dpete210 - Posted - 03/02/2012:  08:53:16

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beardog

.....

I'd love to hear from any Hartford owners out there...I know, I can search BHO and find everything that has ever been said about the Hartford....but what's the fun in that??

---

Beardog, while your ears will be the best judge, I can't imagine you not liking the Hartford.  I have had mine for about 3 years now and still am impressed by the sound that comes from the grenadillo (wood) ring.  I'm not concerned about a banjo being loud and overpowering at a jam with a bunch of guitars banging away so can't give any comment about that aspect.  I am more interested in an instrument blending in with ther others to create a pleasant and good sound.  The Hartford excels at that. I believe you will be greatly impressed by the volume this banjo can create despite not having a heavy metal tone ring.   It is a great banjo.  

iSteve - Posted - 03/02/2012:  09:38:22

I'm the new owner of a Deering Classic Goodtime Special (w/ steel ring), pending its arrival this afternoon.  As I write this, I am waiting for the UPS guy to arrive with my beautiful banjo.  I'm really happy to be a part of the Deering family.

Steve

Steve4090 - Posted - 03/02/2012:  09:58:05

Congrats Steve!  Hope you like yours as much as I like mine!

Rocketrob - Posted - 03/02/2012:  10:57:07

Tom,
I found myself in the same situation.
I already own an open back goodtime and decided I wanted a quality resonator banjo.
Decided to buy a RK 75 (after reading all the "good" press on it) This is supposedly to be a "professional grade" asian banjo.
Received the first one - finish over wood is beautiful, workmanship in my opinion poor, chrome over dust/sand, resonator hardware loose and rolling around in resonator and a very small crack under the resonator in the neck. returned it.
Received #2 - again finish over wood is beautiful, mounting of resonator better, but the brackets had minimal engagement with the recess inside the bowl and were cutting into it and this would only get worse. looks more closely and the resonator bowl was 1/8" out of round which aggravated the minimal purchase on the flange brackets. And plating while better than first example still had rough edges and dust underneath.
Now understand I am new to banjos and if I can see these flaws It scared me to think what I am really missing.
Customer support form manufacturer and individual on this forum associated with manufacturer was less than responsive and suggested I was overly critical.
Also exchanged emails with several RK 75 owners about the amount of work they had to put into (or pay others) correcting nagging little flaws on theirs.

Meanwhile while all this drama is going on I sent an email to Deering Customer support about a very minor opening up of one lamination on my little good time open back.
Same day- Received a pleasant response from Carolina that they would be more than happy to repair or replace my maple body.
I told her that structurally the banjo is fine and as I am heavy into lessons can not take it out of service until I find a second banjo.
Needless to say I returned the RK-75 for someone else to spend money and time sorting through and ordered a custom Deering Sierra.

I kick myself as every time I am lured into asian products by low-cost and nice finish I am always dissatisfied.
Now I wait until May for my Amber maple, pop off resonator, SS fretted Deering Sierra and if I am half as pleased with it as I have been with my little GoodTime Openback Life will be good!

Play your Goodtime until you can save a bit more to obtain Deering quality is my advice!

Janet Deering - Posted - 03/02/2012:  15:50:01

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pmK...ature=fvsr

paulac7 - Posted - 03/04/2012:  10:06:24

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beardog

I just couldn't let this thread slip too far down the list of recent topics!

I jumped and bought a Hartford a couple of days ago. It should arrive one day next week. I can't wait to compare it to my other banjos (they all have brass  tone rings), and experiment with different setups and sounds!

I'd love to hear from any Hartford owners out there...I know, I can search BHO and find everything that has ever been said about the Hartford....but what's the fun in that??

---

The Hartford will blow you away!!  Just my opinion, just for fun, I wouldn't mess too much with the 'stock' setup.  Play it for a while to let it 'settle in' a bit.  I've had mine about 8 months, and haven't had to change anything except move the bridge a bit, and tighten the head a little bit a few times, and I swear that it keeps sounding better by the month!! 

I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the sound/volume/tone you can get out of this woody.  And the best part is that it doesn't weigh a ton, which is nice, as I can't horse around a 15 lb boat anchor anymore.  As for volume--I play with amplified instruments on occasion, and I have no problem being heard.

