5-String Resonator Banjos

Tony Trischka told us that this banjo is the only banjo he used on the A Robot Plane Flies Over Arkansas album, and the main banjo he used from that, his first album, to the Hill Country album.  He told us that “from 1981 to 1991 this was my primary instrument.”   This banjo is listed on the Stelling Banjo Works’ Chronology of Important Instruments and Significant Dates, which says: in January of 1982 Stelling finished banjo #2174 - a Sunflower -  for Tony Trishka.   The first banjo made in 1982 was #2172, so this would have been the third banjo Geoff made that year.

OUR PRICE WAS $3191 BUT NOW REDUCED TO:

This banjo has the 20-hole flathead tone ring, the 24 brackets, the four corrugated thumbscrews hold resonator to him, the varied pattern mother of pearl fingerboard inlays at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15 and 17 (the 17th is a flying bird) and then a rectangular of pearl inlaid at fret 21 that is etched “Mastertone.”  Our Discount Price is $2,366.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $2,295.00.

Walnut banjo with satin finish, ebony fingerboard, rolled brass ring, three ply maple rim with bevel cut, nickel plated hardware, two way truss rod, and hard shell case.

We consider the Deering Boston to be a perfect instrument for the talented amateur, or perhaps a fine choice for one’s second banjo (the first banjo chosen is often a Deering Good Time or perhaps a Gold Tone). Until 2010, when it was upgraded cosmetically, the Boston had a white decal headstock logo and no other headstock decoration, and it had dotmarker fingerboard inlays.

Our Price WAS $1129 BUT NOW: 

The Eagle II banjo is a whole new breed of banjo. It features the ground breaking, patent pending Twenty-Ten Tone Ring which is a completely original Deering design that is unlike any other traditional tone ring. It produces a high quality sound that is versatile for many styles of playing. While the sound is uniquely Eagle, it represents a refinement in the quality of banjo tone, something that allows the player to soar to new heights.

Deering  says (edited):  “For the modern banjoist, the Black Diamond breaks with tradition both in the distinctive appearance and in the unique tonal quality. The black Mylar head creates a phenomenal sounding modern banjo!   The Black Diamond has been called elegant, progressive, modern, gorgeous, and sweet.

The way it is presently set-up this banjo has a newer maple resonator – however it comes with the original worn resonator as well. The back of the resonator that’s on the five-string conversion is highly figured maple, which is not the standard wood on a TB-3. Since the person who made the replacement neck made it in flame maple he probably figured “what the heck, let’s replace the resonator.”

This banjo conforms to the standard description of a previously owned, recently made, Gibson RB-4, having the “flying eagle” mother of pearl fingerboard inlay pattern and the double-cut headstock design inlaid in mother of pearl that has turned a golden hue with the “Gibson” script logo and a series of 9 pearl decorations whose designs can only be referred to as “squids and things.”

Chris Pandolfi of The Infamous Stringdusters is one of the bright lights in modern, 3 finger banjo, and his signature model Huber banjo reflects his unique style. It is made with a mahogany neck and resonator, and a mahogany rim as well. Chris feels that this rim offers a mellower tone with a wider dynamic range, even when set up like a typical bluegrass banjo.

By slightly modifying and adding to the Bellflower inlay pattern, and making the neck and resonator out of curly maple instead of walnut, we've created the Sunflower. The shaded, Cremona style "sunburst" staining on this model is very popular and highlights the quality of the wood used.  Includes a Tony Pass 600TS Old Wood Rim and a deluxe TKL emerald green crushed velvet plush lined case.

Nechville Musical Products has been in business since 1989, manufacturing professional banjos and related accessories for the booming acoustic and electric string instrument market. They have gained a respected reputation among the nation's top builders as being a leader in innovation and design. The company owns patents on Nechville's unique Heli-mount banjo design and it has been enthusiastically accepted by the world's top players such as Bela Fleck and Alison Brown.

Eastern hard rock maple neck and resonator stained a walnut color, 3-ply maple rim, sand cast virgin bell bronze tone-ring, ebony fingerboard,flower shaped mother-of-pearl inlays and white binding.
The Deering List Price is $3,998.

This model comes factory-equipped with the famous Granadilla tone ring – a wooden tone ring made of the same type of material as xylophones or marimbas use – except that with those instruments the player strikes the bars with mallets while banjo players are driven away from bars with mallets. This wood, which everybody agrees is handsome (at least its got its good looks) is also used for making flutes and other wind instruments. 
The Deering List Price is $5,063

Uniquely Deering, The Boston Banjo breaks with tradition and provides a professional quality sound at a lower price point by creating the drum from 3/16” rolled steel which rings like a tone ring and upgrading the accuracy of tuning with guitar style tuners with a higher gear ratio. The uniquely Deering inlay pattern gives you visual beauty enhancing the great performance. This banjo is often the preferred sound in country recording studios, and in non-traditional bands like the Keith Urban Band.

The short version is:  Gloss finish, mahogany neck and resonator, 3-ply maple rim, sand-cast virgin bell bronze tone-ring, zinc flange, nickel plated metal parts, ebony fingerboard and diamond shaped inlays.   The longer version is:  White and gold engraved inlays designed by Greg Deering adorn this lovely and fetching Deluxe. It is a sweet sounding professional quality mahogany banjo with a 20-hole '06 bronze tone ring, fast neck and comfortable feel. It's a beautiful step up from the Sierra with added detailing and high gloss finish and an an inspirational banjo for the dedicated musician. 

The Deering List Price is $4,661.00