2004 Deering Sierra sound enhancement

Premier Sponsors

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our privacy policy which includes details of cookie usage. Hide this notice

Deering owners club

Join This Group

Only requirement is be an owner or a dedicated fan of Deering Banjos.

652 Members, Created 1/27/2011 -

Administrators: Randyc1959 (owner)

< Back to Home

From donbeh on 5/13/2016 2:26:07 PM

I want to get a more bluegrass sound from my Sierra. I am changing the strings (Martin medium) and replacing the Sullivan old growth bridge with a $6.00 Grover. Don't get me wrong, I love the banjo, just want to get more bluegrass sound from it. Any suggestions?

4 Comments
	camlan says: 5/13/2016 3:26:08 PM Try the standard stuff: play with tailpiece height (1/8 to 1/4" height) and play with head tension F# to A. I would not recommend the Grover. Call Janet Davis or Elderly and talk to a banjo tech to get their suggestion for bridges and get a good one from them. Snuffy Smith II is hard to beat for dead down the centre bluegrass sound. Also, (no one ever recommends this) try different types of thumb and finger picks as the hardness of plastic or metal/brass used can really change the sound. Light strings will sound very different from mediums, and bronze 4th is mellower than nickel.
	Jesse13 says: 5/13/2016 3:53:25 PM Hi Camlan, quick question. Do the Snuffy Smith bridges make a big difference?
	DrBillM says: 5/13/2016 6:23:55 PM I love my Roger Siminoff Straight Up light strings, Pro Pik angled #3 picks and Propik thumb and a Sullivan Roasted Maple bridge on my Maple Blossom
	SouthCreek says: 9/15/2016 6:54:56 AM Hi Donbe. I recently put a Fults 34Parallel Lite on my Deering Eagle II. The impact on sound quality, note clarity and snap/crackle is amazing (if you set it up right). Earl would approve. If your Sierra is till equipped with a Deering TrueTone, consider replacing that with a Fults. If you're after the pre-war sound, you might prefer the heavier 1934 Parallel, instead of the lite version. Also, I recommend you check your head tension as this has a considerable effect on sound. For example, I set my head tension to 91 all around. This is the ideal point for my ears: powerful but not too bright, rich tone but not muddy, responsive and no wolf notes. Lastly, I don't recommend putting a Grover bridge on a Deering Sierra... That's like putting cheap tires on an expensive race car. The Deering bridges are more adequate than Grover. However, I recommend a Sampson Maple bridge. Overall, if you want to hear what your Sierra is really capable of....the Fults tailpiece is a great investment, and definitely check that head tension. On that note, it's worth owning a drum dial.
Post a Comment
You must be logged in and a member of this group to post a comment.

Tablature: Shuckin' The Corn Linked by JasperJack 16 days ago
Tablature: Lost Gander (f#DEAD . thumb lead) Linked by dannnjo 1 year ago: Nice
Tablature: You Are My Sunshine Linked by Tim Soden 2 years ago
Tablature: You Are My Sunshine Linked by Tim Soden 2 years ago
Tablature: Jack's the Lad (Sailors Hornpipe) Linked by Tim Soden 2 years ago
Tablature: Mississippi Sawyer Linked by cathnix 2 years ago
Tablature: Shove the Pig's Foot a Little Further in the Fire Linked by cathnix 2 years ago
Tablature: Little Maggie Linked by Colorado3 2 years ago
Blog Entry: My adventures at Bela Camp! Linked by brae 3 years ago: My adventures at Bela's banjo camp, enjoy and share!
Forum Post: (untitled) Linked by maryzcox 3 years ago