Another thing noticed by me is how much the tone changes from the hand position--up by the neck, it's as mellow and nice and can be, but let me start cranking it down by the bridge, watch out--it's LOUD.  But even with all that said, the Hartford has it's own sound, and I don't think anything comes close--it's like a Harley--often imitated, but never duplicated.  Not sure how much this helps, but that's just my take.

Paula >^.^<

Beardog - Posted - 03/04/2012:  17:07:11

Thanks for the replies.

I have played a couple of Hartford banjos at noisy trade shows, and really liked both of them. Can't wait to see how it plays and sounds in a quiet environment...

I've been listening to some of John Hartford's solo picking, and I really like the dry, mellow tone of the Grenadillo ring.

My Hartford will ship out to me tomorrow!

iSteve - Posted - 03/10/2012:  06:32:46

Janet,

I just want you to know how much I love my Deering Classic Goodtime Special.  It has such a rich tone.  And it's beautifully made.  I'm a Deering fan for life now.

I have a few questions about a couple of your other banjos.  Other than the obvious two-frets, what is the main difference between the Classic Goodtime 2 17-Fret Tenor and the Classic Goodtime Two 19-Fret Tenor Banjo?  How does the sound differ?  What about ease of playing?  I have heard that 17-Fret were originally made for younger folks and women, i.e. people with smaller hands.  Is the neck on the 17-Fret smaller than the 19-Fret?

Thanks in advance.

Steve

erikforgod - Posted - 03/22/2012:  17:38:49

Janet I have a quick question - How many Goodtime Fretless banjos are coming off of the line at Deering? Have you guys only made a few of them or many? Also can any Goodtime be ordered with a fretless neck..say a Goodtime Special or a Goodtime Classic?

Janet Deering - Posted - 03/23/2012:  13:46:17

Very few. We have probably made a dozen fretless scooped Goodtime
Banjos so far. We offer them on our website but they are not yet in the catalog. They are essentially a custom instrument that is ordered directly from us and can be featured only in 5-string Goodtime models.

erikforgod - Posted - 03/24/2012:  15:05:21

quote:

---

Originally posted by Janet Deering



Very few. We have probably made a dozen fretless scooped Goodtime

Banjos so far. We offer them on our website but they are not yet in the catalog. They are essentially a custom instrument that is ordered directly from us and can be featured only in 5-string Goodtime models.

---

I am surprised at that to be honest. I can say I am so pleased with both my Goodtime Crow and also my Scooped Neck Classic Goodtime...I have them both set-up perfectly now...I recently put custom bridges on both of mine...handcrafted by Tim Purcell of North Carolina...bridges made from some curly maple blanks harvested from an old "turn of the century" piano...these already fantastic banjos are now even better! I have also recently purchased some 5 star planetary tuners for my Crow...just to kind of personalize it a little more. I am thinking about a fretless banjo for my next purchase...that way each of my banjos gives me something a little different...I have considered a hand crafted luthier banjo...but I am afraid I will invest money in one...and end up playing my Goodtimes still the most like I know alot of the guys here do on the BHO!

Even so if I order a Goodtime Fretless as my next banjo..I will probably change the bridge and the tuners like on the two I have now...and I may put a brass plate over the fingerboard. There is a guy that did that with his Goodtime banjo in Denmark and it sounds fantastic!! Some guys have really tinkered with their Goodtimes to great lengths..others not...but that is the magic of the Goodtime banjo in my opinion.

I really appreciate the simplicity and elegance of the Goodtime banjos...they truly are a "Goodtime"!!

Edited by - erikforgod on 03/24/2012 15:09:23

Paulf - Posted - 03/24/2012:  17:40:43

quote:

---

Originally posted by Paulf

Hi Janet.

                  Looking at buying a Goodtime in hopefully a few more weeks and will be getting it shipped to Australia but noticed on your site that the only hard case available is the $268 which I would not buy for a $500 banjo but I would feel better if the banjo was shipped in a case.  A few companies and shops offer a budget hard case when buying a banjo and was wondering if Deering would ever consider that for the Goodtime banjos.  I realize that you have sent so many banjos out in just the cardboard box and not had any problems but I would feel more relaxed if I knew it was better protected.

Cheers,  Paul

 

---

 Hi Janet, still waiting for your opinion regarding this post please.

