gdoc - Posted - 11/06/2009:  22:13:15

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I always try to avoid "serious" as there is enough of that in my life, but here is my serious question.

Resonators.... How much difference does it really make what the outer ply is,, maple, mahogany, other, if all the inner 2 or 4 plys are popular (sp?) wood? Wouldn't it be mostly cosmetic at that point?

You explained to me about the debth of the resonator one time, and it made perfect sense.. but the finish wood being only one ply? that one baffles me. I can see a neck making a subtal difference too, but isn't it mostly going to be the wood of the pot and tone ring that make 99% of the difference?

Your the expert, I only play and wonder.

gdoc

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/09/2009:  07:13:24

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The outer ply of the resonator is simply there to match the neck. It actually makes no difference to the sound. It really is just cosmetic.

You are right, the rim, tonering and neck wood affect the tone greatly as does the overall construction and depth of the resonator. The outer skin simply finishes it off to match the neck.

How's that for a " serious" answer?

gdoc - Posted - 11/09/2009:  18:31:21

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Seriousley, Pretty darn good!

gdoc

gdoc - Posted - 11/10/2009:  00:12:09

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And another question for you and your husband....

When I had the chance to talk with you, you told me (or at least I think I remember correctly) that you didn't feel that all rims had to be made of "hard rock maple". Have you, or are you, ever thinking of building a banjo with a rim made of other woods, like mahogany....(for a total mohagany banjo). Or is that something that has been tried before and failed? Or just a dumb idea.

gdoc

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/10/2009:  06:27:35

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I'll ask Greg about mahogany. Nothing is a dumb idea, until it's tried...it might work.

Years ago we experimented with making rims of different woods when we were creating the Hartford banjo. We had expected that the ultimate rim would be Brazillian Rosewood... much to our surprise it didn't do it. The Grenadillo wood mounted to a maple rim did the trick for what John wanted.

Maple has been a proven winner. While hard rock maple is what has been believed for many years to be the ultimate rim, we have experimented with other species of maple and found that hard rock maple is too stiff to carry the vibrations of the tonering for the best voice.

Many of the Tonerings other makers are touting have been made to compensate for the wrong wood on the rim to get the banjos to sound good. It all works together to create the sound.

I'll ask Greg about mahogany for rims and let you know tomorrow.

hexx - Posted - 11/10/2009:  18:51:59

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[quote]Originally posted by Janet Deering

Yes, I understand. Some products are no longer being made in the USA.

We put out our first Banjos, Gifts and Accessories catalog last October. It was my way of dealing with the banks having crashed while I was at IBMA the first week of October. Not knowing what would happen, I figured that it was better to ensure we had a broad range of products to offer in all price ranges at that time so we put that catalog out in 3 weeks. We didn't have time to even look to see where things were made. As it was, it was just in time. The extra sales from that little catalog carried us through some very difficult months ahead.

We are now working on putting together a much larger and more complete catalog
(96 pages). All of the straps we are offering are made in the USA. As many products as we can find are made in the USA. Probably not everything, because some products only come from outside the USA now. But we do the best we can and still keep things as affordable as possible.

We will make this catalog available on line within the next couple of weeks. We are going green and we plan to print it on sustainable forestry paper. So the on-line catalog will be free but we will need to be reimbursed for the cost of printing and postage if we are mailing a printed catalog out. We will give a credit on the cost of the catalog with the first order of accessories or gift items that is placed from the catalog so that ultimately the catalog is free.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Janet, I also thank you for your input & contributions to ‘Banjohangout’, about your new on line & printed accessory catalog I would like to ask, will you be including our "Banjo Wrench" the “Hall Three way” with ¼” 9/32” & 5/16” Hex sockets, {Made in England} Greg received one back in August 19th this year, and Carolina kindly emailed to say “its a nice quality tool and nicely packaged as well, and remarked, “it will work for our Banjos as well as most modern Banjos, so this a convenient tool for Banjo players” - She said that she would keep the information in her accessory folder – at the moment the wrench is listed with Steve Noon ‘Eagle Music’ {Deering UK} at this link: eaglemusicshop.com/details1.as...o-key.htm

and also with Stan Werbin "Elderly Instuments" at: elderly.com/accessories/items/BTW.htm

and with Angie Sumptner at:
prostores1.carrierzone.com/ser...ch/Detail


Thank you
Derrick J.Hall
mybanjo.co.uk

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Edited by - hexx on 11/11/2009 04:44:50

