Help with my new (used) Deering Goodtime concert banjo/uke

FinnP

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I've traded my Ohana SK-30L for a Deering concert uke banjo.
it's hardly played and looks like new. The owner has been experimenting with the bridge to get the volume down.He finally gave up.
He told me the strings are La'bella strings. They feel floppy and wrong.

Anyway I have the original bridge and plate and plan to string it with Aquila Nylgut strings. Is there anything I should be aware of before I string it? I can see the neck has a slight angle backwards, is this normal? (see pictures).
Any links etc., setup tips are welcome.
 

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Banjo ukuleles always feel softer in tension than standard ukuleles. I suspect its the give in the head that makes the difference. Generally you want to tension the head so that the bridge is only slightly lower than the rim. If the bridge is really sinking down then the head tension is too low. If you need to tension the head do it evenly and slowly.

What do you mean by a slight backwards angle on the neck? Are you referring to what we can see in picture 3? That's normal on a banjo ukulele.
 
Last edited:
Thanks, yes it was picture 3. Do you know the factory action setup? I understand that the action can be set by adjusting the rod inside the rim. I prefer an action about 2.5-3 mm on my ukes.
 
I'm not that expert on adjusting banjos / banjoleles but I didn't think the rod had anything to do with the action. The neck angle, the head tension and the floating bridge all make precise actions heights rather difficult to achieve. You move the saddle away from the neck to flatten the intonation and towards the neck to sharpen the intonation and the action height will change when you do this.

Do you want the intonation spot on or the action height spot on?

If you tension up the head then the action will rise too. Its a delicate balancing act so work at it slowly.
 
Straight from the maker:
https://www.deeringbanjos.com/blogs/banjo-maintenance-tips/tagged/banjo-set-up
There are multiple videos there showing how to make the adjustments. It should work just like the Goodtime steel string banjos, etc.
There is a specific booklet for the Goodtime banjos, or at least there was when I had a Goodtime steel string tenor one.

Adjusting the rod can indeed change the action as it changes neck angle.
I experimented some, and it really can take some time to get it dialed in just like you want it. I bought a special little tool that reads head tension so it was evenly adjusted all around. It was something used on drums also. I can't remember exactly who made it though.

If you also decide you want to decrease volume or some unwanted noise that can happen with banjos, just stuff something (towel, t-shirt, whatever) in the back between the coordinator rod and the underside of the head. That's fairly common with banjos. It will change the tone though. You can also buy "banjo mutes". They will quieten them, but to me make them sound more like a guitar.
 
I've traded my Ohana SK-30L for a Deering concert uke banjo.
it's hardly played and looks like new. The owner has been experimenting with the bridge to get the volume down.He finally gave up.
I use my SS Stewart to be heard outdoors or when playing when amplified ukuleles dominate. To quiet this cannon I roll up a sock and wedge it under the head. works great and can be adjusted.
Yes it is putting a sock in it.
 
Straight from the maker:
https://www.deeringbanjos.com/blogs/banjo-maintenance-tips/tagged/banjo-set-up
There are multiple videos there showing how to make the adjustments. It should work just like the Goodtime steel string banjos, etc.
There is a specific booklet for the Goodtime banjos, or at least there was when I had a Goodtime steel string tenor one.

Adjusting the rod can indeed change the action as it changes neck angle.
I experimented some, and it really can take some time to get it dialed in just like you want it. I bought a special little tool that reads head tension so it was evenly adjusted all around. It was something used on drums also. I can't remember exactly who made it though.

If you also decide you want to decrease volume or some unwanted noise that can happen with banjos, just stuff something (towel, t-shirt, whatever) in the back between the coordinator rod and the underside of the head. That's fairly common with banjos. It will change the tone though. You can also buy "banjo mutes". They will quieten them, but to me make them sound more like a guitar.

thanks, very helpful
 
Let's be absolutely clear, the rim rod is NOT designed to adjust/alter the action. It's primary purpose is to stop the rim from deforming. The "break angle" at the neck is normal and should be between 2.5 and 3 degrees. So where a uke neck may join the body at 90 degrees the banjo uke will be approx 87 degree give or take . Action is primarily adjusted by the height of the bridge.
 