Paul

Edited by - Paulf on 03/24/2012 17:52:48

Janet Deering - Posted - 03/24/2012:  23:45:53

Yes we would consider it if more customers wanted them. However you are the first to request it for protection. We often ship Goodtime. Banjos in gig bags which offer more protection and have found these protect the banjos just fine. We have shipped more than 50,000 Goodtime banjos in the last 15 years and I don't recall hardly any that have actually broken in shipping. So this has not been a problem that needs a solution.

Janet Deering - Posted - 03/25/2012:  00:36:39

I just want you to know how much I love my new Deering Classic Goodtime Special. It has such a rich tone. And it's beautifully made. I'm a Deering fan for life now.

I have a few questions about a couple of your other banjos.  Other than the obvious two-frets, what is the main difference between the Classic Goodtime 2 17-Fret Tenor and the Classic Goodtime Two 19-Fret Tenor Banjo? How does the sound differ? What about ease of playing? I have heard that 17-Fret were originally made for younger folks and women, i.e. people with smaller hands. Is the neck on the 17-Fret smaller than the 19-Fret?

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." - John Wesley

Thanks for the email - I had to include your ending quote. Because it is such a good one.
The difference is that the 17 fret neck has a scale length of 21 inches so the frets are closer together then the 19 fret tenor with the scale length of 23 inches. The 17 fret is made for musicians who come from the violin family so that the finger positions are similar, it is still a bit of a reach for a violinist but it is much easier than the 19 fret neck. The purpose was not originally for women and children. The shorter string of the 17 fret has less tension than the longer string of the 19 fret neck and so it has a bit softer sound. But the difference is slight and most listeners would not notice when the two are played side by side. The 17 fret is predominantly used for Irish fiddle music and most of our 17's are sold to people playing Irish music. But it is a contradiction that nearly all the top Irish performers play 19's. In Dixieland jazz the predominant instrument is the longer 22 fret plectrum
Banjo but there are significant players who use the tenor banjo in Dixieland jazz and it is always the 19 fret tenor banjo. The 17 fret isn't used in the jazz world.

I hope this is of help and I'm sorry it took me so long to answer your questions.

Paulf - Posted - 03/25/2012:  01:55:37

quote:

---

Originally posted by Janet Deering



Yes we would consider it if more customers wanted them. However you are the first to request it for protection. We often ship Goodtime. Banjos in gig bags which offer more protection and have found these protect the banjos just fine. We have shipped more than 50,000 Goodtime banjos in the last 15 years and I don't recall hardly any that have actually broken in shipping. So this has not been a problem that needs a solution.

---

 Thanks Janet, appreciate the answer.  If 50,000 survived then I should be ok and it should only be a few more weeks now before you get my order.

Paul

erikforgod - Posted - 03/25/2012:  07:05:58

quote:

---

Originally posted by Paulf

quote:

---

Originally posted by Janet Deering



Yes we would consider it if more customers wanted them. However you are the first to request it for protection. We often ship Goodtime. Banjos in gig bags which offer more protection and have found these protect the banjos just fine. We have shipped more than 50,000 Goodtime banjos in the last 15 years and I don't recall hardly any that have actually broken in shipping. So this has not been a problem that needs a solution.

---

 Thanks Janet, appreciate the answer.  If 50,000 survived then I should be ok and it should only be a few more weeks now before you get my order.

Paul

---

Paul I purchased my Goodtime Crow from Amazon.com. The banjo came in the standard Deering box, and on the inside were two styrofoam supports, and the banjo was inside the gig bag supported and suspended within the box by this styrofoam casing. Around that was a plastic bag of sorts. My Crow didnt have so much as a scratch" The Deering gig.bag is extra nice and has a beautiful Deering Eagle logo embroidered on the front. The straps are padded and real comfortable for carrying...neither of Goodtimes ( my classic was shipped directly from Deering ) neither of them had so much as a blemish!

