So you want a good beach banjo.. You don't want to spend a lot because it's going to be heavly abused. Buried in the sand with a towel over it while your swimming, sand and more sand, salt water and air, bad mittin racket, paddle, sun exposier, who knows what's going to happen to it. So that's exactly why I bought the Goodtime.
What I didn't expect was the most perfect feeling non sticky neck ever made. It feels better than my Gibson's (2 of em) necks. Sound is more than acceptiable. Play ability is perfect. The only things I changed on this banjo was the tail piece, (didn't really need to), the tuners, (didn't need to but I could stand the look of those side winders), and dropped the bridge to a 1/2" bridge. Other than that it's stock.
So for about 3 1/2 bills including gig bag, I'm way more than happy. If fact too happy, I play it way to much which means the 1926 Gibson sits in the case. But this banjo is light, easy to grab, always out in a stand. Feels good, sounds good, is good.
Short note on the Gibson. I had to adjust the truss rod twice a year, spring and fall. No big deal, but it had to be done.
Ok, the Goodtime has to truss rod???? Now this banjo goes through some extreem changes. It sits out 100% of the time. 80%-95% humidity (Cartagena Colombia) then closed doors and Air Conditioning which drys out the humidity. This banjo should have turned green from spinning back and forth. No truss rod...hmmm. I'm not careful with this banjo at all, didn't buy it for that. So sometimes I'll be playing on the balcony and come inside for something, leaving it leaning back in a chair or something, in the direct sun, hot!
Take it to the beach, sand, salt air, sometimes rain, sun, shade, left under a towel, abused in every way. Come out of the ocean and play it while I'm still dripping salt water...Hey that's what I bought it for. I figured if I got a couple years out of it I'd be lucky.
So what's happened after such abuse?
First off, I've never had to adjust the action one time. Never. Never adjusted the head. Never cleaned up the banjo after use. Have to change the strings quite often due to the salt air, they just don't last. The tension hoop is showing crosion/rust, but only on the top where I slober my adult beverage. Other than that, and the small changes I mentioned, it's in the same shape as when I first got it.
This thing is built like Gomer's discription of the nucular bomb shelter. It's just going to survive and keep on playing.
I can't believe the feel of that neck, how you can feel the vibrations of the music on the fret board, (well, there is not fret board, just a baseball bat shaved into the nicest feeling neck I've ever played.) The power of the banjo, I"ve stuffed towels between the pot rod and head, and used a mute. The tone of the banjo. And that neck, did I mention how nice it feels?
So if you want a banjo to abuse, or a second for quick playing that can always be left out, reguardless of kids and dogs. One that feels good, sounds good, priced more than right...
I'm telling you, you can't go wrong.
My congrantulations to the Deering Family (which includes all those "Kids" working in the sweat shop turning banjo out as fast as quality allows. "Kids, did Gomer really say they had Kids working there?" Labor laws, oh my.
Gary
ps, spell check said I didn't miss a word...... I ain't buying that...