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/11/2009:  06:32:19

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Thanks for bringing up the wrench - I will get with Carolina on it and see if she has all the data. Also, please e-mail me all the ordering info to Janet@deeringbanjos.com and I'll see what we can do.

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/11/2009:  06:42:56

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When I had the chance to talk with you, you told me (or at least I think I remember correctly) that you didn't feel that all rims had to be made of "hard rock maple". Have you, or are you, ever thinking of building a banjo with a rim made of other woods, like mahogany....(for a total mohagany banjo). Or is that something that has been tried before and failed? Or just a dumb idea.

I talked it over with Greg. He said that rims can be made of mahogany but it creates a "muddy" sound. Now, if you like the notes to be less defined and a bit quieter you might want a mahogany rim. He personally doesn't care for that sound so we have not considered offering it.

But we have the full capability of making a mahogany rim, so if you put in a special order for a banjo with a mahogany rim we would make it for you.

The way custom banjo orders are placed is: a person chooses the model of our line that is closest to the design they want and then they order that banjo and name the modifications.

We then issue a quote and when the customer puts half down we start the instrument. The balance is paid when it is completed and ready to ship.

Janet

Grinnin&Pickin - Posted - 11/11/2009:  07:10:54

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Hi Janet,

Are you going to announce your December 5th Holiday Open house here on the Banjo Hangout? I read about the event on Facebook.
I'm looking forward to it.

- Jeff

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/13/2009:  06:35:37

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I have a question that I would like some input on.

Do you think that going green by providing the catalog on line while having people order a printed catalog for $3.00 if they want one mailed out is workable?

If you needed to pay $3 to get a catalog would you?

Please tell me your thoughts.

Janet

Grey Dog - Posted - 11/13/2009:  06:37:48

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I think the charge is both very reasonable and responsible.

][ Grey Dog in NH

the-fish - Posted - 11/13/2009:  06:56:46

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Janet I like the green for the Hat. Ill order one

God Bless America

Rick

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/13/2009:  07:31:37

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Are you going to announce your December 5th Holiday Open house here on the Banjo Hangout? I read about the event on Facebook.
I'm looking forward to it.
Thanks, Jeff. Good Idea!

We are having a Holiday Open House at the factory and showroom from 10 am to 2 pm
on Saturday, December 5th.

We will have the following workshops:

Beginning Bluegrass at 11 am and 1 pm
Beginning Clawhammer at 11 am
Two Finger Method for pre-beginners Part 1 at 11 am
Two Finger Method Part 2 at 1pm

These are FREE workshops but the space is limited so call for reservations.
You may bring your banjo or you can use a banjo from our showroom for the lessons if you don't already have one. You can bring the whole family.

We have limited space so reservations are a must.

Call Carolina at 800-845-7791 to reserve a seat.

We are also giving Factory Tours at 10 am, 12 pm and 2 pm.

Everyone is welcome. The more the merrier.

So come, join us and celebrate the season! The weather is great here in December.

Janet

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Edited by - Janet Deering on 11/13/2009 07:34:43

hexx - Posted - 11/13/2009:  07:41:29

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[quote]Originally posted by Janet Deering

I have a question that I would like some input on.

Do you think that going green by providing the catalog on line while having people order a printed catalog for $3.00 if they want one mailed out is workable?

If you needed to pay $3 to get a catalog would you?

Please tell me your thoughts.

