When the Goodtime banjo was first released in 1996, it revolutionized the banjo world cementing its place as a lightweight, affordable, great-sounding American-made banjo, heralded for its affordability and great value.
Today, the Deering Goodtime banjo is as popular as ever, continuing to be the choice among musicians of all skill levels, thanks to its excellent craftsmanship, superior sound quality, and affordable price point. It is also the most recommended banjo for beginners!
Central to the success of the Goodtime banjo is the construction which utilizes high-quality materials and components, including a three-ply violin-grade maple rim, and an exceptionally stable and slender hard rock maple neck, ensuring that it delivers a rich, full sound with excellent clarity and projection. The Goodtime tailpiece is our own design, the tension hoop is rolled in-house from raw metal. We took time to source the best possible tuners to compliment the Goodtime affordability and topped it off with the best banjo strings on the market.
This emphasis on quality also makes the Goodtime banjo incredibly easy to play, thanks to its slim neck profile, low string action, and smooth fretwork. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced player, you'll appreciate the Goodtime banjo's comfortable feel and excellent playability.
All Goodtime banjos are made by skilled craftsmen in our only facility, located in San Diego, CA. And at only 4 pounds, the weight makes it ideal for both children and adults to play and travel with conveniently.
Even when you eventually step up to an upperline model, we are certain that your trusty Goodtime will remain a go-to banjo.
Specifications
Specifications
Specs
Neck
Neck Wood: Rock Maple
Neck Shape: Comfortable "D" Shape
Stain: Natural Maple
Finish: Satin
Nut Width: 1 1/4"
Nut Material: Lexan Polycarbonate
Tuners: Sealed Geared Tuners
5th String Tuner: Goodtime Geared 5th String Tuner
Frets: 22 Pressed In Nickel Silver Frets
Inlays: Hardwood Art Deco Inspired Inlays
Specs
Pot
Rim: 3-Ply Violin Grade Maple
Rim Diameter: 11"
Tone Ring:
Head: 11" Top Frosted High Crown
Tension Hoop: Beveled Steel Tension Hoop
Hooks & Nuts: 16 Flat J-Hooks with 9/32″ Nuts
Armrest: US Bronze Powder Finished Goodtime Armrest
Hardware Plating: US Bronze Powder Finish
Bridge: 5/8" Goodtime Smile Bridge
Tailpiece: Deering Patented Goodtime Tailpiece
Finish: Hand Rubbed Polyurethane with Carnuba Wax Finish
Specs
Dimensions
Neck Width at the Nut: 1 1/4"
Scale Length Nut to Bridge: 26 1/4"
Rim Diameter: 11"
Overall Instrument Length: 37 1/2"
Weight Approx.: 4.5 lbs
Specs
Warranty
The trust and pride we share in our product gives us the confidence to grant every owner of a Goodtime banjo a Six Year Warranty ensuring the quality of our materials and workmanship.
Click below for more information.
Specs
Strings, Tuning, Etc.
Comes strung with Deering Light Gauge Strings
String gauges: 10, 11, 13, 21w, 10
Comes tuned: G, D, G, B, D
Can easily be tuned in other tunings as well.
Gig bags and hardshell cases available below.
Why A Goodtime Banjo
Why A Goodtime Banjo
The Pot
1. DEERING GOODTIME SMILE BRIDGE
The responsive sensitivity of the maple, with the hard, dense ebony top contributes to the Goodtime banjos clear, resonant responsiveness.
2. QUIET TAILPIECE
Specially selected metal is used to prevent the tailpiece from making “its own sound” and muddying up the banjo’s tone. The violin maple rim is supposed to sing, not your tailpiece.
3. STABILITY ENHANCING J-HOOKS
The proprietary Deering J-hooks are wider at the top to prevent twisting off the tension hoop when tightening the banjo head.
4. QUIET COORDINATOR ROD
Made of special alloy that is strong and does not interfere with the singing resonance of the violin maple rim.
5. 3-PLY VIOLIN GRADE MAPLE RIM
The maple in the Goodtime rim is the exact wood used in the finest violins in the world. Only Deering puts this professional grade 3-ply maple rim in a banjo in this price range.
The Neck
6. SEALED GEARED TUNERS
Five high quality geared tuning machines make tuning the Goodtime banjo easy, accurate and fun. Too many student banjos are cursed with poor quality tuners, so the students blame themselves for an out of tune banjo when it’s the tuner that is at fault.
7. ROCK MAPLE NECK
This fine grained, dense, extremely hard, wood creates a stable neck, and imparts a bright, crisp quality to the Goodtime banjo tone.
