John Hartford

For the John Hartford Model, Greg Deering’s years of experience with various woods combined with John Hartford’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 lighter weight (8 lbs instead of 11or 12) banjo; a very good choice for bluegrass as well as other styles! The Hartford sounds like a vintage pre-war banjo when new but also 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!