Deering Banjo Company John Hartford 24 fret Model made for, owned and played by John Hartford Model 5 String Resonator Banjo (1982), made in Lemon Grove, CA, serial # 1702, shaded maple finish, laminated maple rim, curly maple resonator and neck, ebony fingerboard, original black rigid foam case.
While it has only been in existence since 1982 this banjo has quite a history to it; this is one of several unique prototype instruments made by Deering for John Hartford for his personal use. This one is an unusual 24-fret Mastertone style instrument with an extended neck but standard 26" scale. The Mastertone-style rim was built with a traditional Gibson-type flathead metal tone ring unlike later Hartford signature models with a beveled Farland style wooden rim and Grenadillo tone ring. Despite this, the sound is deeper and warmer than the typical Gibson pattern rim, it really carries Hartford's character in every note.
According to available information before production began on commercial John Hartford signature instruments Deering made three prototype models for Hartford's approval and personal use. One of those was this banjo, with a 24-fret neck an a flathead metal tone ring; another 24 Fret model was built with wooden tone ring and the third was a standard 22-fret banjo. In performance Hartford would switch between them for different songs and tunings. It appears one was retained by his son Jamie Hartford, one given to Bela Fleck and this is the third.
These prototype banjos have "John Hartford" inlaid in large pearl letters on the headstock and "Deering" engraved on a pearl banner at the 21st fret; production models reversed this arrangement. The unique headstock and fingerboard inlays were specifically designed by Deering to emulate the aesthetic of Mississippi Riverboat architecture, another subject John Hartford was as passionate about as banjos! Hartford also requested the limited fingerboard coverage of the inlay work, confined to the 1st, 8-9th and 21-22nd fret regions.
The banjo has a period Deering serial number stamped on the back of headstock, but none in the space on the label inside the resonator back, which simply has "Hartford" hand written for the model. The neck is made of fantastically grained curly maple, the resonator back and sides have a somewhat more subdued flame maple pattern. The rim is a standard maple pattern with a cast flange, 20-hole flathead tone ring and traditional Gibson-style construction and hardware.
The peghead is particularly elegant with John Hartford's name inlaid in curved pearl lettering in a sort of old-timey "Riverboat" font surrounded by plenty of pearl scrollwork, further dressed up with a pearl truss rod cover. The very elaborate plain brass Oettinger style tailpiece was supposedly hand made by Sonny Osborne; it is unusually complex being doubly adjustable for string angle. In the case is an interesting hand-made Scruggs double string bender device affixed to a brass plate which can be mounted on the back of the headstock. This was apparently also fabricated by Sonny Osborne; it has a similar look to the tailpiece. It looks to be functional but does add considerable weight to the headstock, so has been left dismounted. A plain brass sliding 5th string capo is also fitted.
Apart from the strings and removal of the Scruggs tuning device the banjo is still set up as it was sold by Gruhn's following Hartford's passing in 2001. The head last used by John is still intact; it shows a lot of his picking wear and his preferred string gauges are written on the lower edge, likely by Chris Sharp who toured extensively with him later in his career. John used this banjo for some years, it can be clearly seen on the Homespun Banjo instructional tapes he recorded. The 22 fret model was used there as well; they can be differentiated by the neck length and grime patterns on the head!
The unique 24-fret neck has a very well done headstock repair; the banjo was loaned the banjo to the Yonder Mountain String Band for a tour with Bela Fleck so they could play "dueling Hartfords" as an encore. In Colorado the neck was cracked at the base of headstock, perhaps due to the added weight of the Scruggs device. It was repaired at Woodsongs in Boulder, CO and is an excellent very neat job. The banjo still rests in John's hard foam touring case with his personal strap. The previous owner told us "When I got it I felt like I owned a holy relic. When you play a slide-whistle lick on it you will be surprised by how much you sound like John Hartford!" We can only agree, and add this banjo is deeply resonant with the character of the man who designed and played it, a true American original in every way.
Overall length is 38 5/8 in. (98.1 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter head, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 26 in. (660 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/16 in. (33 mm.).
Apart from the neck repair this banjo remains largely as John Hartford last played it; the head and general setup have not been altered. The repair itself is very cleanly done, the crack did go all the way through just on the headstock side of the volute. The area was neatly overfinished with some shading added, the split is still visible on close inspection.
The rest of the banjo shows light typical wear with clouding to the nickel plating (notably on the armrest) and light scuffing overall. The frets have some light wear but playability remains excellent. This really is a special banjo, it has a magical sound that conjures instant recognition to anyone touched by John Hartford's unique magic. Overall Very Good + Condition.
