The Golden Era banjo is a unique model of the Deering line. It's designed to reproduce the most sought-after five-string banjos of the pre-war era. The unique features of the Golden Era are the thicker neck shape which creates more sustain and the deeper resonator which provides that warm gutsy tone. We use an Ebony fingerboard and the flame Eastern hard rock maple of the neck and resonator are stained with a cremona sunburst stain. Mother-of-pearl inlays are the traditional "Hearts and Flowers" pattern.

The Maple rim is turned to traditional dimensions and mounted with a zinc flange, twenty-hole virgin bell bronze tone-ring and presto style tailpiece with careful attention to original dimensions to recreate the sound and performance traditionalists desire.

You can hear the sound of the Golden Era banjo on many albums by fine musicians such as John Hickman and Byron Berline's "Double Trouble" album, Josh Williams' "Old Town of Home" album, and on Herb Pedersen's Desert Rose Band album, "Life Goes On".

On the Calico, Golden Era, Hartford, G.D.L., Ivanhoe, and Gabriella banjos the inside of the resonator has a tapered side wall. More sound is directed outward through the flange holes instead of being caught inside between parallel walls. This feature increases the volume of a banjo and improves the tone. And on these models, each fret is glued in place to ensure the finest fret work possible. This tedious process pays off with perfectly even frets and easy refretting in the future. The frets of the Maple Blossom, Deluxe, Sierra, and Boston are hammered in by a skilled craftsman. WOODS AFFECT ON THE SOUND The sound of a banjo is greatly affected be the type of wood used in its construction. Though most of our banjos have the same pot construction, the wood of the neck affects the ultimate sound. Maple has a bright, crisp sound, while mahogany creates a sweeter tone. Walnut tends to be brighter that mahogany, and sweeter than maple. East Indian rosewood has a brassy sound compared with other woods. And Brazilian rosewood has a wonderful bold and brassy, yet sweet tone that's in a class be itself. Custom options in wood are available to ensure that you get the sound you desire.

"Firstly, the fit - the finish - the inlay work is just sheer perfection with its chrome plating, my Golden Era is a dazzling display of the high quality craftsmanship that you and your fine staff are capable of producing. Everyone who sees this banjo is literally astonished at its beauty. Secondly, the tone and volume of this banjo is simply astonishing. The single most repeated comment is how mellow is the tone produced by that Hartford tone ring. Opting for the Granadillo wood tone ring was a terrific move because no one around here had even heard of such a notion as a wooden tone ring and even the biggest buck banjo around cannot compare to my Golden Era's rich deep tone. When the tone is combined with the volume of the instrument- Boy do heads ever turn!! I mean it just bellows out a tone. If literature is right about the tone and volume improving and increasing with play-in time I have a jam session dominator on my hands- and I am sure excited about those prospects. Everyone who has played it has been impressed with how smooth and fast and easy the golden Era proves itself to be. I started with a $100 Harmony banjo and had came to a point where I was struggling to improve. Now I am really progressing again. I am sure this is due to its matchless playability and that it is very difficult for me to put it down. It's like I died and went to Heaven."

Uniontown, OH

Bob King,

Diamond, OH

The Sierra (Standard)

The Sierra is our most popular model because it is very affordable and you get all the important features that affect the tone and playability.

Greg Deering explains it best: "No one can buy a better banjo! They could buy a fancier one but not a better one. The satin finished mahogany neck is made the same as every one of our necks - fast, comfortable, and precise. A masterpiece of playability! The pot or drum assembly is the best quality money can buy. It has our 3-ply maple rim, our top quality sand-cast virgin bell bronze tone-ring, and our own one piece cast zinc flange. In fact, it is the exact same pot we use on most of our more expensive banjos all the way up to the Gabriella!

Back in the 60's when I was making the rounds of the music stores and pawn shops, I experienced a great frustration. Every good banjo I found had a price tag that made it impossible to buy. I was looking for a good banjo that I could afford! One that I never found. And I never forgot that hunger, that thirst, that empty feeling when I had to pull out that crummy old banjo to play for a packed house. Since then it has been my personal crusade to build the ultimate banjo that anyone could afford and play with pride knowing he is providing the very best music possible. Adjusted for inflation, I could have afforded a Sierra banjo.

Some of our competitors may have a banjo in the same price range but there is a big difference when you play them side by side.

The Sierra banjo is truly a new achievement. It is the best banjo to start out with. It is a perfect banjo to play for your entire career. It is the best back-up banjo for your fancy banjo and it is actually even better that a lot of the fancy banjos you may find. No banjo player is complete without a Sierra banjo!" - Greg Deering

The Boston (Basic)

We call this first model of our line the Boston banjo to acknowledge the people of Boston who produced many fine banjos in the earlier part of this century. For parking lot picking the Boston rings out loud and clear. The thick steel rim which is unique to the Deering line produces a sound similar to a bronze tone-ring and enables you to get a much more affordable banjo.

One way to experience the excellent quality of the Boston banjo is to close your eyes and compare the sound to other banjos in the same price range. The Boston provides exceptional tone which is far superior to the tone of the die-cast brass tone-rings or aluminum rims of the imports. Playing is always more fun when you enjoy the sound of your banjo.

You'll progress much faster and enjoy playing more with a Boston compared to a lower priced import that's hard to play. The Boston banjo makes playing easier because the banjo works with you, not against you.

The Boston has the same adjustable mahogany neck, Ebony fingerboard and mother-of-pearl dot inlays, and satin finish as the Sierra. The primary difference is in the drum assembly which is a 3/16" thick steel rim but rings like a tone-ring. The 24-piece flange and steel rim give you a very enjoyable tone. We use high quality sealed guitar-style tuners because they provide a 6:1 gear ratio for accuracy in tuning. The fifth peg is geared as well. The 24-piece flange design allows you to convert this banjo to open-back by removing the flange pieces and resonator.

It (my Deering Boston) has been a constant and reliable source of pleasure ever since I 'picked it out'. Well, ok, I was very uneasy about investing a few hundred dollars in a banjo - especially since I've only been playing less than a year. I already had a satisfactory banjo, and just graduated from college and didn't really have the money to spend. Despite all the reasons not to, I took my Deering home and have never regretted it. Frankly, it's been a long time since I have been completely satisfied with any product I've purchased."
Haley Rider,
Northridge, CA

I am a banjo teacher in town and four of my students have purchased Deerings on my advice. I suggested that they go for sound over any other factor and I urged them to try the Deering. Now these are my best four banjo students. The pattern is this - When you have a good sounding instrument, you practice more, when you practice a lot you learn more, when you learn more you play more..."
John Shea,
Santa Barbara, CA