Calico 5-String Banjo

I received my Deering Calico 5 string banjo today. I was concerned that the banjo was not coming from one of the major dealers I have viewed on the internet with all their claims of setup etc. . First the banjo came properly packaged in a box and within the box was the banjo within a rock solid form-fitting case. I unpacked the banjo which consisted of opening the case and removing a few pieces of packing material. Next after putting on a banjo strap I purchased separately, I went to play my new instrument. The head was flat with no valley. It is straight and flat. The strings were out of tune but that would be expected. They were a little loose. Probably a good thing. I tuned the banjo in a few minutes. One of my concerns was the bridge placement. I did not want to go through the effort of moving the bridge around. I moved up to the 17 fret on the high-d string and my digital tuner said g was in tune. Spot on! I spent the next couple hours trying out my new banjo. Sounds great. Nice tone, clear and bright, with a long resonating tone. I own a 1983 Gold star hearts and flowers. I like that banjo. It has a mahogany neck as opposed to the rock maple neck of the Calico banjo. Different sound. I like the Calico better. I’ll report later on my experiences. For now all worries are gone about buying my Calico on line from Amazon. I love it.

I own an older Calico that has the clear finish on tiger maple (now an option). I am sure the quality on the new ones is just as good as the older ones. This is a professional level instrument with a high degree of inlay and hand work, so the price reflects that. As far as the sound, it is probably the loudest and "snappiest" banjo I have ever played since I started picking in 1978. I personally prefer the feel and sound of this instrument over even the best Gibson Mastertone I have played. I bought mine used, so I didn't get the original warranty, but if you buy one new, its guaranteed for life. Mine was owned by a professional folk group and had a repair and some mods before I got it, and Carolina at Deering was able to give me all records on it since it left the factory. This banjo is quite heavy, so you will need a good strap while playing it. If you want something quieter with less sustain, you might prefer a mahogany banjo, but I would still recommend Deering.

This is an instrument to aspire to. Beautiful to look at and beautiful to listen to. Very playable and the strings ring true and crisp the full length of the fingerboard. I am very pleased with this banjo.