Here we have a Vega FW5 Folk Wonder, factory converted as new to a Vega Senator. At the time this banjo was built, the Vega name and facilities were owned by the C F Martin guitar company, and a few years later Martin built some higher end Vega banjos in Nazareth PA. The Vega name is now owned by the Deering company, who manufacture excellent Vega models.
Banjos
The Nechville Leon Hunt Phantom Model, while not a ‘formal’ Nechville model, is based on the Nechville Phantom XXV (Phantom 25). It uses all the Nechville Phantom elements plus very highly figured maple for the neck and resonator (rather than the stock figured walnut construction), with a slight amber tint to the finish. These spectacular banjos are based closely on the Nechville banjo made for Leon Hunt.
This Stelling Golden Cross Open Back banjo was originally a resonator model but was converted to open-back by Geoff Stelling. As with other Golden Cross banjos, the neck and rim are Maple, with Ebony for the fingerboard; inlays and the truss rod cover are Mother of Pearl. This is a very attractive instrument!
The Gibson RB-250 Mastertone was the working-musician’s banjo for decades and offers that classic Gibson sound with the “Snap” to the treble attack that only Gibsons have. This is essentially the same banjo as the famous Gibson RB-3 without the Wreath inlay, Gibson built a few RB-250 banjos every years from 1949 until 2010, when a devastating flood in Nashville destroyed Gibson’s Banjo and Mandolin facilities.
The Deering Clawgrass No.2 Banjo model was created when Mark Johnson approached Deering with one vision in mind – to offer the same solid foundation, quality, tone and playability of his original, but at a more affordable price point.
The Nechville Midnight Phantom Standard 5-string banjo offers all of the quality and technical advances of Tom Nechville’s designs, with subtle decoration. “Standard” isn’t really an official Nechville designation; we use it as many of the instruments we receive from them have custom features. You can read our post on the Midnight Phantom Custom here.
The Vega Old Time Wonder is one of Deering’s popular open-back banjo designs, hearkening back to the early days of the Vega company, at a time when the banjo was one of the dominant instruments.
This Vega Wonder 5-string banjo was built in Boston, Massachusetts during 1967. Vega had been in the banjo business since purchasing the remains of the Fairbanks banjo company in 1904 following a devastating fire at the Fairbanks plant. Three years after this Vega Wonder was built, the company was sold to the Martin Guitar company. The name changed hands again a few times and is now a valued part of the Deering Banjo company.
The Deering Calico Lefty 5-String Banjo is one of the absolute best, professional grade banjos available in left-handed, and this one comes with both the standard case and a flight case. It is also equipped with a Schatten pickup, Keith tuner, and five capo tacks. This fine banjo is in very good condition with only light wear, and has been well set up and maintained.
The new Vega Vintage Star open back banjo by Deering has arrived, featuring a classic Dobson-style tone ring, Ebony fingerboard and Satin finish! At the heart of the Vintage Star lies a stunning Dobson tone ring. Originally patented by Henry Dobson in 1881, the Dobson balances the low ends with clear highs, and adds just the right amount of sustain to the banjo. The brass Dobson glows from behind the renaissance head, which itself sits on a thinner walled, 12” violin grade maple rim. A knotless tailpiece tops off the set up to produce a classic old-time tone.
New from the Deering Banjo Company: the Deering Eagle II 5-String Banjo! Available on a limited basis through Master and Premiere level dealers, we are proud to say the Twelfth Fret is the only place in Canada to find this wonderful new banjo! With the Eagle II, Deering has created a banjo with a tonal range unlike anything they have made before. Deering banjos have always been known for their clear, bright attack.
This neatly constructed Dave Mills 5 string openback banjo uses a 12 inch pot with a spun-over Maple rim and Dobson-style tone ring, and a 3-piece Maple neck with an Ebony fingerboard that carries a frailing scoop. The Maple used on the rim and neck has a very convincing Cherry stain – so convincing that even our repair shop staff thought it was cherry from a short distance! The head uses a traditional ‘paddle’ outline.
The Deering Calico Banjo is possibly the most beautiful banjo in the entire Deering lineup! With an elegantly simple inlay package, Deering lets the AAA flame maple and amber shaded finish do all the talking. Nicely dressed up, but not overdressed! The Deering Calico banjo is a Top Level professional model that uses the best woods and materials throughout.
The Vega Woodsongs Campfire Long Neck Banjo by Deering is a modern expression of an older solution to a problem for banjo players: playing in E on a banjo is always a challenge. This why Pete Seeger had the long neck built for him. These are normally played with the neck capo’ed up three frets and the 5th string capo tack in use so the banjo is played in G.
