Deering Goodtime 2 Classic submitted 8/29/2008 Submitter yumagah Where Purchased DATPro Audio - Ebay Year Purchased 2008 Price Paid 589 ($US) Sound This is the Goodtime with resonator and dark finish. JUst added to their catalog this year, and I have not seen too many around yet. The sound is great. I think it holds its own with any banjo under $1000. I play bluegrass style, but to small audiences, in a small band or alone. So I don't need the punching power of a brass tone ring. The Deering Goodtime family have a rich, mellow sound compared to others in this range. Loud enough for me. Maybe not loud enough for a stage band - the only weakness? Sound Rating 9 Setup All set up and ready to play, except that the strings were shot. Must have been hanging in a busy shop and got tried out a lot. I cleaned up the metal parts a bit. After the warranty ends I will replace the tuners with planetary ones. That will make it look like a more expensive Deering model. Setup Rating 8 Appearance The Goodtime series is plain, but the Classics with dark finish definitely look the best. And the fiddle shaped peghead. I loved the sound of the Goodtime 2 when I played it 2 years ago, but the blond finish kept me from buying. When I heard about the Classic, it was the answer to my quest. Looks simple but elegant. Appearance Rating 8 Reliability Generally the hardware feels real sturdy. The finish is satin semi-gloss, so I don't know how well it will hold up over time. I would feel confident about using it in a show. Deering has a rep. for quality parts. Reliability Rating 8 Customer Service Got one year warranty. Hopefully I won't need it. Company shipped it fast. Customer Service 7 Components The wood and metal parts look great and sturdy. The guitar style tuners are ugly, but they hold the tension good. Swapping them for planetary tuners should really help the looks, but I'm gonna be careful to get quality parts that won't spoil the instrument. Components Rating 7 Overall Comments I shopped around for 2 years, and this was the best deal I saw. I almost got a Gold Tone Bg250f instead, but I think the DG2C tone is even better. The Gold Tone is a nice banjo for the money, probably louder and sharper sounding, and a little better looking. But for my needs, the DG2C has the bet sound. The only better sounding banjos I heard were well over a grand. I'd only spend that kind of money if I were a pro. I love it, but if it were stolen I could live with the Gold Tone instead I guess. Overall Rating 9