Janet

_______________________________

$3.00 for mailing within the United States sounds very fair, any extra I am sure would be fine to get a hard copy catalog sent anywhere within the United Kingdom or Europe. $5.00 is I believe the cost for other catalogs, and the “Banjo Newsletter” sent to the UK is about $5.00.

Derrick-

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Edited by - hexx on 11/13/2009 07:44:30

dbrooks - Posted - 11/13/2009:  10:17:34

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I like the thought of Deering going green through an on-line catalog. I think $3 is a reasonable charge. Mandolin Brothers and Elderly sell an annual subscription ($15-20) to their monthly or bi-monthly catalogs.

I have to add, however, that I probably would not order one since I'm not actively in the market. If the Deering catalog arrived in the mail, I would look through it and keep it around for a month or more to occasional browsing. I might see items that would prompt me to order. So it may be a matter of "push" marketing (unsolicited advertising sent to me) vs. "pull" marketing (ads sent at my request). Which type of marketing does Deering think will be more effective?

David

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/14/2009:  07:39:44

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Well, actually we are working on going lean, which means we need pull marketing. We have spent this year studying all the technology on lean manufacturing and so we are in the process of changing our focus from push to pull.

Going green and delivering catalogs only to people who want them will be pull marketing and will eliminate wasted paper and money in catalogs to people who do not necessarily want them.

But then again one has to consider that casual sale from a person like you mentioned who might not have thought about buying but the catalog prompts some interest.

Which is better?

Since I've never tried pull, I'm not sure. What are your thoughts?

Janet

Ronnie - Posted - 11/14/2009:  07:48:16

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The $3 would barely cover your postage and handling. Sounds reasonable to me. I will most likely order a copy.
Back to resonators for a moment. I don't think you folks offer this, but some of the old high end Boston Vega banjos had a lot of MOTS on the resonators. Questions was raised if this affected the sound of the banjo. I contended it did not as it was purely cosmetic.

bobbythompsonbanjo.com

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Edited by - Ronnie on 11/14/2009 07:56:49

DeanT - Posted - 11/14/2009:  08:49:54

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Parts. Sell parts. There are a LOT of used Deerings out there. Stu Mac, FQ, and Gold Tone etc are supporting the fixer uppers and do-it-yourselfers. Just me personally, I would probably have spend in the neighborhood of $1000 or so in the last several years on parts for projects, especially a neck or two. Especially in these economic times, people are getting more resourcefull, more handy, and used instruments are getting mighty popular.

Dean

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Edited by - DeanT on 11/14/2009 08:53:27

dpete210 - Posted - 11/14/2009:  09:19:14

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Janet, first of all, I have 2 Deering banjos, a 1981 Deluxe and a 1992 Hartford. They are mighty fine banjos! I especially like the Hartford with the grenadillo ring. Secondly, regarding your catalog question. I would not pay to get a catalog, especially if the same thing were available on line. However, I may, depending on the situation, pay to get a catalog if I were reimbursed that cost if I purchased something from the catalog. That would probably become a record keeping nightmare for you. My old fashioned views on what I should spend money on kind of take over for certain things, and paying for a catalog would not be, for me, a good spending choice. See, I told you I was a little old fashioned. I just remember too well how hard it was to earn those dollars and want to get the most I can out of them.
I agree with Dean and would like to be able to get parts for the Deering banjos to keep them "Deering" when something needs to be done or any modifications made. It gets too expensive and time consuming, therefore prohibitive, to send a banjo in to have something done (such as replacing an older tone ring to the 06 style, or replacing a neck). Many of us are handy enough we can do those things ourselves. I would love to try an 06 ring in my Deluxe, but it won't happen if the only way I can do it is to send my banjo in and have it done by you folks. The ring in the Deluxe is pretty darn good as it is. But it would be fun to see what the 06 ring does in the Deluxe.
Thanks for indulging my thoughts. There are many quality and well built banjos, but Deering banjos are among my favorites. Someday I may have a Golden Era or Calico. Keep up the good work!
PS. Janet, did you notice the Hartford in my avatar? Great banjo!