Paul I do recommend one thing though and I know Janet will agree. The Deering gig-bag is nicely padded but I purchased some cheapy cotton towels at a local dollar store in the states before I headed back to Argentina. I lined the bottom, round part of both my gig bags with one of the cloths to protect the tension hoop and j-hooks of my banjos from any unexpected bumps. Also I have wrapped the 5th-string pegs and the pegheads and necks of both of my Goodtimes in some thick towels. This gave my banjos some added protection and its very sufficient. The weakest part...or maybe better said...the area where a banjo is most apt to break ( any banjo ) is between the 5th string peg and the finger-joint on that peghead. Other than that as DeanT says "Goodtime banjos are built like tanks" you will have zero problems with it! Both my banjos are stored in their respective gig-bags this way...and I always return them to their gig-bags and store them nicely when not in use.

Edited by - erikforgod on 03/25/2012 07:09:24

DeanT - Posted - 03/25/2012:  08:46:35

Janet, the next time you talk to Taylor Swift, see if you can get her to join the Hangout 

Gymbal31 - Posted - 03/25/2012:  10:09:46

quote:

---

Originally posted by DeanT

Janet, the next time you talk to Taylor Swift, see if you can get her to join the Hangout 

---

Yes, I'm sure she would love to see what some of the old men on here have said about her.

Paulf - Posted - 03/25/2012:  12:44:12

Erikforgod,   I like the idea of the stryofoam inserts and reckon they would do a great job.  I have already purchased a really good gig bag off ebay so don't really need the Deering one and for the cost of the Deering gig bag I could purchase a cheap case instead.  Would have bought the Goodtime by now except for work hassles but hopefully will be back on track soon.

Cheers, Paul

ebay.com.au/itm/GREAT-NEW-FAT-...ae5acc81b 

iSteve - Posted - 03/25/2012:  13:28:33

quote:

---

Originally posted by Janet Deering



I just want you to know how much I love my new Deering Classic Goodtime Special. It has such a rich tone. And it's beautifully made. I'm a Deering fan for life now.



I have a few questions about a couple of your other banjos.  Other than the obvious two-frets, what is the main difference between the Classic Goodtime 2 17-Fret Tenor and the Classic Goodtime Two 19-Fret Tenor Banjo? How does the sound differ? What about ease of playing? I have heard that 17-Fret were originally made for younger folks and women, i.e. people with smaller hands. Is the neck on the 17-Fret smaller than the 19-Fret?



"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." - John Wesley



Thanks for the email - I had to include your ending quote. Because it is such a good one.

The difference is that the 17 fret neck has a scale length of 21 inches so the frets are closer together then the 19 fret tenor with the scale length of 23 inches. The 17 fret is made for musicians who come from the violin family so that the finger positions are similar, it is still a bit of a reach for a violinist but it is much easier than the 19 fret neck. The purpose was not originally for women and children. The shorter string of the 17 fret has less tension than the longer string of the 19 fret neck and so it has a bit softer sound. But the difference is slight and most listeners would not notice when the two are played side by side. The 17 fret is predominantly used for Irish fiddle music and most of our 17's are sold to people playing Irish music. But it is a contradiction that nearly all the top Irish performers play 19's. In Dixieland jazz the predominant instrument is the longer 22 fret plectrum

Banjo but there are significant players who use the tenor banjo in Dixieland jazz and it is always the 19 fret tenor banjo. The 17 fret isn't used in the jazz world.



I hope this is of help and I'm sorry it took me so long to answer your questions.

---

 Janet,

Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly.  Also, thanks for your insights on the 17 and 19 fret banjos.  I appreciate all that you do for the banjo world.

Steve

DeanT - Posted - 03/25/2012:  14:07:30

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gymbal31

quote:

---

Originally posted by DeanT

Janet, the next time you talk to Taylor Swift, see if you can get her to join the Hangout 

---

 

Yes, I'm sure she would love to see what some of the old men on here have said about her.

---

Yeah the same old men that would probably choke on their own slobbering tongue and trip over their own feet if they actually encountered her. I'm sure she's heard a lot worse. Taylor has a lot of fans here, and to heck with the negative nelly nonesense.

Vapor - Posted - 03/25/2012:  16:55:08

Well said Dean. She is a great performer and musician.

mzloretta - Posted - 03/31/2012:  16:44:35

Am considering trading one of my mandolins in and purchasing a Dropkick Murphy's Goodtime Tenor Banjo as my first banjo. 

What do folks think?

Janet Deering - Posted - 04/01/2012:  10:37:55

Great idea. You will have a lot of fun with it.

