Deering Artisan Goodtime 5 String Openback Banjo

I am an experienced banjo player of over 30 years. I have owned banjos both beginners and professional levels. I was looking for a banjo under a thousand dollars and chose the Goodtime open back because of the three-ply maple rim and Deering's reputation for quality. I am very pleased with my purchase. The banjo is more expensive than most student banjos but fits a wide array of players. The banjo is light on features but has all you need. I rate it 5 stars.

Absolutely amazed at the quality of the instrument. The craftsmanship and tone quality are much more than expected. It was delivered exactly as it was represented in the description.

Slender light weight neck, I feel the strings it comes with are to light weight, when two finger picking you pick one string the harmonics causes the string next to it to vibrate giving it's own pitch.Finish on the fret board is Midnight Maple which is hard rock maple that has been dyed to imitate ebony, problem is it is very splotchy with white streaks here and there giving it a very cheep look.The tuners have alot of slop in them, makes tuning a bit of a challenge as you need to take up the slop.Should come with heaver quality strings.Would I buy a more expensive banjo from Goodtimes? Judging from what I got for $900.00 I do not think I would. I like the fact it is made in the USA but I would need to see better quality in the hardware and the finish, but that is me I am a retired machinist of 30 plus years and I tend to be picky when it comes to precision and quality

Loved the Deering brand and this was banjo was a few dollars cheaper... Now I know why scuffed up looks like it banger around...but from a music store

The media could not be loaded.  I got this for my son for Christmas. He is not a beginner. It is wonderful! I was worried it was a knock off, but it is not.

Great banjo, even for a Pro to use during a jam session! Well made, great workmanship, and sound......Highly recommend for those who would like a little more flourish a GoodTime banjo! Great prices for the quality and sound. I had a Gumby Goodtimes.....old style many years ago, and it was stolen from my "crash" pad in Chicago......It too, sounded great.....I purchased a Deering gig bag for it......Well worth it!

This Banjo came perfectly setup. Looks good, sounds great!(Excellent packing for shipping)

Much better built than the import banjos in the same price range. Was already set up perfectly upon arrival. Only minor tuning needed to start playing right out of the box. Great to be playing an American made banjo.