The Maple Blossom
The Maple Blossom is an excellent banjo
with a crisp, clear tone. The Eastern hard rock maple neck and
resonator are stained a walnut color, and trimmed in white binding
with a decorative black stripe. The feel of binding provides
a more comfortable neck. Flower shaped mother-of-pearl inlays
are set in an ebony fingerboard. The three-ply maple rim, sand
cast virgin bell bronze tone-ring and zinc flange construction
generate an excellent tone in the Maple Blossom. These features
and price make the Maple Blossom one of the favorites.
"I recently received my Deering Maple Blossom. I am delighted!
I'm impressed by not only that Deering tone, sound clarity,
and ease of playing, but also by the feeling I get in my bones
from its resonance. You make great banjos! Thanks."
Dino Costanzo,
Wallingford, CT
"Just
a note to let you know that the Deering reputation has reached
the town of Sonip, Turkey. I presently own a "Maple Blossom" and
really find it to be an instrument of superior quality. To
see what else is available on the market at half the quality
and double the price, it's not hard to realize that my investment
in a Deering banjo was a wise decision."
Jim Green
APO, NY
The
JOHN HARTFORD 
The John Hartford model has two very
special advantages. First -- it is lighter weight than most other
bluegrass banjos, and secondly it has an amazing tone. It sounds
like a vintage pre-war banjo. But the unusual thing is that as
it ages, it "plays-in" like a violin and gains in volume and
presence the more it is played. We've seen it out-do even the
best bronze tone-ring banjos in jam sessions.
The Hartford is made of flamed maple and stained to a warm brown. It has the look of a vintage instrument, not glossy, but hand rubbed to create a smooth, fast feel. The "steamboat gothic" inlay pattern reflects John's enthusiasm for steamboats.
Greg's years of experience with various woods combined with John's research into the design of vintage banjos culminated in the idea of using a "Granadillo tone-ring" made from a wood used on marimbas. This unique tone-ring is mounted on a three-ply maple rim with a zinc flange to create a wood-rim, lighter weight (8 lbs instead of 11 or 12) banjo a very good choice for bluegrass as well as other styles!
With the custom option of a pop-on resonator, and assembling the banjo with a light weight tube for open-back playing, you can have a banjo which is easily convertible from open-back to bluegrass style, weighing 6 lbs with the resonator and only 5 lbs without -- the same as a guitar! (shown on page 2 & 3).
More
expensive to produce than a bell bronze tone-ring, the Hartford
tone-ring comes standard on t
he John Hartford model and can be ordered as a custom option on other
models from the Sierra on up the line.
The Hartford has the most surprisingly wonderful tone. You can listen to it on John Hartford's "Down the River" and "Hartford & Hartford" albums. Other models featuring the Hartford tone ring can be heard on recent albums by David Holt, John McCutcheon, Tom Chapin, Elmer Bird, and The Kingston Trio.
Note: All Hillbillys banjos come specially factory fitted with spikes on the 7th, 9th and 11th frets to allow the 5th string to be capoed.They also come complete with a gold lettered luxury Deering carrying case.
Contact us for the best prices on all banjos, and for a friendly chat and the best advice on buying your banjo from a long time Deering player.