Let's be absolutely clear, the rim rod is NOT designed to adjust/alter the action. It's primary purpose is to stop the rim from deforming. The "break angle" at the neck is normal and should be between 2.5 and 3 degrees. So where a uke neck may join the body at 90 degrees the banjo uke will be approx 87 degree give or take . Action is primarily adjusted by the height of the bridge.
So is it fair to say it's like a truss rod in the neck of a non-banjo type instrument, which also isn't designed to adjust action...yet it does have some effect on it? That's how I saw it at least.
 
Let's be absolutely clear, the rim rod is NOT designed to adjust/alter the action. It's primary purpose is to stop the rim from deforming. The "break angle" at the neck is normal and should be between 2.5 and 3 degrees. So where a uke neck may join the body at 90 degrees the banjo uke will be approx 87 degree give or take . Action is primarily adjusted by the height of the bridge.

Well I'm sure you all know more about banjos than I do. But the Goodtime Banjo Manual says:

"The coordinator rod's main function is to firmly anchor the neck to
the rim, making the banjo a stable unit. The rod can also be used for
action adjustments."

and

"Your banjo was set up at the factory to take a 5/8" bridge and the
neck alignment is based on this bridge height. Do not try to adjust
the action by lowering the height of the bridge."

So perhaps you can at least understand why using the rod to adjust the action has come up.
 
Well I'm sure you all know more about banjos than I do. But the Goodtime Banjo Manual says:

"The coordinator rod's main function is to firmly anchor the neck to
the rim, making the banjo a stable unit. The rod can also be used for
action adjustments."

and

"Your banjo was set up at the factory to take a 5/8" bridge and the
neck alignment is based on this bridge height. Do not try to adjust
the action by lowering the height of the bridge."

So perhaps you can at least understand why using the rod to adjust the action has come up.

So how does a neck with a Complex join to a round body get adjusted by tightening or loosening the neck against said body without showing a gap? Surely if you adjust the neck upwards to increase the action you must end up with a gap at the neck joint. How does a banjo uke with a dowel rod rather than a coordinator rod get adjusted for action?
If all banjo ukes where capable of genuine adjustment to the action height by tightening or loosening a rim rod there would be no need for bridges of differing heights. Bridge manufacturers could just make a half inch bridge for arguments sake and leave it at that.
If there is any genuine action adjustment by the method outlined by Deering it will so minor as to be of zero importance.
 
I don't seem to have problems strumming softly as required to prevent mine from being too "loud."
 
I had one of these and picture #3 is exactly how mine looked. I thought it looked odd too, but it seemed to work/ seemed to be how it was designed. I had Worth Brown's on it to mute it a bit. I removed the floating piece and went with a normal banjo uke bridge too (like you have in picture 1). I liked the neck/action on the Deering in that the frets were inlaid into the neck itself. I thought it was heavy though, and kind of awkward to hold. I moved it along pretty quickly, but seeing this makes me kind of miss it...


I've traded my Ohana SK-30L for a Deering concert uke banjo.
it's hardly played and looks like new. The owner has been experimenting with the bridge to get the volume down.He finally gave up.
He told me the strings are La'bella strings. They feel floppy and wrong.

Anyway I have the original bridge and plate and plan to string it with Aquila Nylgut strings. Is there anything I should be aware of before I string it? I can see the neck has a slight angle backwards, is this normal? (see pictures).
Any links etc., setup tips are welcome.
 
I've played a Deering banjo uke, and it is a beautiful instrument, but a bit heavy for my taste. I love the part about the original owner trying to keep the volume down. Right now I am playing a Duke 10, and even though I keep the pot stuffed with several layers of quilt batting, it's still louder than I need - so I can well imagine what one of these Deerings is capable of. One of the culprits may be that neck angle, since it then requires a taller bridge, which in turn increases tension, and that increases volume. I've lowered the action on the bridge on my banjo uke to get a lower action of 0.085" or so, and it did drop the volume some. But since there was plenty to spare, that's not a problem!
 
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