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emeejl - Posted - 01/01/2025: 04:52:59
Hi!
I recently noticed on the Deering website that all standard Goodtimes seem to ship with art deco inlays and bronze powder finish. Has the standard Goodtime been discontinued? Looks like the Goodtime Deco has replaced the Goodtime 5-string banjo.
KCJones - Posted - 01/01/2025: 07:43:46
deeringbanjos.com/collections/...ime-banjo
It looks like they've updated the hardware and inlays with the deco styling, but they're still selling it as a standard Goodtime. Unfortunately it looks like they're still using nickel hooks and shoes, so it doesn't quite look right against the deco tension hoop and tailpiece IMO. The styling of the Goodtime has changed over the years. Perhaps it's an issue of inventory efficiency.
Edited by - KCJones on 01/01/2025 07:46:45
Eric A - Posted - 01/01/2025: 08:09:07
Looks like they are including the Goodtime armrest on there (which I love by the way). They used to make you pay extra for it.
I have Goodtime armrests on both my Kalamazoos (16 hooks) and both my late 20's TB-1s (22 hooks). Fit like they were made for it.
emeejl - Posted - 01/01/2025: 08:32:36
Hope its temporary and that the nickel version makes a comeback (also miss the star on the head!).
KCJones - Posted - 01/05/2025: 05:33:35
It'd be cool if they brought back the gumby headstock but with planet tuners. A lot of people don't like it but for some reason the gumby shape is iconic to me.
writerrad - Posted - 01/05/2025: 06:02:43
That is unfortunate. The basic good time, more than 25 years ago when they had just one model, was my first banjo and seemed a good instrument since I was 53 and had been playing guitar since I was 12.
Much talk goes on about the premium instruments, and I have 2 banjos in this room more than 100 years old. But to me the most important are the most inexpensive instruments, because they are the ones a person will start out with or the only ones some folks can ever afford. I thought the original basic Good Time was a grand slam home run of an instrument. Sad to say they want to get fancier and more expensive.
Dean T - Posted - 01/05/2025: 07:10:13
quote:
Originally posted by KCJones
It'd be cool if they brought back the gumby headstock but with planet tuners. A lot of people don't like it but for some reason the gumby shape is iconic to me.
YES YES YES!!!
I have a first run Gumby head, completely original, and it's my favorite and most played banjo. 27 years old, and the neck keeps getting better with age. I have a brand new set of Gotah planitaries I've been contemplating putting on it. But so far, I just can't bring myself to drill out the head stock, and do the mod. I've also got a modern deco Goodtime, but it just isn't the same. I can tell that a lot of hand fitting and workmanship went into the original, and the new one is all automated manufacturing.
I'm not the original owner of my original Gumby, and it took a long time and lots of searching to find one, that was reasonably priced. Just my experience here tells me there is an interest in these originals, and a modern day reissue Gumby head would go over really good. Probably a lot better than some of the limited zombie freaky painted weird versions they've tried over the years. I would buy one yesterday.
Edited by - Dean T on 01/05/2025 07:10:51