Any day playing music is a GOOD day.

bnjojo62 - Posted - 11/14/2009:  09:19:54

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In regard to rim woods, have you considered beech wood. I have a beech wood rim banjo and it sounds really good, not quite the pop of maple but not the muddy like sound of mahogany. As a cabinet maker of 35 years, I have used beech a great deal in various applications and it is a very good wood, altho not as attractive in grain to maple. It is also plentiful and the cost is right.

dbrooks - Posted - 11/14/2009:  17:20:46

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Janet, I'm not all surprised that you are well-versed in push and pull marketing. I probably showed the limits of my knowledge in my comments. Pull marketing seems to have lots of merit since, done well, you are communicating with an audience already interested in your brand.

It occurred to me later that the type of high-touch interaction with your current and potential customers that you have initiated with a thread like this is a great complement to a well-planned pull marketing strategy. You are gathering valuable insights while building a strong personal presence for the Deering brand. I can imagine that you may see growing numbers of people come up to you at your booth and open houses to say that have "met" you online.

I know that I have been impressed by the quality of your responses to the two suggestions and comments I have made. That often makes an impression that leads to valuable person-to-person recommendations. Well done.

David

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/16/2009:  06:17:51

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I don't think you folks offer this, but some of the old high end Boston Vega banjos had a lot of MOTS on the resonators. Questions was raised if this affected the sound of the banjo. I contended it did not as it was purely cosmetic.

Ronnie, what does MOTS mean?

Janet

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/16/2009:  06:30:00

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I would love to try an 06 ring in my Deluxe, but it won't happen if the only way I can do it is to send my banjo in and have it done by you folks. The ring in the Deluxe is pretty darn good as it is. But it would be fun to see what the 06 ring does in the Deluxe.

Pete, Thanks for your comments. I really appreciate it. Yes, you can buy an '06 tonering to try in your Deluxe. It will not just drop in, you will need to have the ability to resize the cut of your rim for it to fit on. If you have the ability to do that, and knowing you can't go back, then go for it. Otherwise you may want to order a rim and tonering so that you can swap back and forth the two pots.

If you have a 1981 Deluxe the pot and flange design was completely different then. I believe you would have shoes and a plate flange on your banjo right?

Janet

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/16/2009:  06:40:08

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In regard to rim woods, have you considered beech wood.

Joe, I don't believe we have ever tried beech wood. I'll mention that to Greg and see what he says. It sounds interesting.

Part of the fun of having all the tooling done to make our rims fully steam bended in house is that we have gained again the ability to try many kinds of wood. If a person wanted to custom order a banjo with a special wood in their rim we could accomodate this. That gives us even more versatility than we ever had before.

So what gets a beech wood rim made for a banjo is an order requesting that. Of course there would have to be an upcharge for finding a board specially for one banjo and all the extra work involved. But the door is open and we will learn a lot more about the various possibilities as we do specialty banjos with new rim woods requested by customers.

Life in the banjo business continues to get more interesting and fun as the years go by. Greg collects cast iron machines and builds tooling that we cannot buy. So the possibilities keep expanding.

As Greg says, It's more fun than going to Disneyland!

Janet

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/16/2009:  06:53:30

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You are gathering valuable insights while building a strong personal presence for the Deering brand. I can imagine that you may see growing numbers of people come up to you at your booth and open houses to say that have "met" you online.

I know that I have been impressed by the quality of your responses to the two suggestions and comments I have made. That often makes an impression that leads to valuable person-to-person recommendations. Well done.

David, Thank you. Yes, this thread is very enjoyable and rewarding because I am learning what each person is interested in. I used to do all the sales for the company myself from 1978 until 1997 and I have really missed not having the direct contact with the market. This year Greg and I got out more to festivals and shows and the direct contact really charged our batteries.

