Deering Goodtime Midnight Special 5-String Banjo - New Model 2016

I am a guitar player and recently got interested in learning how to play the banjo. So obviously, I am a newbie when it comes to banjos and had conducted a lot of research into banjos and wanted a quality instrument to learn on. My criteria for choosing a banjo is that it had to be a well constructed banjo of high quality that didn't sound cheap or lacking. Also, my preference is that the banjo be made in the USA.Well, research has lead me to the Deering Banjo Company which met all of my criteria. I found that Deering is a very highly regarded manufacturer of banjos with a stellar reputation with excellent customer service and it shows in their excellent quality banjos. And no, I do not work for Deering, nor do I know anyone who works there. I discovered them when doing research for the right banjo to buy and browsing the banjo forums for advice.When I received this banjo, the bridge was already installed but out of tune. That was remedied quickly and I was plucking on the banjo within a few minutes. And wow, it sounded absolutely awesome compared to other banjos I have heard. Every note was crystal clear, loud, with plenty of sustain! an inspection of the instrument overall revealed a very well put together instrument with quality and sound that rivals much more expensive banjos. I am very happy with my Deering Goodtime Midnight Special banjo and look forward to spending a lot of time learning on this banjo.If I do have any gripes whatsoever, is that this banjo has retail price of $1,329.00 on Deering's website. And yet, comes with no case or at least a padded bag. Being a guitar player, many guitars in this price range has a hard case or gig bag, such as my American Standard Fender Stratocaster which comes with a hard case. But anyway, apples and oranges, right? So now, time to shop for a case!

This is my second Deering Goodtime Banjo. In my opinion, Deering Goodtime Series Banjos a great beginner banjo. They are made in the USA in California and are a bit more pricey than the imports but the playability is better than most. I have played several beginner banjos and always prefer the Deerings. I have about 2 years experience and continue to get better. The Goodtime banjos are lighter than the professional banjos due to not having the very heavy tone ring that is common for a true bluegrass instrument. For my skill level this is plenty of banjo for the money. I have heard this banjo in the hands of better musicians and I have a long way to go before I outgrow it skill wise. Even if the day comes for me to purchase a better banjo, this will be a keeper to travel with me.The Midnight Special Edition has a solid black finish that is neither shiny or flat but somewhere in between. Railroad spikes are installed on the 7, 9, and 10th frets for capoing the 5th string. This banjo does have the rolled brass tone ring which is a step up from the regular Goodtime 2 series that does not have the tone ring. Deering provides a 6 year warranty on their Goodtime banjos which covers manufacturing defects (not normal wear and tear or accidental drops).If you are looking for a hard case for a Resonator Goodtime 2 (not openback), I purchased a Gator GC-BANJO-XL Molded Banjo Case and it fits like a glove. Look for my review on the case as well that has photos of the fitment.

This is my third banjo at this point. I assume the midnight is very similar to the goodtime II, but the sale price convinced me to purchase. Like other deering banjos, this one came with great setup. The action and intonation where spot on, but I do recommend all players to get comfortable tuning their own banjo heads and placing their bridge for string changes.If you are comfortable and competent in setting up your own instrument I'd recommend considering some of the cheaper Gold Tones or RK's, but remember that those companies don't spend a fraction of the time with quality control that the folks do at Deering. I've seen crooked necks and broken bridges on brand new banjos so I would not order from those two companies on the internet.

This is my first banjo, and I'm so happy I made this purchase. The instrument looks great, plays well, and has a great sound. The sound is brilliant, and alive. Once I get a decent set of chops I plan to buy other Deering Banjos, to add to my collection. If you have owned other instruments (I'm a guitar player), and have some experience, you will immediately realize after taking this Banjo out of the box, and looking it over, that the company who makes this instrument takes great pride in building very fine instruments. Being unfamiliar with Banjos, I researched a lot of banjos before settling on this particular Banjo. This instrument represents a great value. This is an investment you will cherish, and enjoy for years to come. Want to hear it play? Check out this URL:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ybar_k1_Jg

As an owner of many beginner and intermediate level banjos i was totally surprised by the sound and the action of this Goodtime Midnight Special. It was almost as if I was listening to someone else play...it couldn't really be me! But it was. Now I know the difference when playing an instrument that lacks in quality and setup. This banjo was ready to go right from the box it came in. Perfectly setup. Just a slight tuning. Love it and cannot recommend it enough to anyone thinking of buying one. More than five stars.

They call it an entry level banjo but I can't see myself out growing it. It sounds great. Arrived a day early with only minor tuning needed. It's my first banjo so I can't compare it to anything else but I couldn't be happier. Deering makes a quality product. I can't get the 5th string under the railroad spikes but I don't want to ruin the string trying. I ask someone that knows more than I do about it. Otherwise, buy with confidence.

First Class all the way. Great 5-string banjo. Excellent for Classic American Style with Nylgut strings or Bluegrass with steel.

Very nice banjo at a good price to start out with.

I got this banjo at a great deal on Amazon.ca - about half normal cost. I'm not sure why it was so low priced, but I jumped on it when I saw it. And it's beautiful.The one I received was the previous generation one (round dot inlays, no engraving on peg head, neck and fret board are one piece). It's great. The black finish, while not pitch black, is very nice. The matt finish is smooth and feels great. It feels much heavier than my older Grand Ole Opry Goodtime 2. I actually like this one better than the newer model (but I wouldn't have been upset with receiving the newer one, either:))The first one I ordered from Amazon had a problem with the neck (wicked, un-correctable fret buzz). Returned it (no problems there, return postage was paid), and they shipped me another one at no extra charge. The second one is great. Took it out of the box, tuned it slightly, and it plays great. The action is very low, but it's not buzzing, so I'm going to leave it like that for now and see how it goes. So far, I'm very happy as the owner of M413. Thanks Amazon and Deering for doing a great job.

completely satisfied with dealing with Amazon so far