Charles in SC - Posted - 01/30/2014:  18:28:47

I have a Goodtime open back, It is a Gumby head. Is there a serial number on these somewhere or some other way to date them?

Thanks in advance!

revellfa - Posted - 01/30/2014:  18:42:01

Hello. Only the midnight specials have serial numbers. The only way to date other good times is by the features. Although I seem to remember one I owned once with the year written on the heel perhaps? Gumby head takes it to pre 2009 (or 2008?--can't remember).

whatever you do don't make the mistake I did--I typed in "dating a good time"--I got all kinds of hits!!!

Edited by - revellfa on 01/30/2014 18:44:18

Charles in SC - Posted - 01/30/2014:  18:49:38

Yea I thought about that while I was typing Goodtime with a Gumby head.

lfbenitez - Posted - 01/30/2014:  19:50:16

I contacted Carolina Bridges at Deering directly. She is the Director of PR and very responsive to email. She stated that the Gumby peghead started in 1996 and ended that shape around 2004.

brunomathilda - Posted - 01/30/2014:  20:51:51

Prewar no doubts,pick one........

davidppp - Posted - 01/30/2014:  22:08:53

My old one has the date written in Sharpie marker on the heel, visible if you remove the neck.

Chadbanjo - Posted - 01/31/2014:  05:13:48

I had my gumby goodtime completely apart, no serial or dates.

Bought it new in March 2010

I seen older gumbys and the head stock shape looked a little different as did the burnt in name.

Edited by - Chadbanjo on 01/31/2014 05:25:25

Fathand - Posted - 01/31/2014:  05:32:12

Gumby and his date:

dixie kiwi - Posted - 01/31/2014:  09:22:13

Goodtimes shift from white to metal tuner knobs also indicates age

Charles in SC - Posted - 01/31/2014:  19:44:16

Mine has white knobs. What does this mean? I think I bought it in 1998. I bought it directly from Deering. I think Janet took the order.

Janet Deering - Posted - 03/16/2014:  06:21:22

I believe we changed to the sealed guitar tuners with the metal knobs in 2004, around the same time that we changed the peghead shape to the Deering shape.

pres - Posted - 03/17/2014:  00:53:56

I bought a ... new ... gumby headed Deering Goodtime open back in March 2011. I suppose it just goes to show how fast open back banjos move in Sydney, which is to say, not fast. It had a bit of damage too, consistent with hanging around in a shop for five or six years.

Janet Deering - Posted - 05/20/2014:  16:17:15

We just put up a new Goodtime Banjos website at goodtimebanjos.com.  Let me know what you think of it.  Does it better clarify the various models we make?

Charles in SC - Posted - 05/20/2014:  18:08:32

I posted this to date my Goodtime which I was putting up for sale. I have since sold it. I have to say that it was my practice banjo, I kept it at work and played it some almost every day from 1998 until 2012. I would love to know how many hours I played it and it took a lickin' and kept on tickin'.
I could not have been happier with it!

Old Man - Posted - 05/21/2014:  03:21:55

I have had mine 10 years.