The Gold Tone EBM-5 is a unique F-style 5-string electric banjo that looks as good as it sounds. The EBM-5, like a normal banjo, has an extremely fast response allowing hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides to be accomplished with incredible ease. Even unplugged, this electric banjo has an excellent banjo tone due to the hollow sound chamber within the body.
This is a Vega Professional Tubaphone openback banjo, with a neck from the 1960s and the pot from a 1923 Vega Tubaphone banjo, a conversion common in the 1960s. Vega, now owned by Deering Banjos, is one of the oldest American banjo brands, founded in 1881 in Boston, Massachusetts. This lovely old banjo is a mix of two Vega banjos: a product of 1960s Hootenanny era.
The Deering Goodtime Six is a 6 string, steel string banjo, that tunes like a guitar and features a fast, sleek, and comfortable guitar style neck that feels like an old friend. The Goodtime Six harnesses Deering’s 41 years of banjo know how to put a much needed quality American made 6 string banjo within reach of any guitarist looking to add an authentic banjo sound to their arsenal without breaking the bank
The Vega Little Wonder Open Back 5 String Banjo is an excellent, entry level but high quality instrument built by Deering in Spring Valley, California with all the quality of a Deering.
Built using a Maple for the rim and neck, with an Ebony fingerboard, a truss rod and 11 inch pot, the Vega Little Wonder is ideal for Frailing and Clawgrass styles. It is also available with a scooped neck. A 12 inch pot is also available, providing a deeper tone.
The Deering White Lotus 5-String Banjo by Deering is a resonator back model with no exotic woods, just White Oak and Maple. The bluegrass inspired White Lotus banjo, named for its lotus flower inspired inlay pattern, is centered around the patented white oak rim. Notably lacking a traditional heavy tone ring, the natural white oak rim closely recreates a bright, crisp bluegrass punch, ushering in a new era in playing comfort and sound for today’s banjo player.
Here’s a new item – the Vega White Oak 12 Inch Open Back Banjo by Deering, also available in 11 inch.. This is a lightweight open back model with no exotic woods, just Oak and Maple.
The Deering Vega Old Tyme Wonder is built for Clawhammer banjoists who prefer a scooped neck to ease plucking their banjos over the fingerboard. This traditional open back banjo is available with an 11 or 12 inch rim. The 12 inch rim provides a warmer, thicker ‘Old Tyme’ sound. Deering builds in a traditional ‘frailing scoop’ that allows more room for the fingers and thumb of the right hand to pluck the strings over the fingerboard.
Greg Deering says about the Deering Sierra Model 5 string banjo: “No one can buy a better banjo…they could buy a fancier one, but not a better one! ” Built with the same Deering -06- 20 Hole Bronze Tone Ring, three ply maple rim and one piece, cast, zinc resonator flange that are built into our top of the line banjos like the Calico, GDL and Ivanhoe, the Sierra is “A masterpiece of playability!”.
The Vega Senator banjo is the perfect “crossover” and parlor banjo. It is a light-weight, classic open back banjo, with a warm, woody tone with a lightweight tone ring that adds just enough punch and high-end clarity to play bluegrass with your buddies but warm, fat and woody enough to play in your parlor as a classic clawhammer or fingerstyle solo instrument.
The Deering Goodtime banjo produces a vibrant ringing tone from its natural finished violin grade maple rim. At only 4 pounds, the weight makes it ideal for both children and adults to play and to travel with conveniently. The Deering Goodtime openback banjo is warm, woody and full sounding – it’s a great sounding clawhammer banjo for advanced players.
The Deering Banjo Company is now offering the Deering Sierra Maple 5-String Banjo – their most popular Sierra model banjo in maple! Deering has become one of the largest and most respected American banjo manufacturers and we’re very happy to see these models.
Here, we’re looking at a Vega Style X Number 9 Tenor Banjo, built in Boston during 1926. Typical of higher end banjos of the era, it is adorned with engraved Mother of Pearl Inlays which are in lovely condition, and the engravings have been re-filled. The banjo features a tube-a-phone tone ring and Maple is used for the neck and dowel. The heel is hand carved, also typical of the era. The backstrap, the wood covering the back of the head, plus the head plate, are Rosewood.
It’s always interesting to see vintage pieces like this Bacon and Day Super Tenor banjo, built around 1927 at the Bacon Banjos shop in Boston, Massachusetts. The Super Tenor was built from 1920 to 1927. From 1906 to 1920, noted musician Fredrick Bacon sold banjos under his own name. In 1921, he partnered with David Day and while the company name remained Bacon, many instruments were branded Bacon and Day. Bacon, and Bacon and Day, operated independently until 1940 when they were purchased by Gretsch; the line was discontinued in 1967.
Often called a banjolele, the Deering Goodtime Banjo Concert Scale Ukulele simply strum a few chords and you will be taken to a land without the stress and distractions of the daily routine. The nylon strings make playing easy on your fingers and the small size and light weight allows you to take this instrument with you literally anywhere – the beach, the office, camping, boating – you name it!
