The little banjo below on the left is my newest acquisition!
My Deering Calico (on the right) is a professional level instrument, but it‘s loud and weighs in at around 5 kg. In fact, most non-experts are always surprised at the weight, but a banjo like this sports a so-called tone ring – a huge doughnut piece of bell metal that weighs several kgs and that gives the banjo its unique banjo twang.
My new Deering Artisan (on the left) lacks the tone ring and a few other components, so it weighs in at just less than 1 kg.
The main reason for the acquisition is two-fold: For a long time I have wanted a little travel banjo that I could take with me more easily. And this style of banjo is used for a very unique – but extremely challenging – style of banjo music known as clawhammer or frailing, and I thought it was finally time for me to learn!