Deering Eagle II 5 String Banjo 2022

The Deering Eagle II is one of Deering's most versatile upper-line banjos, equally at home with three-finger bluegrass picking and old-time clawhammer. Made in the USA, it is an all-maple banjo built around one of the most interesting tone rings Deering has ever created.

The Eagle II represents the latest in tone ring innovation from the collaboration between Greg Deering and Jens Kruger. At its heart sits the patented brass Twenty-Ten tone ring, crafted unlike any traditional ring, and it is exactly what gives this banjo its signature voice: a rich, singing midrange with plenty of bass underneath and a clear, sweet treble on top. That balance is what lets the Eagle II move so easily between styles, from Scruggs picking to clawhammer to folk and beyond.

The banjo is built from quartersawn maple throughout, with a three-ply violin-grade maple rim, an A-grade ebony fingerboard carrying Deering's original engraved Eagle inlays and a slender D neck finished in the deep Custom Dark Eagle Red stain. Deering's own hardware runs through the whole instrument: planetary tuners with a geared fifth-string tuner, a two-piece Eagle flange, notched brass tension hoop, Deering armrest, Smile bridge and True Tone tailpiece, all in nickel. An 11-inch frosted head and 26 1/4 inch scale round out a banjo that feels as refined as it sounds.

This 2022 example is in excellent condition, with only minimal playwear in the form of light scratches. It comes supplied in a hardshell case.

This banjo has been carefully inspected for condition and playability, then set up to our Gold Standard by a luthier. We make sure it arrives in your hands exactly as it should: sounding its best, playing effortlessly and ready to be enjoyed from the very first note.

photos of: Actual Instrument