Deering Calico 5-String Banjo - Honey Amber

Deering Calico 5-String Banjo - Honey Amber | No Limit Guitar Co, Idaho Falls

The Deering Calico is a premium American-made 5-string resonator banjo built for players who demand world-class tone and lasting craftsmanship. Its bronze tone-ring and violin-grade maple rim deliver a crisp, balanced sound with sparkling highs and a powerful, well-rounded bass response that performs beautifully across bluegrass, folk, country, and beyond. Whether you're an advancing player stepping into a professional-grade instrument or a seasoned performer seeking a reliable stage banjo, the Calico sets a new standard at its price point.

Product Overview

The Calico is built around a 3-ply violin-grade maple rim fitted with Deering's proprietary -06- 20-hole bell bronze tone ring, a combination that produces a balanced overtone spectrum with no dead spots across the entire fingerboard. A softer touch rewards you with long, even sustain, while a sharper attack produces a distinct pop and precise note separation that stands out in an ensemble. The hand-finished satin polyurethane exterior and high-gloss resonator in Honey Amber give the banjo a refined, stage-ready appearance.

The quartersawn AA grade curly maple neck is shaped to a slender "D" profile for comfortable, fast playability, and topped with an AAA grade ebony fingerboard inlaid with mother of pearl scroll inlays. Twenty-two glued-in nickel silver frets are individually fitted and secured to the fingerboard, meaning future fret replacements can be made cleanly without risking fingerboard damage — a practical, player-first feature that sets the Calico apart from instruments at this price. A bone nut and Deering planetary tuners complete the neck's premium appointments.

The 3-ply poplar/poplar/curly maple resonator features tapered interior sidewalls, a design detail Deering specifically adds at this tier to project tone forward more efficiently and enhance overall volume and punch. A notched brass tension hoop, 24 round J-hooks, one-piece cast zinc flange, Deering Armrest, and True Tone tailpiece round out the hardware — all finished in nickel for a cohesive, classic look. Every Deering banjo is backed by a lifetime warranty on materials and workmanship.

Ideal For

• Bluegrass and acoustic roots musicians seeking a professional-grade 5-string banjo with exceptional tone-ring performance
• Intermediate to advanced players ready to invest in a lifetime instrument backed by Deering's USA craftsmanship and lifetime warranty
• Performers and session players who need consistent projection and note clarity across all styles from Scruggs-style picking to melodic and clawhammer
• Players visiting No Limit Guitar Co in Idaho Falls looking for a premium banjo that will grow with them for years to come
• Collectors and enthusiasts who appreciate fine tonewoods, mother of pearl inlays, and hand-finished detailing on an American-made instrument

Key Features

Deering -06- Bell Bronze Tone Ring The 20-hole bell bronze tone ring is precisely fitted to the maple rim and engineered through extensive study of alloys and shapes to produce a beautiful, balanced overtone spectrum. Its weight strikes an ideal balance between sustain and attack response, making it well-suited to virtually any banjo style.

Glued-In Nickel Silver Frets Each of the 22 nickel silver frets is individually fitted to the ebony fingerboard and glued in place — a feature Deering introduces at the Calico level and carries through their entire lineup above it. When frets eventually wear, they can be replaced cleanly without the risk of chipping or tearing the fingerboard.

Tapered Resonator Sidewalls The interior walls of the resonator are tapered rather than straight, directing more sound forward toward the audience and enhancing the projection and punch of the instrument. This is another feature Deering adds specifically at this price point to deliver a performance advantage over comparably priced banjos.

AAA Ebony Fingerboard with Mother of Pearl Scroll Inlays The ebony fingerboard is dense, smooth, and responsive, providing a fast playing surface that holds frets securely and ages gracefully with heavy use. The mother of pearl scroll inlays elevate the visual presentation to a level typically found on instruments costing significantly more.

Quartersawn Curly Maple Neck Quartersawn maple is more dimensionally stable than flat-sawn lumber, resisting seasonal warping and maintaining consistent neck relief over time. The AA grade curly figure adds visual distinction to a neck that's already built to professional standards with a slender "D" profile and bone nut.

Deering Lifetime Warranty — Made in the USA Every Deering banjo is manufactured in Spring Valley, California, and backed by a lifetime warranty covering materials and workmanship. Buying a Deering means investing in an instrument the company stands behind unconditionally for as long as you own it.

What's Included

• Deering Calico 5-String Banjo in Honey Amber
• Deering 5-String Light Gauge Banjo Strings (factory installed, tuned G, D, G, B, D)
• Deering Lifetime Warranty
• Free standard shipping

Technical Specifications

Get Your Hands on This 5-String Banjo Today

Stop by No Limit Guitar Co in Idaho Falls to see and hear the Deering Calico in person — there's no substitute for feeling the neck in your hands and listening to that bronze tone ring ring out in the room. Our team is happy to walk you through Deering's full lineup and help you find the right fit for your playing style and budget. Visit us in store, give us a call, or explore our full selection at our Idaho Falls guitar store online.