Pulling up to the Deering factory...
While I have jammed with a couple different banjo players, I don't know squat about them. We looked around the showroom while we were waiting for the tour to start - we learned a few things while we were waiting...
... things like: some banjos have 4 strings. Some have 5 or 6. The only other person taking the tour has a 12 string banjo... who knew? There are banjos with open backs and some that are solid on the back. The nice lady who gave the tour taught us about these things before we went into the factory; Carolina was knowledgeable, friendly, and enthusiastic.
Before going into the factory, she told us that building a banjo was more "hands on" than what we saw at the Taylor factory. Turns out that was an understatement. On with the tour.
We saw necks being shaped and glued up. The only CNC I saw was on the neck shaping...
Plenty of gluing...
Gluing up the wood rings that make the body...
Sanding...
The painstaking work of scraping the binding...
The stain is sprayed on the body as well as the binding, then scraped off the binding, without scratching the wood.
Inspection, then shipping and receiving...
They make around 10,000 banjos a year; about 75% of them are Goodtime Banjos, 25% Deering. We saw banjos that were very simple, on up to gold-plated, hand-engraved custom models costing over $30,000. Really - who knew? Of course, that is from a guitar-player's perspective. A guitar player who enjoys jokes like:
Q: What is the difference between a banjo and a trampoline?
A: No one cares if you jump on a banjo with your boots on.
(rimshot)
A very interesting tour.
On the way home, one of us decided that I needed something besides "old man" jeans. That same one of us suggested we stop at Old Navy. Now, I have actually been in an Old Navy before, when shopping for Christmas gifts for our daughter's Angel Tree kids. I have also seen commercials on TV for Old Navy... honestly, no one in those commercials looks like me.
The first thing one of us suggested was jeans that already had worn holes in them. I pretty much gave up that look when I was 10. "OK, I'll play along - let's find some others to try, too." Boot Cut, Straight Cut, and Slim Cut... at least they didn't already have holes in them.
I came out of the dressing room laughing at the first pair. I was apparently the only one who was amused. Really, no one over 20 should be doing the torn jeans look. Boot Cut? That apparently means "big flair at the bottom." I had "elephant bell" pants... back in 1972. I also had an afro as big as a basketball. Yeah, I don't really have to do that again.
Straight Cut - that means the legs start out wide at the top and continue that look all the way down. I'm sure those look good on someone; I am not that one. Perhaps someone who has an inseam bigger than the waist size? I could have invited someone in there with me.
Slim Cut - Not what I was expecting. Apparently, I have misplaced my ass, because these didn't feel all that slim.
Joan suggested the Skinny Cut... I had to put a stop to the frivality at some point; this was the point. Picture Howard Wolowitz from the Big Bang Theory. Yes, they even had them in red. No, I didn't even give them a try. I quit playing rock 'n roll back in the 70s, mostly because I didn't look good in tight leather pants... you have to know when to fold 'em. My physique has changed some since that time... "Pardon me, do you have an 'Old Fart's department'?"
I'm also not into the 'baggy pants hanging below my ass' look. Joan suggested a smaller size. I don't feel any smaller than the last time I bought jeans... um, Bush was still President.
On the bright side, Slim Cut is way less offensive than the "Huskies" I had to wear when I was a kid.
Nowhere near as informative as the banjo tour, but a lot more laughs.
2 comments:
Two words. Sweat pants. :)
If I keep eating like this, I may work up a sweat getting into those Slim Cuts... does that count? ;-)
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