The Deering Goodtime Tenor Banjo 17-Fret is a great crossover instrument for string players! Made in America at the Deering Banjo factory in California, the Deering Goodtime Tenor openback banjo weighs about 4 pounds so it is ideal for traveling, camping, hiking, taking to the beach and provides a vibrant singing banjo tone in any situation.
This updated 2026 version features a brass finish armrest, tailpiece and hoop as well as updated inlays.
As one customer put it: "Really great instrument with a great build quality and a lovely loud and rich tone. It is a delight to play with its short scale fretboard, slim neck and light weight body. I chose the Irish G,D,A,E tuning so that I can use the chords and tunes already learnt on the mandolin and am able to play it with just a little more of a stretch and a bit more movement of the old fingers! I'm well impressed and can strongly recommend one of these lovely American banjos."
Also, the Deering Goodtime Tenor Banjo light enough to easily hold and play and is the perfect banjo to start out with since it is fretted correctly and plays easily. The shorter 17 fret neck reduces the length of the entire banjo to just 32 inches end to end.
DETAILS:
- Neck Wood: Rock Maple.
- Finish: satin.
- Nut width: 1-1/8 inches.
- Nut material: Lexan Polycarbonate.
- Tuners: Sealed geared tuners.
- Frets: 17 pressed-in nickel-silver frets.
- Rim: 3-Ply violin-grade maple.
- Rim diameter: 11 inches.
- Head: 11-inch bottom frosted high crown.
- Tension hoop: beveled steel tension hoop.
- Hooks and nuts: 16 flat J-hooks with 9/32-inch nuts.
- Tailpiece: Deering patented Goodtime tailpiece.
- Finish: Hand-rubbed polyurethane with Carnauba wax finish.
- Neck width at the nut: 1-1/8 inches.
- Scale length, nut to bridge: 21 inches.
- Rim diameter: 11 inches.
- Overall instrument length: 32 inches.
- Weight: approx. 4.0 lbs.
- Made in America
- Tuned in 5ths like a viola or cello (C,G,D,A),
- Bag /case sold separately.