Sure, I'll tell Taylor about the banjo hangout, I'm sure she has all kinds of time to hang out on the web!
:)

Gomer - Posted - 04/12/2012:  19:23:18

You know, I went over to the home of my instructor ARAU the invincible this last night for a legacy lesson of sorts. I picked up his Hartford after playing on my tenbrooks for the last year or more.  I sold my Hartford a while back in order to make the change and now I am sorry that I did. I have said that nothing can beat the sound of my tenbrooks, but I think that my Hartford was just a different kind of better than most. It is different in sound and playability that you start to take for granted after a couple of years with it. I am thinking there might be a new Hartford in the near future.

erikforgod - Posted - 04/30/2012:  17:15:47

Hi Janet!



I hope you and Greg are doing well...I imagine with Merlefest and everything coming up you wont be logging into the Deering thread as much as usual. Janet I am loving my Goodtime Crow and my Goodtime classic scooped neck Goodtime. Lately I have been doing a little tinkering. I replaced the Deering tailpieces with No-Knot tailpieces on both of my Goodtimes and I really like them alot. I think it has given my banjos a bit mellower of a sound..which was what I was wanting. I also added some 5-star planetary tuners to my Goodtime Crow. The only sort of issue I am having is with my Crow. It seems that when I strung up the banjo and set the bridge with the new tailpiece on, the action seems noticably higher. Is it possible I might have accidentally turned the co rod while installing the "L-Bracket" and then the No-Knot? Its not super high...and its playable so I might actually could get used to it, but I was just curious because it looks as if the co-rod didnt move as I watched it while I was loosening up the nut to take the Deering tailpiece off. I loosened the head a bit and it seemed to help just a bit. What is your opinion? Nobody knows these banjos better than you. My Crow is very sentimental to me...its like one of my kids.

Edited by - erikforgod on 04/30/2012 17:17:18

bkdraft - Posted - 05/02/2012:  13:27:33

Janet and Greg, came by last Friday to do the "tour", Carolina was very nice and the tour was great!! Missed meeting you guys, wanted to get you to sign my head, but oh well, there is always a next time. My daughter and SIL live in San Diego, so we will be back.

Janet Deering - Posted - 05/23/2012:  06:44:33

Yes, we have been really busy since Merlefest!  This is my first chance to get back on the Hangout!

Gomer, The Hartford banjos are very special to me as well. They have a sound and flavor all their own. I had one for a while and sold it, I should order another one for myself but we are sold out for months so I'll have to wait in line for one. Customers always come first.

Erik,  You probably did accidentally turn the co-ordinator rod, just tweek that and you can put the action back where you want it.

Bkdraft, Sorry we missed seeing you at the shop when you came.  We would be delighted to sign your head next time you come by. Make sure you tell Carolina and she will find us if we are in the shop when you come.

Our banjo sales are out the roof and we are expanding to meet the needs of a growing market so Greg and I are working double time to organize for increased delivery.  It's a dream come true for us to see so much interest in playing the banjo from musicians in every genre of music.

erikforgod - Posted - 05/23/2012:  06:57:40

Thanks Janet...glad to hear that Deering is having so much success!!

Janet Deering - Posted - 05/24/2012:  17:07:01

Thanks!

Here's something fun to share with you.  Meet Glen Campbell's daughter, Ashley playing the Banjo!

Sorry about the 30 sec commercial that comes first.  But it's worth wading past that to see Rascal Flatts video BANJO.

youtube.com/watch?v=i9RRBGFO1n...p;ob=av2e

Gomer - Posted - 05/26/2012:  14:52:49

Today is the day that I will be stripping the tenbrooks down to parts for spring cleaning. I do not understand the urge to tinker with such a piece, but the urge is their and I will follow it. I'm goin' in ; Wish me luck; It may be a while before I return.

Gomer - Posted - 05/27/2012:  15:41:08

Wow!  I made it. What an epic that was. It's all back to shiny and new in every respect. Arau the pure insisted that I reinstall the Deering Tailpiece ( I had put on a Fults). The stock Tailpiece yields up a sweeter rounded sound on the Tenbrooks. The advice was sage.

erikforgod - Posted - 06/14/2012:  15:57:38

Janet I received an email the other day talking about the new Goodtime "Rare-Bird" alert model...does this mean you will be discontinuing the Goodtime "Crow" model? Also this Goodtime seems to be sporting the heavier tension hoop found on the classic goodtimes.

