Banjo Heaven: I Received My Deering Calico Banjo Today

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

I Received My Deering Calico Banjo Today

I received the Calico this morning and I love it. Praise God! It sure has a nice sound. I'm glad it came before I had to leave for the dentist to have my teeth cleaned. thankfully it did! The Golden Era is not as bright as the Calico. I also have to find out if other Golden Eras have the same buzzing issue because of the fret not being long enough by string one. That's a problem for my style of playing. The Calico is fine. Both banjos sound very nice, but I prefer the Calico. I hadn't played the Calico for 30 seconds and I knew that I was going to keep it. I think it has more resonance than the Golden Era. Each banjo has it's own character (feel) to it. I can feel the resonance in the Calico, but the Golden Era is also very nice.

To be honest, I'd love to keep them both! I may order the Golden Era next year, if Fuller's Guitars has another sale with 15% off. I'd say that the Golden Era has a bit more of a fuller sound, meatier, but not as bright and resonant as the Calico. For my tastes, I really like the Calico. Both banjos use the coveted 06 Tone Ring (developed by Deering in 2006). Plus it is a prettier banjo than the Golden Era. I took a bunch of photos, which I will show you in a moment.

I recorded these two songs today of My Grandfather's Clock, comparing the two banjos. As you can hear, both banjos have exceptional sound. I used a Shure 57 microphone, so you can hear what the banjos sound like. You can hear my picks scratching the head at times, but I heard Dave Hum's picks scratching his head too, so I guess it's normal. I used Dave's backing track, which you can get from his family if you want them too.

One final word, I didn't change the volume or settings on anything while recording. As you can hear, the Calico is considerably louder than the Golden Era in volume. From listening back to these recordings, I would love to have both of these axes in my collection in time, but for now I want the Calico. Enjoy! ...

My Grandfather's Clock (Golden Era)
My Grandfather's Clock (Calico)

From listening back to the two recordings, I think the Golden Era sounds better for recording. But for the enjoyment of just playing, the Calico wins hands down! So each banjo has it's pros and cons, as with all instruments. Both sound nice in the recordings. The Golden Era is a Gibson ESS clone, which intrigues me. I really want to try the Deering Golden Wreath (which has a mahogany neck), and clones the 1930's Gibson RB-250 Mastertone banjo. The Golden Era has a maple neck, as does the Calico also. Although the Golden Era far outsells the Golden Wreath in units sold, from reading reviews on the BanjoHangout, a lot of players love the tone of the Golden Wreath more. The Golden Wreath is less expensive because it has a plainer pot cover and less flare than the Golden Era does. The Calico is beautiful, which is why it costs more.

I'm sure you've already seen the comparison video on YouTube done by Kelly Emerson, between the Golden Era and The Calico. Initially he chose the Calico, because it “punches like a dog” (as he demonstrates). However, if you read all the comments below the video, he later went back and bought the Golden Era instead. I think the Golden Era is a better all-around banjo. The Calico is special, and I love it! The Calico has a very cheerful, happy, in your face tone that I absolutely love in a banjo. I'll be picking this puppy a lot, Lord willing!

By the way, I only paid $4,436 for the Calico. If you want a Deering banjo, I'd recommend that you buy it from Fuller's Guitars in Houston, Texas, because I am sure they will give you a discount too (just ask, which is what I did). After placing my order, they shipped the banjo within a couple hours! Wow! They gave me 15% off, which is not bad at all. And most importantly, when there was a problem with the Golden Era (the buzzing issue) they worked with me (which to me is priceless). The Calico lists for $5,799 on Deering's website. Fuller's didn't set up the Golden Era, and I had to adjust my own truss rod action. I mentioned it to them. When they sent the Calico, it was 100% great. So, they definitely set up the Calico up before shipping it to me. You might want to request specifically that they set up your banjo if you order from them, to make sure it gets done.

Also, one caveat is that Fuller Guitars won't install railroad spikes, which may be an issue for some. I just spent the insane $59 amount to buy this fifth string capo, in hopes that it will work so I don't have to risk messing up my banjo by trying to drive a railroad spike into it.

I have installed my own spikes on two of my banjos. The first was a Recording King Madison that I gave to my daughter a few years ago. That installation went well. I ordered the spikes from Stew Mac. I messed up on my Deering Goodtime Special. I made the hole a bit too far from the string. So I drilled another hole closer to the string, but covered the first hole with the railroad spike, so you can't see the hole...lol.

