For all of you who don’t own a Deering, Vega, or Goodtime banjo, we have a special message. For those of you who do or are thinking about buying one of our banjos, this is also a special message for you.
Whether your banjo is made overseas or by an American company, we want you to know that the magic is in the music…the artful arrangements of notes….the dramatic pauses… the aspects of music that are completely independent of the brand of banjo you own.
It is my job, at Deering, to present you with information that helps you understand what a Deering banjo is. Why we make it the way we do and why you can feel confident parting with your hard earned money to buy one of our banjos. It is always our intention to give you real information that holds true to logical and hopefully, scientific scrutiny.
In doing this, I sometimes make contrasts between our banjos and other brands of banjos to show how our banjos are different from other brands; to help customers understand how our banjos differ from other banjos.
In no way, is this information meant to make anyone feel like less of a banjo player because of their choice of instrument.
At Deering, we support every person who loves to play and listen to the banjo, in all of its brilliant and diverse forms.
I want every reader to feel affirmed in your love of this wonderful instrument, regardless of who made your banjo and what style of banjo you play, by all of our articles and promotions.
At a company meeting a few years ago, Greg Deering asked the entire staff, “what do we make here?” We all answered “banjos”. Greg looked at everyone and said, “no, we make magic.” The life affirming magic of music is as timeless as it is un-deniable. The magic a person can create when plucking or strumming a banjo is felt by the player and the listener.
The connection of human beings to the music inside them, means the banjo is the tool to bring the person in touch with their internal music source. The joy you feel when playing a banjo is the result of this “magic.”
Yes, it is my job to “sell” Deering banjos.
Yes, I can make statements that your “musical tool” will be more satisfying when it is one of ours.
In truth, I believe our banjos are the best designed, best built, and best sounding banjos in the world…. period.
BUT… the REAL magic is in each and every one of us as human beings.
We also understand that accurate information about banjos is not always easy to find. That is also why we try to explain as much as we can how banjos work, what makes them work better and connect what we do as builders of banjos to real banjo technology.
Deering has been striving to provide everyone with information about banjos in these articles. We make great effort to offer suggestions about playing, learning and to demonstrate how certain building approaches affect how banjos sound and work.
So, if you own another brand of banjo and are loving it, please know that we support you and your love of the banjo.
If you are shopping for a banjo and are un-certain what to buy, please know that we are making sincere effort to give you as much information as we can to help you understand banjos so you will feel confident when you find a banjo that you like, that you will understand what you are buying.
If you are part of the Deering family of banjoists, please accept our greatest thanks and know that you have our continued support in keeping your banjo working at its best and encouraging your love of the banjo.
Whoever you are and whatever your musical aspirations, please know that we want you to succeed in your musical quest and while we would love to provide you with a banjo to fulfill that quest, we know that YOUR music and fulfillment is what the whole adventure is about.
If we can help you, let us know.