The new Sierra banjo ushers in a great opportunity to have a banjo with the ultimate brightness of maple or the sweetness of mahogany. Both banjos are constructed with the new Deering ’06 tone ring noted for a full, round, rich, dimensional bell bronze tone with great note distinction and sustain. With the maple Sierra you will find a dynamic brightness, sparkle, clarity of tone, increased sustain, and power that is the gold standard in the world of bluegrass. The mahogany version you will achieve equal clarity, good projection, and a sweetness and warmth of tone that is good for many styles of play.
The Sierra peghead inlay proudly bears the Deering name engraved in a banner that was one of the first inlays created by Greg Deering. From there the gentle flowing patterns emerge along the peghead and down the fingerboard; elegant double arches end in a trinity of lush leaves, delicate tulips emerge from their crown-like joining, pointing down toward the swirls of circles, diamonds, and leaves whose images mirror each other throughout the remaining 22 frets of these 5-string banjos. The inlays of the Sierra are cut from an Italian made material glowing in a rich, lustrous, iridescent white with black engraving lines to highlight the detail of these traditional designs.
The Sierra is our most popular model because it is very affordable and you get all the most important features that affect the tone and playability. The Sierra neck is a slender, low profile neck that is shaped for easy comfortable fingering ideal for large and small hands. The ebony fingerboard is polished to a smooth surface making all left hand techniques a pure pleasure. The Deering fret work is super accurate and precise to ensure correct intonation over the entire fingerboard. The Adjustable truss rod provides accurate adjustment to maintain the best playability without buzzing. The tuning machines on all Deering banjos are Deering’s new Super Smooth Planetary Tuners. When you tune your banjo, these tuners will glide easily without any bumps or hesitation, putting the pitch of your strings exactly where you want them every time.
The Deering -06-Tone Ring produces a beautiful, balanced overtone spectrum. Its weight is ideal for most styles played on the banjo. A softer touch will provide you with as much sustain as you ever want, a sharper attack will produce a distinct pop and accurate note separation. You will notice no dead spots over the entire fingerboard. The beautiful highs and powerful well rounded bass is the result of intense study of alloys and shapes. We put this high caliber tone ring in even the highest priced models because we just love it.
The 3- ply maple rim is the same used in all Deering tone ring banjos. The maple rim is responsible for the color of tone to create a superior banjo sound. The one piece resonator flange is cast from a similar zinc alloy used in classic banjos. However, Deerings’ unique design is extra strong adding lifetime durability. This strength is vital to keeping the head evenly tight to ensure purity in tone.