The timing of this thread wasn't really planned, it was an impulse I had to get more in touch and talk with people directly. But the result has been great because we have been working on our new catalog and all the input has been inspirational in guiding us to really deliver what people need and want. That has been the guiding force from the beginning - our banjo line has been developed by meeting customers needs. So this thread is getting us back to what really drives our company.

I will be pleased to see you when we have the opportunity to shake hands. It would be great if you can make it to the factory sometime for a tour.

Janet

Ronnie - Posted - 11/16/2009:  07:10:02

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Sorry! MOTS is pyralin or a celluloid-like material . (Mother of toilet seat LOL)

bobbythompsonbanjo.com

CosmicMaskedAvenger - Posted - 11/16/2009:  07:38:18

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Janet,

I own a couple of Deerings, and as a Deering owner it makes me proud that you are making yourself available on this forum for dialogue with customers and potential customers.

I wouldn't buy a catalog, be it from Deering, Sears, Toys R Us, or anywhere..... but as someone else stated if I received one it might spark my interest to buy something from it. But I also go online constantly, and check Deering's website at least once or twice a month. I would suggest really having a robust online catalog would be more cost effective than printed mailed catalogs.

I think selling parts might be a good thing also, especially since you are making rims, necks, etc... in house, and already have the overhead cost for the machinery.

Just my .02, for what it's worth.



Deering Sierra
Deering Goodtime

Mr B - Posted - 11/16/2009:  09:07:55

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Janet
It is a pleasure for me to be able to read all the questions that the HBO members have and a bigger pleasure to read your answers. Great job!
I also have a question: Do you ever plan to start selling parts, like necks, rims, rings etc. I am sure you are aware that there are a lot of very talented people here on the Hangout that are very capable of doing repairs on their own banjos, but because of the economy, are not financially able to spend well over $100 just for the cost of shipping a banjo alone, plus the parts and charges for the work being done. This can add up very fast. A lot of them just can't afford it and take another route. I realize that you don't want your parts all over the country on anything any everything but for people who own a Deering and want to repair it or update it them self, I feel, and I am sure that a lot of members would agree, that it would help a lot of Deering owners and also boost sales at Deering too. Everyone would benefit.
Thanks for listening......Will

"Pre War Formula = Practice + Practice + More Practice"

DeanT - Posted - 11/16/2009:  09:22:54

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Janet, since selling parts was brought up, I'll give you my own personal experiences for your information and consideration:

My Deering built Vega's neck met an early demise (my fault). Having the opportunity, I wanted to try a 6 string neck on it, and inquired about buying a B-6 Deering neck. I was denied, and that banjo got a Gold Tone banjitar neck. It is still out there playing today (I know the owner).

I had a Bluegrass Wonder, and wanted to install electronics. I inquired about an extra set of flange plates that I could drill holes in for the electronics. That way I could go back to original if I ever sold it. I was denied, and ended up making my own parts locally.

I wore the frets out on my Goodtime, and inquired about buying a new Goodtime neck, to install on my Goodtime, while I learned how to refret my original. I liked the idea of having a spare neck anyways, as my Goodtime was my moneymaker at the time and I couldn't afford down time. I was denied, so I went with an after market neck builder. Either that, or just buying another used Goodtime, was cheaper than the cost of sending my banjo to Deering.

And then the decal thing, once I got the frets done on my original Goodtime neck. I probably would have gone about $20 or so to have you put a decal in an envelope and send it to me. Again I was denied, so I made my own (As you know) using a $15 kit from Hobby Lobby... which will still make 100's more decals whenever I want one. I couldn't fathom the $52 parts and labor and $34 x 2 shipping costs + downtime to have Deering put a decal on my banjo.

Once I got my Goodtime back to original, I found myself with a wonderfull custom built neck needing a pot. Having been denied of all my attempts to buy Deering parts, they were off the radar at this point (Just a couple months ago), so I went with an extreamly reasonably priced after market rim builder, to make a pot for the neck.