Gomer - Posted - 06/30/2012:  22:23:09

Dona Janet, Is there a difference on the stock fretwire between the Tenbrooks and the rest of the models? ARAU the Massive just got a refret with what appear to be smaller guage frets. I like them!

DeanT - Posted - 07/01/2012:  00:35:11

I remember answering a survey about Deering making a six-string Goodtime. What were the resutts?

JMalmsteen - Posted - 07/01/2012:  05:34:52

Janet,
Just wanted to mention that I am amazed by my new Goodtime banjo. Besides the sound, the fact that it weighs four pounds has added to the quality of my life. I have been carrying it everywhere at the festival we are at and I like the fact that it is mellower than my main banjo so I don't feel like I'm bothering people. Thanks for the great product!!
-Jen

hektic - Posted - 08/10/2012:  17:35:06

Hey Janet, I just wanted to make you aware of this situation so I'm linking you to my thread. I would like to hear your input.

banjohangout.org/topic/242112/1

Its about my goodtime neck which separated at the finger joint.

Ps. I am not trying to be malicious with this post. I continue to endorse Deering and the Goodtime banjo line, I just wanted to bring it to you attention.

Thanks!

Edited by - hektic on 08/10/2012 17:35:45

dpete210 - Posted - 08/11/2012:  08:21:16

I just read through the entire thread hektic posted.    I am a fan of Deering banjos (own and play 3 different models)  and I understand the warranty applies to the original owner, not subsequent owners.  However, in my opinion, this is a case where even though hektic is not the original owner, the neck in question should be replaced at no cost to him because the neck joint obviously failed to hold.  Denying a neck replacement in this case takes some shine off Deering's public relations dealings.  Thumbs down to the person who decided to deny hektic's legitimate claim.  I hope Deering does the right thing and replaces this neck.  It certainly isn't going to break the company to do the right thing.   

GrizClaw - Posted - 08/11/2012:  10:58:01

quote: dpete210.....I totally agree......I have been a staunch Goodtime supporter and at times have stuck my neck out arguing with fellow BHO members when I think Deering (Goodtime) is getting a bumb rap. I've done this because I really think my Goodtime is a great little banjo and because I felt Deering stood behind their products and processes. I realize this is only one incident of appearing not to support the customer but if companies don't pay attention to these things and they forget what made them successful in the first place....they can slowly start to slide. First clue, email to hektic is from the "Director of Public Relations", no name......not good. When I had an issue with my Goldtone 350 Wayne Rogers got back to me personally (I know he probably can't do this every time, but I was sure impressed). When I had questions about my Tradesman.....Kevin Enoch replied to me, answered my questions and congratulated me on my purchase of a used Tradesman. Hopefully Deering will revisit this issue, look at the big picture and do the right thing by hektic.  Rick (Goodtime Crow owner)

---

Originally posted by dpete210

I just read through the entire thread hektic posted.    I am a fan of Deering banjos (own and play 3 different models)  and I understand the warranty applies to the original owner, not subsequent owners.  However, in my opinion, this is a case where even though hektic is not the original owner, the neck in question should be replaced at no cost to him because the neck joint obviously failed to hold.  Denying a neck replacement in this case takes some shine off Deering's public relations dealings.  Thumbs down to the person who decided to deny hektic's legitimate claim.  I hope Deering does the right thing and replaces this neck.  It certainly isn't going to break the company to do the right thing.   

---

erikforgod - Posted - 08/11/2012:  13:10:23

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dexter

quote: dpete210.....I totally agree......I have been a staunch Goodtime supporter and at times have stuck my neck out arguing with fellow BHO members when I think Deering (Goodtime) is getting a bumb rap. I've done this because I really think my Goodtime is a great little banjo and because I felt Deering stood behind their products and processes. I realize this is only one incident of appearing not to support the customer but if companies don't pay attention to these things and they forget what made them successful in the first place....they can slowly start to slide. First clue, email to hektic is from the "Director of Public Relations", no name......not good. When I had an issue with my Goldtone 350 Wayne Rogers got back to me personally (I know he probably can't do this every time, but I was sure impressed). When I had questions about my Tradesman.....Kevin Enoch replied to me, answered my questions and congratulated me on my purchase of a used Tradesman. Hopefully Deering will revisit this issue, look at the big picture and do the right thing by hektic.  Rick (Goodtime Crow owner)

