The Blackgrass Special is for the player who loves the look of the Blackgrass but wants more tone. The difference is inside the pot: a Deering Patented Goodtime Special Steel Tone Ring sits on top of the 3-ply violin grade maple rim, producing a brighter, richer sound with noticeably more sustain and projection than the standard Blackgrass.
Everything else that makes the Blackgrass distinctive carries over. The pure black stain covers every surface — neck, rim, resonator, flange. The black high crown head and matte black powder-coated hardware complete the look. Underneath that finish is the same all-maple construction Deering is known for: 3-ply violin grade maple rim, rock maple neck, and midnight maple fingerboard with vintage artisan-style pearloid inlays.
The neck comes with spikes installed at the 7th, 9th, and 10th frets, so you can play in the keys of A, B, and C right out of the box. Planetary tuners and a geared 5th string tuner provide smooth, accurate tuning. At 8.75 lbs, the tone ring adds noticeable heft compared to the standard Blackgrass — and you can feel that extra mass translating into a more authoritative tone.
If you want the darkest-looking banjo in the Deering lineup with the tone to back it up at a jam, this is it.
Handcrafted in Spring Valley, California. Deering has been building banjos in the USA since 1975.
Every Deering we sell receives a professional setup by our banjo tech Tara before shipping. Your banjo arrives ready to play. Free shipping anywhere in the US. 7-day money-back guarantee.
Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Deering dealer. Questions? Call Geoff directly at (404) 218-8580.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Neck Wood | Rock Maple (Black Stain) |
| Neck Shape | Slender “D” Shape |
| Neck Finish | Satin |
| Fingerboard | Midnight Maple |
| Inlays | Vintage Artisan Style Pearloid |
| Nut Width | 1 1/4″ |
| Nut Material | Lexan Polycarbonate |
| Frets | 22 Pressed In Nickel Silver |
| Tuners | Goodtime Planetary Tuners |
| 5th String Tuner | Goodtime Geared 5th String Tuner |
| Spikes | Installed at 7, 9, and 10 |
| Rim | 3-Ply Violin Grade Maple (Black Stain) |
| Rim Diameter | 11″ |
| Tone Ring | Patented Goodtime Special Steel Tone Ring |
| Head | 11″ Black High Crown |
| Tension Hoop | Beveled Steel |
| Hooks & Nuts | 16 Flat J-Hooks with 9/32″ Hex Nuts |
| Flange | Two Piece Goodtime Series |
| Armrest | Goodtime Armrest |
| Hardware Plating | Durable Matte Black Powder Finish |
| Bridge | 5/8″ Goodtime Smile Bridge |
| Tailpiece | Deering Patented Goodtime Tailpiece |
| Body Finish | Hand Finished Satin Polyurethane |
| Resonator | 3-Ply Poplar/Poplar/Maple, Black Stain, Satin, Straight Sidewalls, 13 7/8″ |
| Scale Length | 26 1/4″ |
| Overall Length | 38″ |
| Weight | Approx. 8.75 lbs |
| Tuning | g, D, G, B, D (Standard G) |
| Strings | Deering Light Gauge (10, 11, 13, 21w, 10) |
| Warranty | 8-Year Limited Warranty |
| Made In | Spring Valley, California, USA |























