Satisfied Deering-Pickers Speak!
Hi Anton,
Wow, where to begin with my comments about my new Calico banjo.
Appearance: It is beautiful, what else can I say. The color is exactly what I envisioned. The stain really accentuates the grain of the wood. The chrome adds brilliance to the pot. Again, the instrument is beautiful. Deering quality and excellent craftsmanship cannot be appreciated until seen in person.
Weight: I knew the banjo would weigh more with the tonering but I didn't realize how much it would weigh. It is heavy. It sits in my lap very nicely and I don't have to hold up the fret board while playing as I had to with my lighter banjo that didn't have a tonering.
Sound: Let me list the words that come to mind to describe the sound: clear, crisp, resonant, brilliant, and smooth. I could go on but I think you get the picture. I am very pleased with the sound.
Playability: You told me I'd be a better player with a better banjo and I was hoping you'd be right (why would I doubt someone with your experience). Still I was hoping that would be the case. I am happy to report I can notice an improvement in my playing and so have my wife and son. My son commented that "the notes are clearer than with the old banjo and the Calico has a very nice resonance." I think part of the improvement is due to slightly wider spacing of the strings at the upper end of the fret board. The rest is due to better feedback (improved clarity of the notes) helps me play better and correct my fingering. Now that I have a concert quality Deering banjo, there's no doubt in my mind that any mistakes are due to my playing and not the quality of the banjo.
Last Fall when I asked you about advice in getting a better banjo you said, "get the best banjo you can afford that will last you the rest of your life." Thank you very much for this advice. I had to stretch a bit to afford the Deering Calico but it was worth it. This banjo will certainly last me the rest of life. I will be proud of this instrument wherever I go.
Have a great day. I look forward to seeing you next Friday for my first lesson with my new banjo.
Your friend,
Tom Mason
Custom order your
Deering banjo here!
Hi, I’m Anton (Tony) Ullrich and I have been a Deering banjo dealer here in Houston, Texas, since October, 1984.
I believe Greg and Janet Deering and their staff make the world’s best sounding, highest quality banjo available to you, period.
I sell Deering only. It’s called product loyalty.
If I just wanted to make money, I would sell 2-3 different brands. But if I did that, I would insure only that you get the best deal available at the time (on-line or otherwise)... regardless of quality of sound. It could be great, mediocre, or a total clunker.
I am here to help you order the exact Deering banjo you want, and you will have all that only by custom-ordering the Deering model banjo you choose.
Whether you are a beginning or experienced Banjer picker, you will want to know about such things as...
- Choice of wood
- Choice of wood stain
- Choosing chrome-plating versus nickle-plating
- Whether to order railroad spikes or a sliding 5th string capo
(for retuning your 5th string for different keys) - Radial fretboard or regular fretboard
- Flat head or arch-top tone ring
Regardless of the Deering banjo you will choose, you are contemplating a huge investment here, especially if this is your first purchase of a professional level banjo.
So, don’t short-change yourself. You need to order all the Deering banjo you want, nothing less. The banjo you buy will be the banjo you’ll play for a long, long time.
Please go to www.deeringbanjos.com and take in their wonderful website. Check out all the Deering models available to you today, then email me at and let me answer any and all of your questions (including discounts offered here). When you are ready to order, let’s begin the process that insures that you get nothing less than all the Deering banjo you want.
Buy Deering... You will not be disappointed.
Anton ( Tony ) Ullrich
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