In 1996, Greg Deering designed the Goodtime banjo to meet the ever increasing demand for quality banjos at an affordable price.
He remembers what it was like to want a good banjo and not be able to afford one, so the Goodtime became his gift to the world.
Today, this vision remains at the heart of every Goodtime banjo that we make, and centers on five fundamental points we call The Goodtime Principle.
The Goodtime Principle
Value
The Goodtime was designed to be affordable and remains the most affordable banjos made in the USA today. It is the highest quality banjo you can start with!
Tone
We believe that the banjo should sound full and rich, like a real banjo should. We select the highest quality woods, ensuring that your Goodtime banjo sounds beautiful and will always be a joy to play.
Quality
We focus on quality components, so that you can focus on learning instead of worrying about a bad tuner or bad fret work, which will only hinder your success.
Playability
The playability of your Goodtime banjo is the most important point. We set up your Goodtime banjo so that it feels comfortable and plays beautifully right out of the box, to help you become a better player.
American Made
Since it's introduction in 1996, the Goodtime banjos have been and will always be made in our only facility in San Diego, California.
Compare goodtime banjos
Get to know the key differences between the Blonde and the Artisan Goodtime banjos!
| Feature | Blonde | Artisan |
|---|---|---|
| Neck | Natural Hard Rock Maple | Stained Hard Rock Maple |
| Rim | Natural 3-Ply Violin Grade Maple Rim | Stained 3-Ply Violin Grade Maple Rim |
| Hardware | US Bronze Durable Powder* | Nickel Plating |
| Fingerboard | Natural Hard Rock Maple | Midnight Maple |
| Inlays | Hardwood Inlays | Pearloid Vintage Artisan Style Inlays |
| Spikes | No Spikes | Spikes at 7, 9 & 10** |
| Tuners | 16:1 Sealed Guitar Tuners | 4:1 Planetary Tuners |
| Warranty | 8 Years | 8 Years |
** 5-String models only
Meet The New GOODTIMES
IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS
The Pot
1. DEERING 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. 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.
5. QUIET COORDINATOR ROD
Made of special alloy that is strong and does not interfere with the singing resonance of the violin maple rim.
The Neck
6 & 7. 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.
8. 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.
