The 13 days of (banjo) Christmas. what you purchased/traded into during 2020/21 (#13)

[darylcrisp]

#11

Reiter Buckbee

I have high favor for Reiter banjos. I particularly like the ones with the 1/2" rims vs the older versions with 5/8" rims. I like the tonal change and weight reduction that the 1/2" brings. The models i've owned and prefer are his A- flat scale, standard, dobaphone, and Buckbee. The Buckbee is basically a standard without the fancy cut headstock shape and the star inlay on the fretboard and available with mahogany or cherry for the neck. I'm thinking there was a 3rd wood available for the Buckbee neck but i have brain lock on that right now.

thru the years Bart made different models with various tone rings. My favorites are any with the simple brass tone ring and the Dobson. I've owned a Galax model (whyte laydie ring) but it was around 8 lbs and i just didnt want that at the time. Every Reiter that i've seen has always had a maple rim. Most were stained with the dark brown color he did so well, his fit and finish work were always excellent. Nut seats were exact, neck set spot on. The man didn't turn out any junk that i ever saw or heard about. He made two blonde models that i remember, maple rim and neck, the Special and the Regent. Typically with a brass tone ring, but i think i've seen some with a whyte laydie. these had a distinct tone difference vs the mahogany neck versions. If i can find the video, i'll post it. The tune was called "October" and if i find it, the man is an excellent musician and used to have a lot of instructional video with regards to banjo on his YT channel.

The Reiter models have always enjoyed high praise on the BHO for good reason. They perform, the neck feels perfect(a very slight soft V that turns into a somewhat flat C as it approaches the heel). And they are the perfect platform for playing "as is" or "hot rodding". Reiters take well to tinkering.

I've never had a Reiter that required neck relief adjustment , nut slot work, or anything other than changing a head if i wanted something different. They've always had low easy playing action along the neck and just right over the scoop.

When i think of Musicians that play Reiter banjos i immediately think of Hillary Hawke and John Balch. For couple years Hillary has posted instructional tunes on YT and usually has her trusty standard. John has for years made and sold natural skin heads for banjos and is a seasoned banjo player himself. John has rodded more than a few Reiters and knows more about them and that process than probably anybody alive right now.

They have always been very reasonable in cost, for years around $1000-1300 based on the model. The Buckee models usually around $200 less than the standard. Nowdays the price is rising and i think it will continue for some time due to the assumption that Bart has quit building. For years it was rumored that he was going to make 5000 and quit. Somewhere along the way years ago he seemed to go absent for a long while but was still 1500 or so shy of the legendary 5000 number. He started building again and there were times the rumors would come out that "you better get one if you see it for sale, i think he has stopped for good this time". then a while later you would see a few new ones for sale.

I'm thinking the last batch were seen in shops around a 10 months ago. I saw this Buckbee listed at MassStreetMusic early one morning in a store email sent. It was used, i think $1250 shipped with flattop TKL case. I called, the fellow got it in hand and said, "looks like a new one, plays great also". Done deal. Received it was as good or better than the description. I actually like it better i think than the standard with the cut headstock and star inlay.

6.1 lbs, 26 1/4" scale, 1 1/4" nut width. Star tuners. Rosewood rim cap on the bottom and on the heel of the neck. ebony fretboard and headstock overlay.

I removed the strings and took down the pot assembly and cleaned everything. new strings and a Presto tail piece i had sitting around and thats it. Its a great banjo.

some shop and home pictures taken on a wintery low light day.





played at the scoop


Michael Neverisky playing a WVa tune Dwight Diller style


Mike Iversan with a blonde Reiter maple neck Special/Regent:

October is actually a medley of two original tunes I came up with about twenty years ago.
The first is a song that came to me at a music store in Salt Lake called 'Acoustic Music' (highly recommend). I spotted a Bart Reiter banjo, the first I'd ever encountered, hanging on the wall. It was tuned in Double C and when I played it, the first song of this medley just seemed to flow out of it. It was sort of spooky, as if some sort of spirit was residing in the banjo waiting to give me the song! I, of course, then had to buy the banjo and it's the one I'm playing on this video. This song reminded me of a crisp October morning, which is where the name came from.

The second song came a few years later. It had a Halloween feel to it, sort of a "waltz of the ghosts", and fit the October mood of the first song.

Hope you enjoy it... Mike

[darylcrisp]

# 12 (there will be a surprise guest #13 banjo tomorrow night-stay tuned)

Deering Vega Senator
https://www.deeringbanjos.com/collec...5-string-banjo

this one is a couple years old, i have not checked with Deering to see what the serial # indicates. It has been played but well kept. Has a very nice flamed neck, i have rarely seen a neck this nice unless in the Upper ranges of the Deering lineup. Ebony fretboard, around 5.8 lbs if memory is correct.