The Deering Tenbrooks Saratoga Star banjo is the top of the Deering line and one of the finest banjos in the world. This banjo is named after Ten Broeks, the famous American race horse – winner of the July 4 1878 race at what is now Churchill Downs, and the subject of the traditional song ‘Molly and Tenbrooks’.
The Deering company of Lemon Grove California has been one of the most respected manufacturer of high-end banjos for decades. Their Vega line of open-back clawhammer banjos including the Vega Old Tyme Wonder are packed with features and priced very modestly. The latest model in the Vega banjo line is the “Old Tyme Wonder” which features a hand applied ‘Warm Brown’ stain over highly flamed maple finished with a matte lacquer.
The Deering Golden Wreath 5 String banjo is a beautiful instrument that is an accurate reproduction of the classic banjos of the 1930’s, but at a fraction of the originals cost. Normally the Deering Golden Wreath is built with Mahogany, but for the last several years Deering has been custom building the Golden Wreath in Walnut for The Twelfth Fret.
The Deering Rustic Wreath is a new 5-string banjo model, bringing the construction and tonal qualities of top line instruments like the Golden Era at a more affordable price. This is largely done by reducing the decoration and finishing costs, but not altering the structure.Built using a traditional Maple neck with Ebony fingerboard, and 3-ply violin grade Maple rim with Deering -06- 20-Hole bell bronze tone ring, and Deering hardware – the Deering Rustic Wreath essentially a Deering Golden Era in different clothing.
he Deering Golden Era 5 String Banjo is an accurate reproduction of the classic banjos of the 1930’s made with the same materials and the same weight, design and features of the originals. It is comparable with competitive banjos costing considerably more and far more accurate to the original models than other current production banjos. For the classic sound, appearance and feel of the prized banjos from the 1930’s, at a fraction of an originals’ cost, the Golden Era is the premier choice.
The stunning Deering Artisan Goodtime banjo embodies Greg Deering’s lifelong vision for the Deering Banjo Company – to make the best sounding, best playing, best looking, and best value U.S.A. made banjo that he possibly could.
Terry Baucom, the Duke of Drive, joins the Deering Banjo Company in introducing his dynamic walnut, signature, 5-string banjo available now at authorized dealers throughout the world. Crafted from elegant, plain walnut, trimmed in ivoroid with black and white accent stripes, bearing a regal inlay pattern designed by Greg Deering, and set up to Terry’s personal specifications, Terry says of his signature model, “Every time it goes on stage it seems to get better.”
This stunning Deering Artisan Goodtime Special Resonator Banjo has the look of an older banjo with the rich brown stain, Deering fiddle shaped peghead and planetary banjo tuners. The Classic Special can be heard with a sweet voice with sustain that compliments all the instruments in a band.
The patented Special Tone Ring found beneath the American made beauty of the Deering Artisan Goodtime Special Openback makes it louder and brighter than the standard openback model and is great for players who like to jam and want to be heard. The rich brown stain, planetary tuners, and Deering peg head shape gives the classic look of a vintage banjo. Featuring Midnight Maple Fingerboard and Vintage Artisan inspired inlays.
With a resonator back for projection, the American made Deering Artisan Goodtime Two banjo has a 3-ply violin grade maple rim and produces a bright and clear tone that projects well and is louder than its open back counterpart.
The Deering Goodtime Artisan Americana features a 12” rim, which gives the banjo a stronger bass response and a much warmer open back banjo tone. Played with an old time style technique, the Goodtime Artisan Americana is reminiscent of banjos from a period when larger rims were more prevalent which makes the 12” a great setup for playing old time music.
There is some remarkable tonal magic going on here with the Deering Goodtime Special Banjo with resonator. The new steel tone ring combined with the unique Goodtime flange and red maple rim is the perfect combination for a classic professional Bluegrass tone. This newly Patented Goodtime Special Tone Ring designed by Deering produces a powerfully crisp, bright, sparkling tone
The Deering Goodtime Americana™ is the first 5-string banjo from Deering to be fitted with their new Grand 12” rim, which gives the banjo a stronger bass response and a much warmer tone. The fullness and warmth of the larger rim is further enhanced by the addition of a 12” Renaissance head which beautifully complements the banjo both visually and sonically.
The Goodtime Special Openback banjo produces a more powerful and brighter tone because it is made with Deering patented steel tone ring. There is some remarkable tonal magic going on here: The new steel tone ring combined with the unique Goodtime flange and red maple rim is the perfect combination for a classic professional Bluegrass tone.
The Goodtime Two has a natural blonde maple with a satin finish to protect it. The rich, golden tone and the reverberation off the resonator sound great. You can definitely tell a volume difference between open back and a Goodtime Two.
