Deering Goodtime 5 String Open Back Banjo Review
Deering Goodtime 5-String Banjo
Easy to play, easy to larn, and piece of cake to ain, this may but be the perfect starter banjo
MSRP $499.00, $399.00 "street"
www.deeringbanjos.com
Past Phil O'Keefe
Deering probably isn't a household proper name - that is, unless your home is total of banjo players. If that's the case, as one of the earth's nigh respected banjo makers, they probably need no introduction. If you're fairly new to banjos, please allow me to make full you in a chip. Deering has been building high-quality banjos right here in sunny Southern California U.s.a. since 1975, and they have grown to become 1 of the nigh popular banjo brands. Their entry level series, the Goodtime line, has been in production for xvi years now, and they are the world'south near popular American-made banjos. While there are several models in the Goodtime Banjo line, in this review, we'll be focusing on the basic Goodtime open-dorsum v string model. (Fig. 1)
Effigy ane: The Deering Goodtime 5-Cord Banjo
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Let'due south get one thing directly right off the bat. While Deering labels this as an entry-level product, and it is certainly non as elaborately appointed and inlayed as their high-cease banjos, it'south definitely not cheap, equally in "poor quality." Sure, some cost cut measures have been taken, such as the lack of a gig bag or case (a triangular "conveying box" is included - a case or gig bag is an optional actress), or the satin finish over unstained wood, but the structure is expertly done, and the materials used are of very skilful quality. For example, like virtually all high-form banjos, the Goodtime features a 3-ply pot or "vanquish" fabricated from violin grade maple. (Fig. two) This contributes significantly to its pleasing tonal qualities. Hidden inside the pot you'll discover a unmarried metallic coordinator rod, which gives boosted structural forcefulness to the pot, and can exist adjusted to provide some modest neck angle and string peak control, letting you dial up only the correct setup for your particular playing style and preferences. Importantly, this rod is made from a special blend to help reduce sympathetic resonances and pitched vibrations that would otherwise negatively affect the instrument's audio.
Figure two: The Goodtime Banjo is an open-back design, and has a 3-ply high-grade maple pot
The pot is covered with a frosted top xi" head, which is held in place against the pot's rim past a low noise steel tension hoop. This is in turn anchored by xvi flat-topped hooks, which are anchored to 16 zinc alloy bracket shoes, which in turn attach to the pot with screws. (Fig. three) Sixteen 9/32" hex nuts allow for easy head tensioning. The hardware feels solid and potent, and functions peachy.
Effigy three: The Goodtime Banjo also features high quality hardware
Unlike some cheaper banjos, which use one-piece bridges, the Goodtime Banjo's 5/viii" tall bridge is made from 2 pieces of woods, with a maple base and an ebony summit. The tailpiece features Deering's patented design, which allows for easy string replacement. By slightly loosening the nut beneath the tailpiece, the unit can be raised or lowered to increase or subtract the string tension over the span. (Fig. 4) This lets you alter the audio of the instrument a scrap, from a lower tensioned and sweeter sound, to a more aggressive and snappy bark when the tension is increased.
Figure four: The Deering tailpiece, with the height adjustment nut located well-nigh the bottom of the banjo. Likewise annotation the ii piece maple and ebony span
The cervix of the Goodtime Banjo is made of difficult rock maple. Featuring the same unstained, satin stop as the pot, it has 22 pressed-in nickel silver frets and ix hardwood "bow tie" fingerboard inlays. Information technology as well has a very comfortable, fast and smoothen feel that begs to be played. Unlike some banjos, the Goodtime uses geared tuners for all v strings - no "friction" tuners here. This is extremely helpful in terms of ease of tuning and tuning stability, and the Goodtime stays in tune quite well. The 4 main tuners are "guitar-fashion" and stick out from the side of the headstock, as opposed to "banjo mode" with the buttons sitting behind the headstock. They likewise characteristic nickel tuner buttons, while the geared 5th string tuner has a pearloid push. The headstock features Deering's "fiddle" headstock shape, and the Goodtime logo, star and "made with pride in the Us" emblems announced to exist laser-etched into the woods. (Fig. 5)
Figure 5: The Goodtime's headstock logos are engraved into the woods itself. Annotation the sealed, geared tuners
The basic Goodtime v cord banjo model doesn't take boosted "spikes" for the 5th string at the seventh, 9th and tenth frets. When present, these allow you to hook the fifth cord nether a fasten to quickly transpose the string for easier playing in the keys of A, B and C. While I personally like spikes and wish they were included, leaving them off leaves the buyer'due south options open - they can use a Reagan fifth cord capo, or have a Shubb 5th string capo or a ready of spikes installed. (Fig. 6)
Figure half-dozen: In that location are no spikes for quickly changing keys on the drone string - you'll want to budget a few bucks extra for their installation, or for a 5th string capo. Too note the geared 5th string tuner and hardwood bow necktie inlays
Too absent are any sort of dots or other position markers on the side of the cervix. Some other affair that's missing from the Goodtime is an arm balance, just ane is bachelor as a user-installable choice direct from Deering for $24 for those who prefer one.