Balances nice while playing seated, the notes ring all the way to the end, as is typical for a Deering product. Very nice sound played over the scoop. Everything works fine, headstock truss rod access(which i dearly love) coordinator rods set to neutral, rim is an even measured circle with no egging. I did change out the original no-knot to the Deering version(since i had it laying around). It is intended to lay on top of the tension ring and stays put with no movement even when the string tension is removed.

I've meant to change out heads and try what i keep around(clear, fiberskyn, frosted top, frosted bottom, black and white suede). I would like to get a shiny black top but haven't ordered one of those yet. I've not had time to do the changeout and it could be months before i do. The renaissance sounds fine, looks good and classic with the deep coffee textures of the color used by Deering.

This is a nice sounding, easy to play, and very satisfying banjo. Plays well with fingers, fingerpicks, and clawhammer. The one weak point of this particular banjo(only Senator i've had in hand so i don't know if others suffer from this) are the tuners. Even though this is considered one of the "upper" level Deerings from what some advertisements have stated, the tuners are not what i have on my White Lotus or Eagle II(which are at the bottom of the Upper level). These are cheap feeling tuners, they hold tune, but they are not as smooth-especially the 5th string tuner, it sucks. In time, if this banjo stays with me, i will upgrade the tuners. They work and do the job, but this banjo deserves better, smoother tuners than what is on it. I think these are stock OEM, does not appear they have been changed out. They are a slight step above the Goodtime tuners(which suck worse imo and is also the one weak point of those models-unless they have upgraded and changed to better since i had one in hand around 5 yrs ago). Tuners are typically a drop in changeout(other than the 5th string tuner-it can be a little more than that), so at least this isn't something that one has to live with. Everything else on this banjo is very nice and solid. I do believe it would endure a lifetime of play with little upkeep or parts replacement.

I remember when these came out and i'm a huge Avett Brothers fan. I don't know if Scott Avett had input on the Senator model or not, i do remember he was playing one very early upon its inception.(in this video Seth Avett is playing his signature Martin dread btw).

The Senator has a Little Wonder tone ring whereas the other Vega's are wood tone ring.


The Senator is shown at 2:25 in the first video

[Maryc-k]

Daryl, you need to start a banjo journey blog. I think it would get a lot of attention.

[darylcrisp]

(#12 Deering Senator pictures now added , forgot those last night.)

and #13, my last entry for the year

Jason Romero copper clad with stars and moon inlay




Lets see, where is that Romero...........................
Its not there, hummmm. Maybe in the closet?
nope.

We have a problem. The Romero cannot be found.

Well, let me see what else is around here........................wait, oh yea, yea, this is cool.

picked this up and it needed some work but i had other ideas for it. haven't had time to work further, put a scoop on the fretboard and thats as far as i've went. hope to get it finished this year. I have a telecaster i'm building with a shaped/lightened body and want to get that finished first, along with some other work for some folks.

having some thoughts to go fretless or semi fretless. maybe plane the neck for an ebony or rosewood fretboard(its solid maple), headstock veneer of same, and probably round off the headstock shape a little to make it look different.

it sounded pretty good actually. i see why so many people buy one of these to start and keep it around. fun to hang out with, light in weight-around 4 lbs, plays nice, sounds good, frets were level and the action was low and it played fine over the head for clawhammer. i will definitely put a bone PIP rather than keep the spike. also thinking maybe copper FB inlay down to the 7th fret. something to break up the total blonde color. i did contact Deering about the finish used on the rim, thinking i might put some color on the rim if i can get the finish off the rim easily-they returned a detailed email about what is on it and the problems i might have attempting to add color to it. might put a heavier tension ring on it with some heavier hardware, just to see what happens. might go all raw brass, that might look pretty neat if the neck turns out correct.

the stock tuners were not so good but i have a set of Star i removed from a broken neck on a Chanterelle a few years ago to use if i stay with silver hardware.

everybody have a great Christmas and stay safe. Play some banjo

[SpruceTop]

Thanks Again, Daryl--Banjos Rock & The Playing Videos From Various Artists Are Inspirational!

[guitararmy]

Just saw this thread about banjos. No new ones but I just wanted to post that we also own a Nechville resonator 5 string.
Doesn't really have a model name, but it was featured on the cover of an old Banjo Newsletter because it came with an electric module that had two humbuckers mounted on a piece of walnut that replaced the resonator head...