The Deering Goodtime Fretless banjo is fitted with modern head, tuners and bridge, having none of the quirky setup and tuning issues of the 19th century banjos. For those players who want an authentic old time banjo sound and understand the idea of a fretless instrument, this one is for you.
The Gold Tone OB-250 has everything needed to produce THAT tone: a sand-cast bell brass flathead tone ring, a cast one-piece resonator flange circling a multi-ply maple rim with twin coordinator rods and an extra-deep curly maple multi-ply resonator for better low-end response. The curly maple neck has a bound ebony fretboard with hearts & flowers inlay. The bracket hooks even have metric threading to enable finer tension adjustment. “
The Gold Tone MM-150 half-inch-thick maple rim carries an authentically-designed Whyte Laydie -style scalloped three-piece brass tone ring under an eleven-inch Remo Renaissance head. Premium parts include a comfortable maple neck, rosewood fingerboard with snowflake inlays and a frailing scoop, vintage Fairbanks-style headstock design, planetary tuners, Vega-style armrest, and No Knot tailpiece. The MM-150 is completely set up at the Gold Tone Factory.
The Gold Tone CC-100R is a newbie player’s dream come true. It is the only modestly-priced full-featured banjo that comes with a maple neck with a two-way adjustable truss rod and separate rosewood fretboard, a hard-rock maple rim with twin coordinator rods, and it’s CONVERTIBLE! The natural-blonde finished CC-100R has a resonator that’s easily removed for true openback playing, helping new players become comfortable with different playing styles with just one banjo. Gold Tone’s superb factory setup in Florida further adds to the CC-100R’s value.
The popular Gold Tone CC-50RP has been the openback banjo of choice for thousands of beginning players for many years. The CC-50RP adds a full-walled resonator and high quality planetary-gear tuning machines to offer a value-packed first Bluegrass banjo for thousands more. Great sound emanates from the hard rock maple rim topped with a brass rod tone ring. The flangeless CC-50RP converts easily to an open back banjo for exploring clawhammer or folk style playing; just pop off the resonator and mounting brackets and you’re done.
The Gold Tone WL-250 Whyte Laydie produces the plunky yet focused tone that’s long been a standard for Old Time and folk music. This banjo features an accurate replica of the classic three-piece Whyte Laydie tone ring, mated with a half-inch maple rim for maximum air chamber volume. The maple neck has a vintage heel design, a Fairbanks-style headstock shape, GT Master planetary tuners. Stylized cloud inlays adorn the bound ebony fretboard which terminates in a frailing scoop. The eleven-inch pot carries a Remo Renaissance head, a No-Knot tailpiece and dual coordinator rods for a solid neck fit and easy adjustments.
Just in – a new Nechville Galaxy Phantom 5-string banjo in flamed maple! While retaining traditional values, these banjos introduce cutting edge features.
The Gold Tone OB-150 Orange Blossom is a ‘Pre-war’ style 5-string banjo with authentic tone and superb playability and at a price anyone can afford.
For the Deering John Hartford 5-String Banjo, Greg Deering combined years of experience with John Hartford’s research into the design of vintage banjos.
Deering has done it again with this innovative variation on their Sierra Bluegrass banjo! By simply eliminating the heavy flange and resonator the Sierra open-back offers a voice very much in the spirit of the famed Vega #2 Tubaphone at a far lower price.
Here we have another superb example of Geoff Stelling’s craftsmanship – the Stelling Bellflower banjo.
We were thrilled to renew our dealership with Stelling and now carry three models as standard stocking representation of these fine banjos.
Stelling established themselves as a benchmark in modern banjo construction; a unique approach to tone ring to rim construction that ensures maximum ring to rim contact for full tonal transmission.
Stelling engineered their own uinique heavy zinc flange and machined tailpiece to create THE classic Stelling banjo sound.
The Vega Tub-ba-phone banjo is unquestionably one of the most unique banjos in the history of this young and growing instrument. Touted by some as the ultimate banjo tone, it is prized for its full, round and yet sparkling tone and for its depth, responsiveness and power. For years only affluent collectors could afford Tu-ba-phone banjos made early in the 20th century and anyone who wanted one would search and pay premium prices for these coveted instruments. Those days are gone. The new Vega No.2 Tub-ba-phone is the first of a new breed of traditional style banjos that offer all the dynamics, sparkle, power, depth, full tone and more.
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!
Pick it in the parlor, in the park, or any where you go -the Deering Goodtime Parlor Banjo is lightweight and made with a shorter scale to meet a variety of needs for today’s banjo players! Reminiscent of the shorter scale banjos that were popular in the 1890’s, the Goodtime Parlor banjo is a 19 fret, 5-string rock maple banjo that weighs only 4 pounds in the openback version and a mere 5 pounds with a resonator model.