Tenbrooks Banjos ™
A racehorse of a banjo, named aſter the famous bluegrass standard “Molly & Tenbrooks”.
In 1878 Tenbrooks, a race-horse, beat the ever popular Mollie McCarthy by an overwhelming margin in one of the most stirring and memorable races ever to take place at Churchill Downs, site of the famed Kentucky Derby. Like the banjo’s namesake who outdistanced all rivals, the Tenbrooks banjos have a purity of tone, a deep, low bass that supports all the other harmonics of the banjo - a combination that makes a golden, warm, sparkling sound with a foundational solidity that allows the player the ultimate freedom of expression. Whether hard driving bluegrass or more delicate modern styles, the Tenbrooks gives the player an unprecedented command of the music. Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass, immortalized the compelling, memorable race between Tenbrooks and Mollie McCarthy in a song which has now become a traditional favorite among bluegrass enthusiasts. Like its namesake, the Deering Tenbrooks is the most memorable banjo you will ever own.
Total versatility for the professional player is Greg Deering’s goal in creating the Tenbrooks line of banjos so that the banjo does not limit the player, but the banjo rises to meet the player at the peak of their expertise and is as responsive as a race horse. The lively bell tone, the even tone from string to string and all the way up the neck, and the active response of the banjo to the players style come together to make this an awe inspiring new evolution in banjo design.
Greg Deering and Jens Krüger combined forces with the goal of raising the banjo as an instrument to a higher level of performance musically, so that banjoists are not limited in their scope of achievement. This was the concept that motivated the design of the Tenbrooks banjos. Accomplishing this required a considerable amount of research and a better understanding of tone ring design and also the resonant properties and precise material and dimensions needed in the wood structural parts.
Starting with the focus on the tone ring, banjo Virtuoso Jens Krüger realized the need for a new tone ring that would enhance the extreme low frequencies that support and compliment banjo tone. This required a fresh approach to tone ring manufacture. Jens Krüger guided it along in working with the Swiss Rüetschi Bell Foundry, which has 600+ years of experience in metallurgy, and drawing on that knowledge while also incorporating innovative techniques they developed a tone ring with the evenly crystallized molecular structure which is necessary to create this very exceptional tone. This type of molecular structure can usually only be accomplished in huge bell castings. But the breakthrough came when they discovered how to accomplish this in a smaller casting for Deering’s Tenbrooks banjos with the Jens Krüger tone ring. A tone ring made especially for hard driving bluegrass which needs clarity of note separation and while it has an excellent bass response in the 4th string. The note needs little sustain with that quick response so that each note can be heard clearly because the next note is right behind it.
Inspired by the expertise of his collaborators, Greg Deering designed the elegant inlay patterns seen on these inaugural members of the Tenbrooks line. Reminiscent of the art nouveau styles popular during the 1920’s and 30’s these designs are classic and elegant, giving the Tenbrooks banjo line a visual beauty, clarity, and purity to match the extraordinary tonal character of each of these banjos.
Greg Deering re-evaluated all of the components of the Tenbrooks pot assembly. He changed the choice of wood species for rim and also the rim dimensions to bring out the full tone so the entire banjo resonates more than most. Even the armrest has been streamlined and re-sculpted to create a profile that is both comfortable and elegant.
The Tenbrooks neck profile is a slightly fuller neck shape enjoyed by many of today’s top banjo performers. Incorporating the traditional Paramount peghead profile, an ebony peghead overlay and fingerboard, and bearing the Deering name in a mother-of- pearl inlay, the neck has both traditional appeal and a fresh new look. When you play one of the new Tenbrooks banjos you’ll find a whole new world of music opening up to you with expanding possibilities. Order yours today!
Artists who play Tenbrooks banjos
Bela Fleck Jens Kruger Ned Luberecki Andy Rau Scot Avet Barry Waldrep
48
Richard Atkinson Tony Trischka Bob Bartosh David Bandrowski Joe Bonsall Eric Gibson Ryan Cavanaugh
Joe Bonsall
Ned Luberecki
Eric Gibson
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