The Goodtime Special and it’s openback counterpart are both fast and easy to play due to the slender, low profile of the neck. Comfortable for large and small hands, this slender profile is the same one that is found on our much sought after upper line Deering models. The neck is made of rock maple. This hard, dense wood is very strong and stable. The fretwork is precise to ensure accurate intonation over the entire fingerboard. The standard 11” diameter multi-ply rim of the Goodtime Special is made of rock maple and birch. These are premium tone woods in any grade. They contribute a sweet, full, bright, crisp, clear, and sparkling sound to all the members of the Goodtime line of banjos.
Couple these with the Goodtime Special steel tone ring and you have a banjo with more power, sustain, and ring. The tone ring is made from 1/8” steel and has the shape of a bluegrass style tone ring. The sound is clear, with some of the Goodtime banjo sweetness and yet, it has some of the bell-like “ping” that is desired in more expensive banjos. It can be played very soft and fairly hard and has good balance. The resonator on the Goodtime Special banjo gives an additional punch and driving power that is considered essential in many musical styles. The maple and ebony bridge and top frosted head increase the crisp, bright sound of the banjo.
The single coordinator rod in the pot easily and effectively adjusts the playability so that the strings are close to the fingerboard and are easy to press down. All five tuners are geared and easy to tune. The Goodtime tailpiece is extremely strong and easily adjustable to maximize tone by raising or lowering it. The 16 brackets and standard rim diameter make head adjustments easy and simple and the availability of replacement heads is simple since the heads are the same size as almost all modern banjos (11” high crown).
The Goodtime Special resonator model weighs only 7 pounds while the openback weighs slightly less due to the absence of the resonator and nickel-plated flange. This makes both of them ideal for traveling, camping or picnicking on the beach!
