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We are one of the only companies still making 4-string banjos, and certainly the only American maker of reasonably priced 4-string banjos.
Here we are showing the Maple Blossom Tenor, Plectrum, and 6-string banjos to illustrate how you can choose a model and order it from the Custom Shop in another style: Tenor, Plectrum, 6-string, Long Neck, Left-handed, or Open Back. You can read the details of the model on the 5-string page and then custom order a similar banjo in the style you wish. For example, to find the details about the construction of the Maple Blossom 4-string banjos read the Maple Blossom 5-string information and then refer to the chart of banjo dimensions on the back of the catalog. This will give you specifics about the 4-string Maple Blossom banjos.
The models we normally make in the 4-string style are the Boston and the Sierra banjos. The tenor and plectrum Boston or Sierra banjos can be ordered through our dealers. See the description on the 5-string pages for details on these models. Aside from the obvious difference in the style of the neck, the only other change we make for the four string banjos is instead of a frosted top head, you get a smooth head, so that when you strum chords and brush the head you don't get any noise from passing over a rough surface.
Tenor banjos are great for mandolin or violin players because they are tuned a fifth lower and can be chorded with the same fingering as a violin or mandolin. This feature contributed to the popularity of the tenor banjo during the dixieland jazz era of the early 1900's. It was a new sound immediately available to the many violinists and mandolinists of the day, and it's popularity is still alive today. It is often used in Irish music. If you play violin or mandolin already and want another new sound, try a tenor banjo.
The term "long neck" can be very confusing when talking with 5-string and 4-string banjo players because to the 5-string player a long neck banjo has twenty-five frets, three more than a standard 5-string banjo and is open-back (has no resonator) - as pictured on page 22. To a 4-string banjoist a long neck banjo is the same as a plectrum banjo with 22 frets, simply longer as compared to a tenor banjo which only has 19 frets. And so, the term "long neck" can refer to either the 5-string or 4-string banjos with a completely different meaning.
The 6-string banjos were used in the early 1900's in some of the jazz bands but they never really caught on because the sound wasn't quite right. We are the only makers today who have mastered the 6-string banjos to bring out a wonderful banjo tone and make the instrument a joy to play. Many guitar players are now discovering the new sound available from playing a Deering 6-string banjo. Anything you play on a guitar can also be played on the 6-string banjo. It can be flat-picked or finger-picked equally well. We string it with extra light acoustic guitar strings, however it does perform well with other string gauges. The sound is excellent!
"I wanted a fine tenor banjo with as much sustain
as a fine pre-war banjo I once played on during the 1930's. Deering
has just built me such a banjo in my new GDL tenor banjo. This
instrument has exceeded my hopes. The hardwood neck, the solid,
well built pot, the solid neck butt to the pot, the heavy flange
and the fine tone-ring and tight head all contribute to a prolonged
sustain. I am a luthier, I build classic guitars. Hence, while
I do not build banjos, I can appreciate the craftsmanship and
workmanship that went into my GDL tenor banjo. Thank you for a
job well done."
Roy Short,
Cedar Rapids, IA