---

Originally posted by dpete210

I just read through the entire thread hektic posted.    I am a fan of Deering banjos (own and play 3 different models)  and I understand the warranty applies to the original owner, not subsequent owners.  However, in my opinion, this is a case where even though hektic is not the original owner, the neck in question should be replaced at no cost to him because the neck joint obviously failed to hold.  Denying a neck replacement in this case takes some shine off Deering's public relations dealings.  Thumbs down to the person who decided to deny hektic's legitimate claim.  I hope Deering does the right thing and replaces this neck.  It certainly isn't going to break the company to do the right thing.   

---

 

---

I agree is the cost of replacing a faulty Goodtime neck worth the loss of a good customer and some good PR?

Mullie - Posted - 08/11/2012:  14:58:39

As we all know, there are many banjo options out there. Companies need to either be extremely low priced, or have great quality at a fair price, or have tremendous customer service (ideally the CS should be a no-brainer) or some combination. When you are selling a relatively higher priced banjo the need for exceptional customer service is even more important IMO. Fail on Deering's part to at least help out in some way in this instance.

Grinnin&Pickin - Posted - 08/11/2012:  18:12:27

I hope Deering reconsiders its decision. As a Deering owner and long time supporter, I think they have made a BIG mistake on this one!

Edited by - Grinnin&Pickin on 08/11/2012 18:13:07

Wing It - Posted - 08/11/2012:  21:10:39

quote:

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Originally posted by hektic

Hey Janet, I just wanted to make you aware of this situation so I'm linking you to my thread. I would like to hear your input.

banjohangout.org/topic/242112/1

Its about my goodtime neck which separated at the finger joint.

Ps. I am not trying to be malicious with this post. I continue to endorse Deering and the Goodtime banjo line, I just wanted to bring it to you attention.

Thanks!

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 Sorry Hektic, but I'm with Deering on this one. They offered a 6 year warranty to the original owner of the banjo. That was their customer. You bought a used banjo with no warranty and even admitted that the banjo looked like it was subjected to stress and did not just simply come unglued. Deering is certainly not at fault, and if they were to fix your banjo for free, they would also have to fix everyone else's used banjo for free too.

erikforgod - Posted - 08/12/2012:  08:56:00

quote:

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Originally posted by Wing It

quote:

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Originally posted by hektic

Hey Janet, I just wanted to make you aware of this situation so I'm linking you to my thread. I would like to hear your input.

banjohangout.org/topic/242112/1

Its about my goodtime neck which separated at the finger joint.

Ps. I am not trying to be malicious with this post. I continue to endorse Deering and the Goodtime banjo line, I just wanted to bring it to you attention.

Thanks!

---

 Sorry Hektic, but I'm with Deering on this one. They offered a 6 year warranty to the original owner of the banjo. That was their customer. You bought a used banjo with no warranty and even admitted that the banjo looked like it was subjected to stress and did not just simply come unglued. Deering is certainly not at fault, and if they were to fix your banjo for free, they would also have to fix everyone else's used banjo for free too.

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Yeah but he has the photos to prove it broke along the lines of the fingerjoint...that joint should not have failed like that...period. To have an email just saying "Oh thanks for reminding me to talk to my QC guys about this"...and without even signing your name throwing out there a U$S 299 charge for a new neck which is more than half of the cost of a new Goodtime...sounds suspicious to me....like what they really would prefer the customer do is just throw in the towel and purchase a completely new Goodtime banjo altogether...could be a shrewd marketing strategy this...dunno.... I think this is an opportunity for Deering to back up the support to their Goodtime neck design without a truss rod or fingerboard which some see in the banjo community as rather controversial...its an opportunity for them to go the extra mile here with a client..I dont think they should turn this into a missed opportunity.

Mullie - Posted - 08/12/2012:  10:04:24

quote:

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Originally posted by erikforgod

quote:

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Originally posted by Wing It

quote:

---

Originally posted by hektic

Hey Janet, I just wanted to make you aware of this situation so I'm linking you to my thread. I would like to hear your input.

banjohangout.org/topic/242112/1

Its about my goodtime neck which separated at the finger joint.

