Product Description

The Goodtime banjo is made in America, within the Deering factory and is designed to produce the finest tone and playability possible for the lowest possible price. The rock maple neck has the frets fitted into the neck the same way many of the classic (now collector's item) electric guitars in the '60's were made and are still made today. This technique has passed the test of time. The neck has a slender, low profile that makes it a joy to play for hands of all sizes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3298 in Musical Instruments
• Color: Natural
• Brand: Deering
• Model: GOODTIME
• Dimensions: 2.76" h x 6.69" w x 17.72" l, .3 pounds

Features

• Rock-maple neck
• Birch and maple rim
• Standard 11" head

Customer Reviews

Five stars for value and quality
I do not own a Deering Goodtime but I have had a number of opportunities to play them during Dan Levenson's workshops and at at a local KC metro music store (Mountain Music Shoppe). They are outstandingly playable and represent far better value for the money than any comparably priced alternative that I have come across.

I first became interested in banjo through Stephen Wade's wonderful Banjo Dancing one man shows and decided that I wanted to begin exploring banjo on my own. At that time, late seventies, there were very few options available. The choice was buying an open back "maker" banjo at > $1000, buying a used hootenany era banjo in the $500 to $800 (often with a Pete Seeger long neck), buying an Asian disposable with flashy pearloid cosmetics and buzzy frets, or building my own (the twisted route I took.).

Several years on, I was lucky enough to be able to buy a marvelous Bart Reiter at a fairly reasonable price thanks to some shop wear. Sadly most other potential enthusiasts were still faced with either inappropriate junk or a serious investment. Let's be honest here people, a serious investment in a beginner banjo, especially one for traditional styles, should be a contradiction in terms (for clarification just look at what the icons of Round Peak clawhammer banjo were playing in their day. They were far more likely to be Silvertones than Mastertones.).

Deering has had the good sense to recognize that if they are going to sell their high end goodies, future customers need to have *sound* entry level products that will allow them to grow into a better banjo and have an uncontrollable desire to plunk down long green on a Vega #2. (a "Duh!!!" here is probably fair despite the fact that the rest of the market appears to be oblivious or perhaps has ceded the niche to Deering). The Goodtime fills the entry-level spot admirably.

Bottom line, having meandered enough: Visually the Goodtime is somewhat cheesy; sporting spray painted position markers and a non-traditional, if cheery, peg head. The neck is outstandingly playable and reflects great tradeoffs on Deering's part. Despite not having a tone ring, this little banjo is remarkably well balanced tonally, probably due to a very hard and sturdy birch/maple pot (compare it to the light plywood pots on some Asian imports).

If I had to pick an entry-level banjo with which I had to live for an extended period of time, I would happily pick a Goodtime. For that matter, if they ever get around to offering a fretless, I'll probably pick one up as a traveling companion.

While I have done business with Musician's Friend in the past and found their service to be excellent, I would encourage everyone with a good local music store to buy locally. Independent music stores will probably get you within a reasonable range of advertised "internet" prices and, in return for the tiny premium, will ensure that the setup is good and help you get wired into the community of like minded instructors, pickers and peers.

It is never too late or too soon, get busy and play.

Cheers...TG (not in the business)

The best banjo for the money
This is the best inexpensive banjo on the Market. It was my first banjo. The key thing is that it is built to sound like a real banjo, hold together and make an appropriate sound. Deering used some technologies that are not standard for a five string banjo to do this, which may make this not look as nice as comparable models put out by Rover or even the Gold Tone lower end models which are not bad. However, this banjo sounds and plays very good.

I was about 52 when I got my first Good Time, but I was like a kid, taking it to bed with me. Even after I acquired a fine Bacon Belmont vintage banjo, I found that there were tunes and applications that I prefered the Good Time for. It had a bluesier twang and worked better for slide playing.

Moreover, if you follow the banjo literature on banjo-l listserve and other places you will find that there are many modication plans to improve the Good time by adding a skin head, changing the bridge etc. This is like the Volkswagen Beetle of banjos with a whole sub culture of people working to make it even better.

I have two more expensive banjos now that my Good Time was stolen, but if I had the extra money, I think I would buy a Good time for travelling.

Goodtime Banjo is the best beginner/intermediate banjo on the market
I have been playing Bluegrass and Clawhammer banjo for a number of years and have owned quite a few banjos. Once I discovered Deering's Goodtime, I got rid of all my other banjos, I was smitten. Owning a Goodtime raised the bar for me in regards to quality of sound and playability.

The Goodtime banjo has a great sound, is easy to hold and easy to play. It has a very natural feel to it. I use this banjo as my work horse. I have since bought other higher end banjos ($1000+) that sound good too but I always fall back to my Goodtime.

My daugher and son are starting to learn the banjo too, and I've found that the Goodtime is perfect for them. Because they are children, I use a capo on the 4th fret of the neck and then retune the banjo to open G (as I say to my kids, "just like a parents banjo") and then they are off and running.

Banjos will come and banjos will go but in my little stable of banjos, the Goodtime will alway be present.