Wanted to get a banjo from someone in town to support local small music shops. Two months ago I went in and they had 3 banjos. Didn't buy then. Last week I went back in after doing a lot of online research on a really good beginner banjo. Kept reading folks giving kudos to Deering. So there were three banjos in the store. One played REALLY easily, like we were old friends who got back together again. It was a gumby peg head with a label on the head that says 100th NAMM 1901-2001 and is number 16 of 100 signed by Greg and Janet Deering. The sound is warm and has great dynamics (responsive to pretty loud and pretty quiet). It's got a great satin finish and has a honey maple color. I like the open back 5 string. I notice a lot folks are not enamored with the gumby peg head. I don't think it's all that bad. I'm maybe even growing to like it some. The nickle plating has some tiny pitting on the hooks and rim. Should I leave it all alone, or sometime replace the rim and maybe the hooks? Thanks! I can't believe what dumb luck I got when I chose this one. There was a Gold Tone next to it, but it played hard and the sound dynamic was not as responsive.
9 Comments |
 | spini says:
2/19/2017 7:45:31 PM
Very cool, I would leave it alone myself. I have a Maple Blossom, my wife and son got me a new Open back Goodtime for Christmas, I live playing it! I find myself playing it more than my MB. They are great little banjos, make sure to only use light strings on it. Congrats on your find.
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 | Picking Dick says:
2/19/2017 10:42:32 PM
I have a Deering Goodtime openback, and i like it a lot. I wouldn't change yours either. A few pits give it character. Enjoy it as it is.
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 | brians says:
2/20/2017 8:48:44 AM
Okay! Leave it alone I will do. Thanks greatly for the advice; and I will only replace the strings with lights. Now, to get online and start learning clawhammer. I may have to see where in town I get trained by a teacher. I play (tinker) classical guitar and have an electric fender DYI Telecaster I also enjoy playing. I hope to pick up clawhammer somewhat quickly. Ha! We'll see. As far as local lessons go, me wife and I are retired, so we watch our spending on non-essentials pretty closely. Yes, I bugged her for a banjo for a few months. It's income tax refund time coming up and yes --- A BANJO WAS ESSENTIAL. ; - ) Glad I joined this group!
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 | talljoey says:
2/21/2017 3:19:22 PM
Banjo's must be a tax deductible item, yes? They are great for your mental health, finger flexibility and brain process learning. If only my CPA agreed.
I have a Sierra, although I play bluegrass and melodic, the Deering tone is amazing.
Congratulations!
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| brians says:
2/21/2017 3:31:43 PM
Thanks talljoey! I'm learning clawhammer online (for now) using Barry Hunn's teaching (he's at Deering). He my kind of teacher... he says several time to "Go slow --- learn fast" --
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Playin the radio says:
3/5/2017 12:07:55 PM
I have a few Goodtimes strung in wire and Nylgut depending on the sound I'm looking for at the moment. They are a mix of Gumby and the new style head. My upgrade on the Gumbys was to sealed tuners. And I upgraded the resonator attachment hardware on my single resonator back Gumby. The original was sheetrock anchors and coarse threaded screws. I like the tone out of the new three-ply then the older multi-ply rims but both are good enough for my purposes.
The two books I most heavily used in learning Clawhammer are by Dan Levenson. Clawhammer Banjo from Scratch: A Guide for the Claw-less and Old-Time Festival Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo. I would augment that with Clawhammer Style Banjo by Ken Perlman. You'll find many styles within Clawhammer and these two authors will show there is more than just bum-diddy.
And for an online source there is: rocketsciencebanjo.com/
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artcole says:
3/6/2017 2:00:23 PM
the good time was a good choice,I am left handed so banjos for me are hard to come by I have a good time 2 classic also a sierra but as I get older the weight of the sierra bothers my neck so I play the G,t. I just bought a deering vega little wonder from eldery music l.h.I really like it only 5 lbs.have fun with your new banjo enjoy.
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 | tcpurvis says:
3/19/2017 6:07:34 PM
I have two goodtimes. An open back five string and a four string 19 fret that I just added a resonator to. In the course of installing it, it broke the head, and am I glad I did! I ordered a head replacement kit and watched the DB videos. after the research and asking a few questions I ended up with a banjo that has never been so properly set up. So here is the point of the story, during the head research I ran into the Fyberskin head for clawhammer style. I ordered it and the new Smile bridge. Wow, a totally different sound and such a pleasure to play.
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 | Paul Whiting says:
4/24/2017 6:29:20 AM
This thread's a bit old but here goes!
A few years ago I was in Boulder, CO and was looking for the OME outlet but it was a weekend and they were closed. So my son-in-law took me to Woodsongs. They had a Vega Senator (the current one, by Deering) and a funny looking banjo called a Goodtime. I'd never heard of it. At one time I had a Senator (original) and regrettably sold it. The current Senator in the store didn't have the "nut like" (only way I can describe it) sound of the original. (To be fair, it may not have been set up yet.) But this funny little Goodtime had that tone! So I bought it, brand new for $250. Now that's the banjo I more often pick up than my other banjo. (The other one is a Type N pot from a tenor banjo and a custom five string neck - it sounds great, like my original Senator.) But that Goodtime is a winner. I was going to reshape the peghead but somehow I've grown to like it that crazy Gumbo. Inside the rim is a sticker with a barcode and the words "GT 74".
It's such a friendly little bugger. I think I'll leave it as is. Did get a Fibrskyn (sp?) head for it that I plan to install some day.
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