place from 2001 to 2008. It is highly advanced programming to make all the neck shapes we make. Something changed in the Tenbrooks program that made it thicker than intended on some necks. If you would like to have us make your neck more slender you can send it in and we can reshape it.

The cost to have it reshaped is $125, plus disassembly, reassembly and set up $120, plus shipping. After Dec. 20th is the best time for something like this. When we reshape it you will get the slim comfortable Deering neck shape that our master craftsman has hand shaped for years. Yes, it will be done by hand as once a neck is built we cannot reshape it by machine.

Edited by - Janet Deering on 10/16/2009 08:02:51

Janet Deering - Posted - 10/16/2009:  08:09:35

What is the chance of Deering offering a Whyte Laydie tonering in the Vega line?

David,

Greg and I have discussed this. There is a very good chance of us offering a Whyte Laydie tonering in the Vega line. You are the third person to ask us about that and previous to this year no one ever asked for it so we did not put any attention on doing it.

Is there a certain Vega model you are interested in?

The thing that pushes new products like making a Whyte Laydie tonering to actually become a front burner project for us is customer requests and especially an order for this type of banjo. Until there is a specific order with a customer interested in having it a project like this is on the "Someday List."

Viktor Velthuijs - Posted - 10/16/2009:  08:32:29

Dear Janet,

No questions here, just positive comments! I have always held Deering in very high regard; infact the highest concerning 5-string resonator banjos. I own several Deerings, and currently one very special banjo is being constructed by you (this is my real name). Carolina does an incredible job, and she handles my requests very well. I must also express my excitement for the new violin maple rims, and the redesigned Sierra and Deluxe (they are perfect)! I would say, to stay the way you as a company have always been, trying to improve and tweak further, striving for perfection and the finest sounding, playing and looking banjos.

One question I do have is that, I own a MB6 and although the tone is great and so is playability it does resonate too much (with or without resonator) and weighs rather heavy. It might be an idea to try a bigger head and put in a wooden tone ring instead (fortunately I own a Hartford too). The amount of resonance it causes (it is a guitar-banjo after all, 6 strings is a lot for your typical banjo construction) is its only flaw.

Stay who you are! :-)

Edited by - Viktor Velthuijs on 10/16/2009 08:33:42

rvrose - Posted - 10/16/2009:  10:01:26

Janet,

Thank you very much for doing this on the hangout. I have a Calico. I love everything about it - the sound, the ease of play, thin neck, and especially the beauty. My Calico is the light tiger maple - which has the beautiful 3D look in the maple grain. I have seen some darker versions that appear to be a stained version? Is this an option? Did you stop making the lighter version? Thanks again.

Rick