The Deering John Hartford 5-String Banjo 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!
For the Deering John Hartford 5-String Banjo, 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 (9 lbs instead of 11 or 12) banjo – a very good choice for bluegrass as well as other styles!
DETAILS:
- Neck Wood: Quartersawn AA Grade Curly Maple
- Neck Shape: Slender "D" Shape
- Stain: Dark Walnut
- Finish: Satin
- Nut Material: Bone Nut
- Tuners: Deering Planetary Tuners
- 5th String Tuner: Deering Gotoh Geared 5th String Tuner
- Frets: 22 Glued In Nickel Silver Frets
- Fingerboard: AA Grade Ebony
- Rim: 3-Ply Violin Grade Maple
- Rim Diameter: 11"
- Tone Ring: Hartford Grenadillo Tone Ring
- Head: 11" Top Frosted Medium Crown
- Tension Hoop: Notched Brass Tension Hoop
- Hooks & Nuts: 24 Round J-Hooks and ¼″ Hex Nuts
- Flange: Deering One Piece Cast Zinc Flange
- Armrest: Deering Armrest
- Hardware Plating: Nickel
- Tailpiece: Deering True Tone Tailpiece
- Finish: Hand Finished Satin Polyurethane
- Resonator Wood: 3-Ply Poplar/Poplar/Curly Maple
- Resonator Finish: Satin
- Resonator Sidewalls: Tapered
- Resonator Diameter: 13 7/8"
- Resonator Stain: Dark Walnut
- Neck Width at the Nut: 1 1/4"
- Scale Length Nut to Bridge: 26 1/4"
- Rim Diameter: 11"
- Overall Instrument Length: 38"
- Weight Approx.: 9 lbs