If I don't like the Banjo Highway capo (I ordered the bronze color), then I am going to (Lord help me...lol) install my own railroad spike on the Calico. Can you hear my heart beating faster already...lol. I'm just going to very carefully take my time, choose slowly where I want the spike, and then hand drill the hole. I bought a hand drill from Amazon. It's my banjo, so if I mess it up I mess it up, there will just be an extra hole in my neck. I trust myself more than I do 90% of the butchers in music stores today. Banjo.com are butchers! I would NEVER let them work on my banjo. They screwed up a Deering Golden Era that I ordered in 2021, but I never received it because it had a bad buzz on the fifth string after they installed the spikes.

I also have a Schubb Sliding Capo sitting on my shelf that I ordered on eBay for about $35. But I don't want to drill two holes into my Calico. Geoff Hohwald at the Banjo Warehouse installed a Schubb capo, but you can see in this video that he screwed up (kindly said). He drilled the holes too low on the neck (toward the underside of the neck), so the Schubb capo sits at an angle (because the neck is angled). This causes the fifth string to slip out sometimes from under the finger on the Schubb capo. You can see in the video the improper angle, because the capo was mounted too low. I read the instructions that came with mine, and it specifies to install the capo 1/16" below the fretboard. Geoff mounted it about 3/16" below the fretboard. Anyway, I am hoping that the Banjo Highway capo will do the job. I'll let you know.

Here are some photos I took today of the Calico. I thank God for the privilege to play the banjo, for Dave Hum's backing tracks, and for my new addition to the family. ...

ABOVE: Notice above that there is ample fret space beyond the edge of the first string. One of the reasons why I am returning the Golden Era banjo to Fuller's Guitars is because it has a bad buzz on the first string, whenever you do a pull-off on string one. There's not enough fret space beyond the edge of the string, so it slides off the fret and buzzes when doing a pull-off. I need to find out if all Golden Eras are like this, or if I just got a lemon.

ABOVE TWO PHOTOS: You can see in the two above photos a comparison between the flanges on the Golden Era (top photo), and the Calico (bottom photo). I like the Calico's flange.

Deering Calico Banjo

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Dave Hum's Banjo Tunings

Standard - gDGBD
Double C - gCGCD
G Modal - gDGCD
G Minor - gDG(Bb)D
Open D - aDF#AD
D Minor - aDFAD
Other D - aDGBD
Reuben's Tuning - f#DF#AD

Dave Hum shines on whatever tuning he plays, but I really enjoy his work on the "Double C tuning" (e.g., Maid Behind The Bar, Gaspe' Reel and Coleman's March.)

Dave says: “I like to set up my three main banjos so I can get a compromise between a dry snapping tight head sound associated with the Bluegrass sound and a mellower warmer tone for the Celtic, old-time and ragtime tunes. I have found that some condensed foam inside the pot helps and a combination of medium strings and a not too tight head with the tailpiece parallel to the head helps me to achieve the tone I like. Each banjo has its own character and tone and I am forever tinkering with them to see what gives - which is half the fun!” (quoted from his website)

My banjo is a Recording King Elite 85 with a maple neck. It has a longer than standard neck, at 27 3/8" verses the standard 26 1/4" neck, which I really like. It is built to exact Prewar Gibson specifications. It has a great tone, but I'd say about 80% of a Gibson. I've learned that much of the tone comes from the player's hands, and not the particular banjo brand that is being played (to an extent). Dave Hum's awesome sound comes from his skilled hands. Dave controls the banjo, masterfully, he doesn't allow the banjo to control him.

I did try the things which Dave mentioned above, like loosening my banjo head, putting a block of foam inside my banjo, setting my tailpiece parallel to the head, and putting on some heavier gauge strings (12,12,16,24,12). The result, after 3 months of playing it that way is that I very much like the foam inside, because without it I get overtones that throw off my ears while playing. The foam trick is brilliant, I think.

I prefer my head tight, so I went back up to between an F# and a G# (when you tap on the head you'll get a pitch to tune the rightness by). On my Recording King, it seems that F# is as high as I can safely get without risking over tightening the head. I kept the tailpiece parallel. My string action is as close as I can get without an annoying buzz. I actually have a very slight buzz (at times), that I don't mind, having the strings nice and close to the neck.

I am learning to pick the strings more firmly, like Dave Hum does, which makes a BIG difference in my tone overall while playing! It is important not to try to play just like Dave Hum; but rather, learn TECHNIQUES from him, and apply those skills to your own playing, and you will become more like Dave that way, than merely trying to copy him.

