The Nechville Midnight Dot Phantom 5-string banjo offers all of the quality and technical advances of Tom Nechville’s designs, with subtle decoration.
This Gibson RB-250 example dates to 1998 and is good working order. It has just been completely worked over and set up by Anne Hartman at The Twelfth Fret. Fret wear is moderate but it plays cleanly, and delivers that loud, clear Gibson banjo sound. There is visible wear on the arm-rest plating, sure signs that it’s been used as intended, and that’s a good thing.
This is an interesting piece – a Frank Neat Bean Blossom 5-string banjo, built as one of 22 Bean Blossom banjos, with the neck and resonator using walnut from a tree that grew next to Bill Monroe’s stage at the Bean Blossom festival grounds. Working from his shop in Russel Spring, central Kentucky, Frank Neat builds some of the world’s finest banjos. He’s run his shop since 1980.
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.
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
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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.
