Artisan Goodtime 5-String Banjo

e 4th string) and are not as smooth and easy to use and my first (much less expensive) banjo. The 7th fret railroad spike was hammered too close to the fret board making it impossible to use. The finish on the midnight maple fingerboard is sloppy - it has blotches where the ‘frosted' appearance is messy, jagged, uneven, and completely missing in some places. In addition, there are two long yellow scratches in the finish as well. The finish looks nothing like the pictures on the website and in the printed catalog. I contacted customer support by phone and email about the finish and the railroad spike. My emails were completely ignored (I know they received them because they acknowledged them when I called) and the response by phone was absolute indifference. They offered no tips about how to get repair the railroad spike, and could care less about the messy finish.

I was very disappointed by this purchase, especially given the Deering reputation. Definitely my last Deering banjo. Read LessRead less about I bought this banjo as an upgrade to

on any follow up. Thanks Deering. Hope to make it down to SD for a visit when the world opens back up. Read LessRead less about The Artisan is my second Deering

appier! Thank you for making such a great Banjo Deering!! Read LessRead less about I tried learning on a cheap banjo only

ty starter banjo to learn on, or a perfect travel banjo that is easy to take wherever you go, you can’t go wrong with this open back Goodtime banjo. I just love it! Highly, highly recommended for banjo lovers. Read LessRead less about WOW! This is one great little banjo!

with my purchase. Read LessRead less about I received my Artisan from the factory

e learning a real chore. It was more frustrating that fun. Your Artisan banjo is an absolute joy to play, and it’s almost like artwork sitting waiting to be played. :o) Read LessRead less about I recently bought a new deering

uality is visible from any angle. It is heavy and durable. The sound difference in both resonance and volume is remarkably different that I took a video of two version of Cripple Creek, one on the old banjo and one on the Deering Artisan.

When my teacher saw my banjo he congratulated me on getting a "real" banjo. His comment, "You will have that for decades".

From the customer service to the receipt of the item the whole purchase experience has been fantastic. I did have one suggestion for Deering which is to include a set of strings.

Purchase with confidence. Read LessRead less about I purchased a cheap banjo from amazon

erall so easy to play. Spikes already installed and I like the darker finish.
Deering shipped it home for a very reasonable price after a good cleaning and tune-up (it was a showroom instrument).
Was well packed and ready to go.
After a couple months of picking and a little head tightening the sound has really opened up, I love it. Read LessRead less about Own a Deering Sierra as my main

ring my retirement years.
Phillip J. Twidale Read LessRead less about I received my Artisan open back Banjo

kes it look more traditional, plus it has pro features like spiking planetary tuners. That said, it's still too loud for some settings. So when the Artisan came out, I got one of the first ones (without a tone ring, although you can get them with tone rings if you choose). Except for the tone ring, it has all the professional features of my Classic Special, and a much more attractive appearance. By the way, all three of my Goodtimes play so easily they make my fingers happy. So I won't claim that the Artisan will make you a better banjo player than the stock Goodtime (which plays easier than any other under $1000 I've tried). But if you want a more traditional look, and you play with people who tend to use keys other than G and C, you'll appreciate the features of this one. In fact, I think the Artisan blurs the lines between "student" and "pro" banjo. Frankly, my Classic plays better and sounds as good as a lot of "classic" open-backs. The Artisan ups the ante in appearance as well.

Now I'm wishing I had the tone ring version, too, but that's just silly. :-) Read LessRead less about Before I got my Artisan, I had already

many other banjos and played songs on them just to see what other banjos sound and feel like. I still love my Artisan banjo compared to even some more expensive banjos. My Artisan is light, it is very attractive, it is comfortable to play and I think it sounds good. The Artisan comes with the railroad spikes installed, so capoing the 5th string is simple. I play with friends who have more expensive banjos and the Artisan holds it's own. Read LessRead less about I bought my lightly used Deering

le Mountain open back. However, a little over a year ago I bought a Goodtime Americana Openback and instantly fell in love with it. The 12" inch pot gave it a depth and richness that captured my ear and my heart. I soon found myself playing it more and more and my other banjos less and less. So, when I heard about the new Artisan series coming out I knew I needed to check it out and had a sense I would like it. Well, it definitely did not disappoint! It has a beautiful old time, "mountainy", roots and rocky earth sound that I cherish, and the frosted head gives each note a little bit of an extra "pop". It looks beautiful, feels great in your hands, and is very easy to take with you wherever you go. I am sure my attempt at describing it is not doing it justice, so I just recommend going to a store and take a little "test drive" with it. Take your money with you, and meanwhile, you can start thinking about how you are going to explain to your wife why you want to buy another banjo. ;) Read LessRead less about I purchased a Goodtime Artisan