TRANSITIONING TO BANJO FROM GUITAR?
Obviously the banjo is a dissimilar instrument, with unlike playing techniques than a guitar, but the transition tin can actually be easier than you might think. For slide guitarists who are used to playing in Open up M tuning, the banjo is a relatively easy instrument to transition to since their basic tunings are near identical. Sure, you lot accept the additional 5th / drone string, but the basic note layout of the remaining iv strings is the same as found on the top four strings of a guitar tuned to open G. Don't play slide? You can retrieve of banjo as beingness tuned similar to a regular guitar'south four highest strings, except the loftier E string is dropped down a whole footstep to D. The bones chord shapes, scales and notation layout are not all that dissimilar to what you already know. One of the most hard aspects of banjo playing is learning rolls. These are eight note, eighth annotation picking patterns that are often used in Scruggs-fashion bluegrass playing. While it may have a while for you to get actually fast with them, it's not that dissimilar to playing fingerstyle on guitar, and with a little exercise, most guitarists volition get the hang of it adequately chop-chop. Considering of this, and its usefulness for bluegrass, jazz, country, dixieland and old-time styles, banjo makes a great "2d instrument" for guitarists who are seeking new sounds and looking to try something new to broaden their musical horizons.
SOUND AND PLAYABILITY
Out of the box, the setup was first-rate, with no adjustments needed to fine tune the activeness or intonation. The Deering Goodtime Banjo is an accented joy to play. The neck feels polish, fast and silky, and is very comfortable and well shaped. As an "open back" model, the Goodtime is a solid option for styles that are traditionally associated with open-back banjos, such every bit clawhammer and frailing, and old-time music styles in general. Traditionally, bluegrass banjos often utilise a resonator. A resonator surrounds the back of the banjo pot, and projects the sound that would otherwise exit out the dorsum of the banjo and be somewhat muffled by the histrion's trunk and clothing towards the front of the banjo and out to the audience, resulting in a brighter, louder audio. While the Goodtime 5-string banjo model nether review doesn't have a resonator, Deering does offer other Goodtime models that do, such equally the Goodtime 2 Banjo (MSRP $699, $549 "street"), so they've got you covered if you prefer a model with a resonator. In that location are other models in the series too, including shorter scale "parlor" banjos, also as 17 and xix fret 4-string tenor banjo models. Even without a resonator, this is nevertheless a large sounding instrument, with plenty of volume on tap. You shouldn't accept any trouble beingness heard when sitting around jamming with a few other acoustic instrumentalists. The tone is sweet, and somewhat "warm" by banjo standards, but still has plenty of projection and bite. It's a very highly-seasoned sound, with much meliorate tone than I was expecting at this price bespeak.
Let THE GOODTIME Ringlet
This is not a banjo that will hinder your playing development and forcefulness you into bad habits, nor is it one you will quickly outgrow, or that will autumn apart on you. With a modicum of intendance, it should final a lifetime, and due to its relatively light weight, solid construction, open-back design, corking playability and appealing sound, it would even so serve every bit a great knockabout or travel banjo even if yous move up to a pinnacle of the line model. It's not often that you tin find a cool sounding, high-quality American made instrument at such a reasonable toll. Every bit such, the Deering Goodtime Banjo is a terrific value, and a great choice for not only those who are seeking an entry into the world of banjo playing, but also for those in need of a travel banjo or 2nd, open-backed model to broaden their principal, resonator-equipped musical instrument. Lots of people are going to find something to love nigh this banjo - including me. I'm having style also much fun with it to send it dorsum, so I'll be purchasing the review unit.
| Specifications: |
|---|
| Blazon: Open-back, five string Tuning: Standard 5-string banjo (thousand / D / G / B / D) |
| Warranty: Vi year express warranty |
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Here'due south some additional photos of the Deering Goodtime open back 5 string banjo.
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Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Associate Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such every bit Alien Emmet Farm, Jules Mean solar day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Histrion magazines.
Source: https://www.harmonycentral.com/expert-reviews/bluegrass-and-folk-instruments/deering-goodtime-5-string-banjo-r32/
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