Saga
SS-3 Banjo
& Deering Boston Banjo
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Saga SS-3
Banjo 5-String
List Price: $595.00
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Deering Boston
Banjo 5-String
List Price: $1,758.00
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Comparative Description:
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| The Boston, with its steel rim, provides
exceptional tone. It's mass gives the banjo a
clear, crisp tone that penetrates past other instruments. Deering states that
the entire 3/16" thick steel rim rings to produces a sound similar
to a bronze tonering. Making a banjo rim this way enables you to
get a much more affordable banjo. Saga's
SS-3
has an integral, buttressed
tone ring cast aluminum alloy rim with equal or greater mass. It produces
a very bright,
sparkling,
crisp tone but at much
less the cost. |
| The Boston has the same adjustable mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard,
mother-of-pearl dot inlays, and satin finish as the more expensive Sierra
(List Price: $2,478.00, 3-ply Maple Rim, Bronze Tonering). The SS-3 has
similar mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, and tuners as Saga's higher
end GoldStar Banjo. |
| There are 24 pieces that make up the Boston's flange design
whereas Saga's SS-3 has a 2-piece flange system. If you ever wish to temporarily
convert
the Boston banjo to an open-back, removing and reinstalling the 24 pieces
of flange is more cumbersome than removing only a one-piece flange. |
| One disappointment with the Boston is the use of the guitar-style
tuners that stick out on the sides of the peghead. Gear ratio tuners are
important for accuracy of tuning. The Saga SS-3 comes equipped with quality
Planetary Tuners
that visually look better than guitar-style tuners. |
Side-by-Side comparisons between the Deering Boston and Saga's SS-3 with
its integral, buttressed tone ring cast aluminum alloy rim
will convince you that the SS-3 is a great instrument at a great price.
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SS-3's Features:
• Made in China
• East Indian Mahogany
• Mahogany Neck, bound
• Rosewood Fingerboard
• Pearl dot position markers
• 2-way adjustable truss rod
• 3/16" aluminum alloy rim
• One-piece flange
• Planetary Tuners
• Nickel Plated Hardware
• 11" diameter rim
• 3/16 in thick aluminum alloy rim
• Mahogany resonator, multi-binding
• One -arm brass armrest
• Adjustable brass tailpiece
• Geared fifth string
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Boston's Features:
• Made in USA
• Tropical American Mahogany
• Mahogany Neck, No binding
• Ebony Fingerboard
• Pearl dot position markers
• 2-way adjustable truss rod
• 3/16" steel rim
• 24-piece flange
• Guitar-Style Geared Tuners
• Nickel Plated Hardware
• 11" diameter rim
• 3/16 in thick steel rim
• Mahogany resonator, binding
• One-arm armrest
• Adjustable tailpiece
• Geared fifth string
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According to Deering:
Imported banjos have rims of aluminum that do not have
the density of steel and therefore don't ring clear and bright. The Boston
rim rings like a bell because of the weight, density and hardness of the
steel.
Response:
The rim on Saga's
SS-3 Banjo is 3/16" thick, the same as Deering's Boston Banjo. Additionally,
it is a one-piece solid cast aluminum rim with an integral, buttressed
tone
ring
so its mass
and
weight
is substantial. Its aluminum rim (without brackets and flange) weights
2 lbs. The pot of
the Saga SS-3 is as heavy as you would comfortably
want. Aluminum is about 1/3 the density and weight of steel. Saga rim is
a complex design with a cast buttressed tone ring. Deering's rim
would have to be a simple wrap of steel to keep the weight at a manageable
level
of
2
to
3
lbs. The extra mass of the Saga rim makes up for the aluminum's lower density
and weight.
According to Deering:
The massive strength of the steel rim allows the head to be tightened
as tight as desired. Banjos with aluminum pots are not strong enough
to handle the tight head tension that is crucial for the beautiful
banjo tone
that every player wants.
Response:
The strength of Saga's
SS-3 Banjo rim is considerable and would be impossible to distort with
head tensioning.
According to Deering:
The Boston Banjo is easily convertable to an openback banjo and can also
be used for clawhammer style by simply removing the resonator and flange
plates. Not all banjos are convertable.
Response:
The Saga SS-3 Banjo is easier to convert to an openback banjo.
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Saga SS-3 Resonator Banjo is a great instrument at a great
price!
Back to Saga SS-3 Product Description
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