Every time I wanted Deering parts first, and settled on something else second. Everytime it was for Deering banjos. Every time it was explained to me that Deering couldn't be sure how I was going to use the parts. And I also got the explination of Deering parts incorrectly representing the Deering name if used on non Deering banjos or if installed incorrectly.

It's just my speculation that people paying for premium Deering parts are going to use them correctly, and the percintage of dishonesty would be very low. A bad guy wanting to build a cheap copy is not going to spend $$$ on a genuine Deering part, if he can get a much cheaper imported part.

And if Deering is worried about poorly set up incorrectly adjusted banjo mis-representing the Deering name, I would think you would be much less worried about the do-it-yourselfers who just forked out some serious $$$ for good parts... and be MUCH more worried about the 100's of miss treated Deerings thrashed and abused and hanging limp in Guitar Centers across America.

Thanks for listening

Dean

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Edited by - DeanT on 11/16/2009 09:45:15

snakeherd - Posted - 11/16/2009:  11:11:30

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Dean;
Your statement makes a lot of sense, but I can't help but admire Deering's commitment to protecting their brand. I think that Stelling is equally protective.

Scott

gdoc - Posted - 11/16/2009:  11:20:46

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For catalog price off set, what about offering some other venders advertisement space in your catalog? You would obivously have control over who you let advertise, and could keep it to companies you deal with, such as Keith Tuners,

or better yet, companies that sell insturction material. Companies that you DON'T compete with, but go hand in hand with your product.

Alas, I think most people now days use a computer though, and as stated by someone before me, an extensive on line catalog is the ticket.

gdoc

Jim T - Posted - 11/16/2009:  20:13:31

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I very seldom look at catalogs anymore, preferring instead to look at on-line catalogs. My thought being that they will have the latest information and pricing. So based on that, I would as soon see energy put into keeping a website up to date.

Jim

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/17/2009:  07:29:59

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I don't think you folks offer this, but some of the old high end Boston Vega banjos had a lot of MOTS on the resonators. Questions was raised if this affected the sound of the banjo. I contended it did not as it was purely cosmetic.

Ronnie, I agree with you. The celluloid material used on the back of the old resonators from the Vega company probably did not have much more affect on the tone than a veneer does. But I'm sure we will find out for sure soon....

Greg is itching to come out with some beautiful resonators like Vega did in the past with the colorful designs on the back of the resonator. Are you interested?

Janet

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/17/2009:  07:38:08

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In regard to rim woods, have you considered beech wood. I have a beech wood rim banjo and it sounds really good, not quite the pop of maple but not the muddy like sound of mahogany. As a cabinet maker of 35 years, I have used beech a great deal in various applications and it is a very good wood, altho not as attractive in grain to maple. It is also plentiful and the cost is right.

Joe, I asked Greg about beech wood and was surprised about how much experience he has with it. He said beech wood rims were supplied by Stewart MacDonald when he first started building banjos from around 1969. The first Deering banjos he made at the American Dream in the late '60s he made with beech rims.

Then when partners with Stelling part of the time the early Stellings were made with Beech rims. And after we split with Stelling the first early Deering rims were beech before we built our first steam chamber and started making our rims in the early '80s.

So yes, beech wood has been used for rims through out the years but maple has a better tone overall. Beech does not quite have the clarity that maple gives, so while it is a good rim, we prefer maple.

Janet

Ronnie - Posted - 11/17/2009:  07:42:56

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Yes Ma'am. Pearloid resonators may be a bit gaudy for some people's tastes, but it would be interesting to see what Greg comes up with.

bobbythompsonbanjo.com

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/17/2009:  07:53:26

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It's just my speculation that people paying for premium Deering parts are going to use them correctly, and the percintage of dishonesty would be very low. A bad guy wanting to build a cheap copy is not going to spend $$$ on a genuine Deering part, if he can get a much cheaper imported part.

Dean, I really enjoy your posts. That one was really helpful. I see your point. As a result you will have prices on parts in the new catalog, at least on some of the metal parts.

