Deering Phoenix Prototype 6 string banjo 2009 Mahogany

Well, this is the last thing I wanted to do, but the medical bills are piling up.

Here is something you’ll never see again (unless you know Zac Brown or Keith Urban)..
My prototype Deering 6 string banjo. This eventually became the Phoenix model. As you can see, the serial # is 0004. Why? They made 4 of these prototypes. Deering kept one, they gave one to Zac, one to Urban and one to….me. Why me you ask? Well I was a sponsored Deering artist, and one of the few real 6 string players that actually played them. I’ve included pics of the day I got it and the next day onstage in front of thousands at Merlefest. So, they used us as guinea pigs to pick our brains on this. This is the first one with a kavanjo pickup (John Kavanjo is in the pic with the Deering family and I), it doesn’t have the controls nor the final design of the bridge which had a plate that it sat on. We tweaked on it about a year, trying different things to make it viable. This banjo sounds great and plays better, and I used it on hundreds of gigs. I planned to keep it to give to my son, but he needs a house and food right now instead soooo…

It does have one scratch on the lower rim, about 1 1/2”, the gold finish (smoked gold) is a little tarnished but it should shine up. The poles on the kavanjo has some rust from being in storage for the last 3 years. The case is beat up, scuffed, two broken latches. However, works fine. Banjo plays well, and I’ll leave it to you to set up or whatever you want to do. This is a one of a kind instrument, so, grab it. I’m going to cry, but hey..

The production models sold for $3500, used they still go well over $2000. This is a one of a kind collectors item, so I’m pricing it accordingly. I’ll take offers, but don’t bother lowballing.

Here are the production specs, but the specs on mine are slightly difference on finish. It is more of a mahogany than a honey finish.

BANJO SPECS

NECK:

Maple Stained Golden Honey
Radiused Fingerboard
Slender Deering Neck Shape
Guitar style tuners - (Planetary Tuners available as an option)
Pearloid Inlays
Adjustable Truss Rod
Ebony fretboard
Satin Finish
22 Pressed In Nickel Silver Frets
POT:

3-Ply Violin Grade Maple Rim
Notched Tension Hoop
11″ Kavanjo® Renaissance Banjo Head
5/8″ Maple/Ebony Deering Smile Bridge
24 Flat Hooks with 9/32″ Hex Nuts
24 Bracket Shoes
Gold Polymer Coated Armrest and Tension Hoop, Tailpiece, and 2-piece Flange
Eagle Series 2 Piece Flange
Dual Steel Coordinator Rods for Adjustments
RESONATOR:

Maple, Honey Stained
Trimmed in Black
Straight Sidewalls
Satin Finish