One thing that I have notice is that Dave KNOWS the songs he is trying to play. It is easy to wing through a song without really buckling down and getting into the nitty-gritty of the tablature, which is a mistake. Learn slow, and then work up your speed playing accurately. YouTube is an awesome tool, which allows you to slow down the speed of any video, so you can see what is going on. For many of Dave's songs, like Mason's Apron, I am still playing it at 3/4 speed, because I cannot keep up with him...lol. That is perfectly okay. Music is not a competition, which Dave Him himself once said. Enjoy!

Dave Hum's Banjos

Dave Hum's main banjo is a Gibson ESS (Earl Scruggs's Standard) banjo, a reissue of the original Gibson classic.

Gibson ESS (Earl Scruggs Standard) 1992

SET UP:

Head - Remo
Tailpiece - Fults 1934
Tuners - Keith D (strings 2 and 3) and Scruggs
Strings - D'Addario
Gauges - 12,12,16,24,12
Bridge - Snuffy Smith 5/8
Origin - Nashville, USA
All other parts standard Gibson.

Baldwin Ode Model D '70's

SET UP:

Head - Renaissance
Tailpiece - Fults 1934
Tuners - Keith D/Scruggs
Strings - D'Addario
Gauges - 10,12,16,24,10
Bridge - Moon Lightweight 1/2
Origin - Arkansas, USA
All other parts standard Ode.

Epiphone MB250 '90's

SET UP:

Head - Five Star
Tailpiece - Fults 1934
Tuners - Keith D
Strings - D'Addario
Gauges - 10,12,16,24,10
Bridge - Snuffy Smith 5/8
Origin - Made in China

All other parts standard Epiphone.

Dave uses a Compact 60 AER rechargeable acoustic amplifier, which now costs $1,999, made in Germany. The amp was MUCH cheaper 20 years ago. The amp plugs into the wall to recharge (no replaceable battery). Tommy Emmanuel uses the same amp, but using corded power. These amps were specifically designed for acoustic instruments. However, the amp weighs 29 pounds!

Here is a more affordable alternative for busking, I humbly think.

Dave mics his banjo using a Shure Beta 98D mic with A98D bracket clamp.

What NOT to buy...

NOTE: I bought a “Feather” Goose pickup for $199 and hate it. It whines continually from feedback, and has wires all over, ripping off when I forget they're attached by clip to my waist. The item comes with umpteen parts that you have to assemble, and it is not easy. Please don't waste your money on it!

I recommend using a Gold Tone ABS pickup, which includes a stompbox from Banjo "Ben" Clark.

Music truly does make the world a better place.

Banjo Has A Steep Learning Curve

Like pedal steel guitar (my favorite instrument), the banjo has a steep learning curve. That simply means the hardest part is getting started. If you can stick with it long enough to learn a couple dozen songs fluently, you'll be off to a fantastic start. I learned 5-string banjo fairly quickly, finding out that there are common picking patterns that once learned, overlap into nearly every other song. I encourage you to learn Blackberry Blossom right away, which will teach you melodic runs.

At first my picking fingers stumbled, because my brain wasn't familiar with the tabs. Friend, if you can play even one thing fast, you can play anything fast once you learn it. Also, I learned 30 years ago while learning to play pedal steel guitar, that my brain processed what I learned at night while I am sleeping. You read right! So when you are plowing away, and it seems hopeless like you'll never get it, during the night your brain will process what you've learned. It's similar to workout out in a gym. You don't build muscles at the gym. You lift heavy weights at the gym. But then during the night is when your body builds new muscle.

I also recommend learning the song, Sailor's Hornpipe, which is another great song to learn your melodic runs. After a month I was playing subconsciously, which is called "muscle memory." I didn't stumble anymore when playing melodic runs, because my fingers already knew what to do. Trust me, if you practice for at least a solid hour every day, you'll quickly advance on the banjo, but you must apply yourself to learn the tabs.

What I am about to say is IMPORTANT. Start out going very slow, to accurately pick every note in the tabs. Your speed will increase in time, as you become familiar with the song, and don't have to think what comes next. Dave Hum is a master of chords, progressions and single note scale runs. What makes Dave Hum so different than all the other banjo artists is that he simply follows the chords and does his own thing musically.