Previous to now we had not worked out what retail prices should be on all the parts we make and so until just recently our sales office had no information to even quote parts. They do now. Soon we will put up a parts prices section onto the website as well.

In the past when we were overwhelmed with business we kept running out of parts and so we could not even imagine how that might be magnified if we were also selling parts to customers. If that had been part of the mix it might have been impossible to keep up with the manufacturing needs and also handle customer part needs. So to keep things managable we did not sell parts. Now that is possible so we will make parts available.

Janet

DeanT - Posted - 11/17/2009:  10:50:04

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Thanks Janet! That is incredably GOOD NEWS!!!

Dean

dpete210 - Posted - 11/17/2009:  18:56:18

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quote:

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In the past when we were overwhelmed with business we kept running out of parts and so we could not even imagine how that might be magnified if we were also selling parts to customers. If that had been part of the mix it might have been impossible to keep up with the manufacturing needs and also handle customer part needs. So to keep things managable we did not sell parts. Now that is possible so we will make parts available.

---

Janet, that is indeed good news for those of us who want to experiment a bit or replace stuff on our Deerings. Some of us really do want to keep them as "Deering" banjos with genuine Deering parts.

quote:

---

Pete, Thanks for your comments. I really appreciate it. Yes, you can buy an '06 tonering to try in your Deluxe. It will not just drop in, you will need to have the ability to resize the cut of your rim for it to fit on. If you have the ability to do that, and knowing you can't go back, then go for it. Otherwise you may want to order a rim and tonering so that you can swap back and forth the two pots.

If you have a 1981 Deluxe the pot and flange design was completely different then. I believe you would have shoes and a plate flange on your banjo right?

---

I believe that is what my Deluxe has. Here is a photo of my Deluxe and what I think is a shoe and plate flange.


Thanks to you and Greg for your efforts on this thread. Good communication always works best, and what an opportunity for those owning Deering banjos to communicate with you folks, and you with us!

Any day playing music is a GOOD day.

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Edited by - dpete210 on 11/17/2009 19:04:05

bnjojo62 - Posted - 11/18/2009:  07:08:43

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I too have an 81 deluxe. However the flange is different from this one. The flange is plain round but the sound holes are the same. Could this flange be an add on or was it also used back then?
A pic can be seen on my homepage. thanks, Joe

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/18/2009:  07:10:35

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Thanks, Pete. Yes, that is a very early Deluxe. I'd like to see the serial number!

I would recommend that you order a pot and tonering. The way to describe it would be a ..... geez. Humm..... how to describe it to the production crew. A Boston Woodtone pot with an '06 tonering. That means a wood rim that takes the straight neck cut for neck to pot joint but with a Deering full thickness three ply violin grade maple rim.

The tonering sells for $650 and if you get it with the rim I'll include the rim fit to it for $725 for both.

We have always drilled the neck holes in our rims by hand and have always fit each neck to each pot individually by lining up the neck, drawing a mark through the hole in the rim to the heel of the neck and put the hangerbolts in to match each neck to its pot. So your hanger bolts may or may not perfectly match the holes in the rim for aligning the neck. This is why we have always wanted to do any change over of this kind in house.

So if your hanger bolts don't perfectly align, you may need to pull them, plug the holes and line your neck up to the new pot, mark where the bolts need to be and drill and insert new hanger bolts into the neck to install it properly.

We can include a couple of extra hanger bolts if you are confident to do this work. If not, you might want to have us do it for you. The cost to convert your banjo here is $120 to get it in, disassemble it, reassemble it and set it up.

We are happy to do this for you. If you place the order for the new rim, we can have the rim ready to go in a week if it is not right on top of our holiday rush. So you could send your banjo in about the time you place the order and we can convert it and get it right back to you.

Copy this post to Carolina and she can write up the order if you want to go ahead with it. Just send an e-mail to info@deeringbanjos.com to reach her.

