Deering Banjos - online catalogue

Full range of Deering banjos available in the UK from Hillbillys Music Shop

	Hartford & Maple Blossom
	The John Hartford model has two very special advantages. First — it is lighter in weight than most other bluegrass banjos, and secondly it has an amazing tone. It sounds like a vintage pre-war banjo. But the unusual thing is that as it ages, it "plays-in" like a violin and gains in volume and presence the more it is played. We've seen it out-do even the best bronze tone-ring banjos in jam sessions. The Hartford is made of flamed maple and stained to a deep brown. It has the look of a vintage instrument, not glossy, but hand rubbed to create a smooth, fast feel. The "steamboat gothic" inlay pattern reflects John's enthusiasm for steamboats. Greg's years of experience with various woods combined with John's research into the design of vintage banjos culminated in the idea of using a "Grenadillo tone-ring" made from a wood used on marimbas. This unique tone-ring is mounted on a three-ply maple rim with a zinc flange to create a wood-rim, lighter weight (8 lbs instead of 11 or 12) banjo; a very good choice for bluegrass as well as other styles! With the custom option of a pop-on resonator, and assembling the banjo with a light weight tube flange for open-back playing, you can have a banjo which is easily convertible from open-back to blue-grass style, weighing approximately 7 lbs with the resonator and approximately 6 lbs without — the same as a guitar! More expensive to produce than a bell bronze tone-ring, the Hartford tone-ring comes standard on the John Hartford model and can be ordered as a custom option on other models from the Sierra on up the line. The Hartford has the most surprisingly wonderful tone. You can listen to it on John Hartford's "Down the River" and "Hartford & Hartford" albums. Other models featuring the Hartford tone-ring can be heard on recent albums by David Holt, John McCutcheon, Tom Chapin, and George Grove of The Kingston Trio. The Maple Blossom is an excellent banjo with a crisp, clear tone. The Eastern hard rock maple neck and resonator are stained a walnut color, and trimmed in white binding with a decorative black stripe. The feel of binding provides a more comfortable neck. Flower shaped mother-of-pearl inlays are set in an ebony fingerboard. The three-ply maple rim, the genuine Deering bronze tone-ring and zinc flange construction generate an excellent tone in the Maple Blossom. These features and price make the Maple Blossom one of the all-time favorites. Custom Styles in 4-String Tenor or Plectrum, 6-String, Long Neck, Left-Handed, or Open-Back Maple Blossom Banjo Gloss Finish We are one of the only companies still making 4-string banjos, and certainly the only American maker of reasonably priced 4-string banjos. Here we are showing the Maple Blossom Tenor and Plectrum banjos to illustrate how you can choose a model and order it from the Custom Shop in another style: Tenor, Plectrum, 6-String, Long Neck, Left-Handed, or Open-back. You can read the details of the model on the 5-string page and then custom order a similar banjo in the style you wish. The models we normally make in the 4-string style are the Boston, Sierra, Deluxe and Maple Blossom banjos and can be ordered through our dealers. See the description on the 5-string pages for details on these models. Aside from the obvi ous difference in the style of the neck, the other change we make for the four string banjos is instead of a frosted top head, you get a smooth head, so that when you strum chords and brush the head you don't get any noise from pass- ing over a rough surface. Plectrum banjos are played with a pick for Dixieland Jazz and Traditional Jazz music and have the full 22 fret neck for versatility and range. They are tuned C,G,B,D normally or in Guitar tuning D,G,B,E. They are fun to play! Tenor banjos have 19 frets and are great for mandolin or violin players because the same chord forms and scale patterns can be used. The tenor banjo, however, is tuned to C,G,D,A which is the same as the viola and mandola. If you play violin or mandolin now, and are looking for a new sound, try a tenor banjo. Tenor banjos can also be tuned to guitar D,G,B,E or ukulele G,C,E,A tuning.