Ps. I am not trying to be malicious with this post. I continue to endorse Deering and the Goodtime banjo line, I just wanted to bring it to you attention.

Thanks!

---

 Sorry Hektic, but I'm with Deering on this one. They offered a 6 year warranty to the original owner of the banjo. That was their customer. You bought a used banjo with no warranty and even admitted that the banjo looked like it was subjected to stress and did not just simply come unglued. Deering is certainly not at fault, and if they were to fix your banjo for free, they would also have to fix everyone else's used banjo for free too.

---

Yeah but he has the photos to prove it broke along the lines of the fingerjoint...that joint should not have failed like that...period. To have an email just saying "Oh thanks for reminding me to talk to my QC guys about this"...and without even signing your name throwing out there a U$S 299 charge for a new neck which is more than half of the cost of a new Goodtime...sounds suspicious to me....like what they really would prefer the customer do is just throw in the towel and purchase a completely new Goodtime banjo altogether...could be a shrewd marketing strategy this...dunno.... I think this is an opportunity for Deering to back up the support to their Goodtime neck design without a truss rod or fingerboard which some see in the banjo community as rather controversial...its an opportunity for them to go the extra mile here with a client..I dont think they should turn this into a missed opportunity.

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 Erik, I agree. Deering didn't have to do anything, but the way it was handled doesn't reflect well at all. Too bad for them.

hektic - Posted - 08/12/2012:  11:07:39

Thanks guys I appreciate the comments,

But please post them in the Original thread

banjohangout.org/topic/242112/1

As I stated before this is NOT indented to be a Deering bashing post, just sharing my experience.

Thanks!

AlpacaLips - Posted - 08/13/2012:  19:33:33

quote:

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Originally posted by Janet Deering



...If you decide to start with a Goodtime open-back banjo you can order a resonator kit when you are ready to add the resonator and put it onto the banjo you have when you are ready. So go ahead with what you can afford and then get the resonator from us when you are ready. There are no hard fast rules of what style has to be played on what kind banjo. Go for it.

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I don't see a resonator kit for Goodtimes on Deering's website. Is it still sold?

JMalmsteen - Posted - 08/14/2012:  15:54:13

quote:

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Originally posted by Wing It

quote:

---

Originally posted by hektic

Hey Janet, I just wanted to make you aware of this situation so I'm linking you to my thread. I would like to hear your input.

banjohangout.org/topic/242112/1

Its about my goodtime neck which separated at the finger joint.

Ps. I am not trying to be malicious with this post. I continue to endorse Deering and the Goodtime banjo line, I just wanted to bring it to you attention.

Thanks!

---

 Sorry Hektic, but I'm with Deering on this one. They offered a 6 year warranty to the original owner of the banjo. That was their customer. You bought a used banjo with no warranty and even admitted that the banjo looked like it was subjected to stress and did not just simply come unglued. Deering is certainly not at fault, and if they were to fix your banjo for free, they would also have to fix everyone else's used banjo for free too.

---

 Which gets back to the original question that this situation brings up, how many other problems does "everyone else" have??

This wouldn't be a bad time for Deering to speak up.  A lot of people who buy Goodtime banjos never look at BHO and might not be serious players, but many of us are and if there are 70k members here, we must represent some chunk of the banjo population.  And, we continue to upgrade and buy banjos. Many of us have multiple banjos, multiple expensive banjos, and it would make sense for Deering to want us to buy our expensive banjos from them, especially if our first Deering experience is with the Goodtime.

When I bought my banjo, I wasn't thrilled with the appearance of the headstock with the finger joint and can't say I'm thrilled to read that they fail. 

Edited by - JMalmsteen on 08/14/2012 15:57:31

CosmicMaskedAvenger - Posted - 08/14/2012:  16:45:50

I own two Deerings, one of which is a Goodtime. I suspect with it being a low-end banjo, they don't want to repair the neck, and would rather replace it with a new one. Seems like they are technically and perhaps even morally within their rights on this one. It's not under warranty. They may even be offering the replacement neck at a discount price, I don't know.

I'm no expert, the picture looks like a glue failure to me. It's an opportunity for Deering to go above and beyond as far as customer service, in my opinion.