It would be a huge upgrade on your banjo. You could also order a 2 piece flange to upgrade the flange design while you are at it. You would practically have a new banjo!

Janet

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Edited by - Janet Deering on 11/18/2009 07:22:27

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/18/2009:  07:20:19

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Joe, Yes, that is what I expected to see in the photo and why I said his Deluxe is a very early one. Soon after we made the 24-piece flange Deluxes we went to a two piece flange with round sound holes like you have on yours. That is original.

Janet

Gomer - Posted - 11/18/2009:  08:37:56

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My instructor is one of your pros. He bought by a Calico that was without argument, the sweetest looking and sounding piece I have played in some time. I saw it one more time in the corner of his studio before it got snapped up by a newer, less deserving person that me. In terms of pure aesthetics, the fit and finish is striking and it played every bit as smooth as the tenbrooks or the GDL. Very impressive.

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Abundant Opinions - Speculative Advice - Marginal Judgment

dpete210 - Posted - 11/18/2009:  10:16:16

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quote:

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Yes, that is a very early Deluxe. I'd like to see the serial number!

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Janet, I have a photo showing the serial number. See below. Thanks for the info on the 06 ring project. I will ponder a bit and we'll see whether I decide to tackle that project or look for a Calico or Golden Era with the 06 ring. It definitely would be a fun and interesting project.



Edit: PS, Janet, when were the first Deluxes like mine made? It sounds like the switch to the other pot style must not have been long after mine was made. I am just curious.

Any day playing music is a GOOD day.

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Edited by - dpete210 on 11/18/2009 17:48:26

Gomer - Posted - 11/18/2009:  18:30:51

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Is there a reason you don't have a "pedigree" database ( voluntary) to keep track of the linage of a particular banjo?

Carita - Posted - 11/18/2009:  20:02:27

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Dear Janet,
Thank you for all of your posts on here. I joined the Banjo Hangout to get some input about which banjo to buy from those who had been playing for awhile. I've been a sponge, soaking up all the incredible wisdom in here.

Your input and dedication has made the decision easy. Now I have to decide whether to buy a used Deering or a new one and which model. :)

Again, thank you,
Carita

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/19/2009:  06:46:38

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That's nice, Carita. Thank you.

I must admit, my morning time on the Hangout has become my favorite part of the day. My cat, Patches also enjoys it because she gets to sit on my lap for an hour while I'm at the computer before I go to work each day. She is a cuddler and a lap cat.

I really enjoy participating and being able to help where I can.

Janet

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Edited by - Janet Deering on 11/19/2009 06:48:59

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/19/2009:  07:12:01

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Janet, when were the first Deluxes like mine made? It sounds like the switch to the other pot style must not have been long after mine was made. I am just curious.

Pete, Your Deluxe was the 229th Deluxe made. Yes, we probably switched to the other flange very soon after.

I believe that made the very first Deluxe banjo in 1978, or 1979. I'll look it up and let you know exactly tomorrow.

Janet

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/19/2009:  07:21:50

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My instructor is one of your pros. He bought by a Calico that was without argument, the sweetest looking and sounding piece I have played in some time. I saw it one more time in the corner of his studio before it got snapped up by a newer, less deserving person that me. In terms of pure aesthetics, the fit and finish is striking and it played every bit as smooth as the tenbrooks or the GDL. Very impressive.

Gomer,
Thanks.
I really love the Calico banjos too. I learned on a Calico myself. The first one. Then I loaned it for a display in a museum at the Alabama Country Music Hall of Fame and it's been there ever since in a display on the Foster Family String Band for the last 25 years. I miss it. Maybe I should put in an order....
Janet

Janet Deering - Posted - 11/19/2009:  07:25:09

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Is there a reason you don't have a "pedigree" database ( voluntary) to keep track of the linage of a particular banjo?

Gee, Gomer. That is an interesting thought. Do you mean a place where people who own various models could list their purchase if they buy one used?

I'm not sure I got the concept. What exactly do you have in mind?

Janet