I love Dave Hum and could relate to him the first time I heard him play the banjo. The song was "The Ballad Of Jed Clampett." I cried when he started playing those triplets in the second half of the song. I had never heard anything so pretty. It took me awhile to figure out how he is doing those triplets, but it is super easy once you get it. I slowed it down using MixCraft software so I could hear exactly what he's doing. It reminds me of being on a river boat on the Mississippi River.

Friend, when you're as good as you want to be, you're as good as you're going to get! Hawaiian steel guitar legend, Jerry Byrd (1920-2005), taught me that. Anyone can play the banjo if they are willing to work at it. Talent is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration! Intellect also plays a big part, which I learned about the pedal steel guitar from my musical hero, Lloyd Green.

The best way to learn the banjo, once you have the tabs in front of you, is to study Dave Hum's YouTube videos. I downloaded all of them and converted them into mp3 files for my own use.

BUY 115 OF DAVE HUM'S ORIGINAL BACKING TRACKS

His backing tracks are superior to anything available on the internet that I have found. Those wonderful driving tracks are a wonderful canvas for Dave's awesome banjo artistry. I wish Dave was still with us. He sadly died of cancer at age 46 in 2012. It is quite amazing to me that he had the physical and mental strength to record so many of his greatest banjo videos—with cancer, an eye removed and part of his picking fingers amputated. I thank God for Dave Hum and his cheerful music!

I wrote these words to encourage you dear banjo enthusiast. I used to think I would sound like Dave Hum if I bought a 1995 ESS Banjo like he used. Not so! Dave had an aggressive picking style, taking charge of the banjo, and used amazing advanced techniques. TECHNIQUE is the key word (how he majestically manipulated the strings to get the sounds he wanted). You need to watch his subtleties while he's playing. If your playing doesn't sound like him, then you're not doing something the way he's doing it, and that is technique!

One thing that Dave does is he applies quite a bit of picking pressure on the strings, driving the banjo. That is why he needs to wear metal thumb picks and use Velcro to keep the picks from flying off his fingers!

Make Your Own Backing Tracks

I have purchased several hundred dollars worth of backing tracks available online, AND MOST ARE WOEFULLY LACKING ANY REAL INSPIRATION. Some tracks I've found are superb (like Jay Buckey), but there's just something about the simplicity of Dave Hum's tracks, with just a bass guitar!

If the backing track doesn't move the player, you're not going to “feel” the music! Dave's tracks are profoundly simple and have a happy energy to them, reflective of Dave himself. In my humble opinion, Band-In-A-Box is lame compared to Dave's tracks. If anyone has ever tried to make your own rhythm tracks, then you know how difficult and time consuming it is, so I wanted to share some helpful ideas.

Songs are generally composed of 16 to 32 bars. The first thing you need to do is find a song's chords. I found a helpful website which provides the chords to hundreds of oldtime songs, many of which Dave plays on YouTube. For example: Here are the chords for a jig titled, “Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife.” Here is Dave Hum playing the song (awesome). And here are some backing tracts that I made, which you are freely welcome to use and share. By the way, I NEVER sell anything or receive donations. IT'S ALL FREE (as it should be in my humble opinion). All my music is free, and you are encouraged to freely share my backing tracks with others! I am still learning how to make tracks, so I am progressing slowly.

If you'd like to work at making your own backing tracks, as I am doing, you'll need a bass guitar. If you can play guitar, you can definitely play bass, which is simply the four lowest strings on a guitar! Dave Hum's backing tracks are simple, usually just a bass and perhaps a tambourine for simple percussion. Many of Dave’s songs use only a bass guitar.

Buy A Shubb F5 Capo

I really like my Shubb F5 Capo, which stays on the banjo. I had purchase a cheaper Paige banjo capo for about $40, trying to save money, but I hate the thing because it falls off the banjo neck every time I loosen the tension knob. If you're going to spend $40, you might as well splurge and spend the $75. I assure you that you won't be disappointed.

When playing in the key of G, I just loosen the tension nut and slide the capo up over the nut, which works fine. Plus I like the shiny look of the Shubb F5 capo. It is small and easy to use.

I also like that the capo firmly presses the strings down, eliminating any string buzz. I had also purchased some of the cheaper clamp-on type capos for $20 and under, which are okay if that's all you can afford, but you have to play with them oftentimes to get the strings to stop buzzing.

I really like the Shubb F5 Capo!

Banjo Heaven

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

I Received My Deering Calico Banjo Today

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5 String Banjo Instruction [1967] - Earl Scruggs

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