Since forming in 2007 London’s hugely successful Mumford & Sons have had No.1 albums on both sides of the Atlantic, won Brit Awards and earned Grammy nods, and they’ve become poster boys for the ‘neo-folk’ revival. Winston Marshall’s powerful five-string banjo playing has been a trademark on hit records like Sigh No More and Babel, and it’s there amid the more electronic textures of Wilder Mind and current album, Delta. Marshall has now teamed up with leading US banjo company Deering to produce two new models. The Winston Marshall Signature model is a high-end instrument aimed at similar, top-level professionals, and comes with a price tag to match. Then there’s the GOTR Goodtime Banjo, a more affordable model produced with the aim of encouraging more people to give the banjo a go. We caught up with Marshall to talk to him about these, the Mumfords, and to get his view on what TG readers might get out of this wonderful little instrument…
Give us a little background on your association with Deering.
“We’ve been working closely with Deering for eight years now. They’re a hands-on family business and they get stuck into everything with us. Jamie Deering is the daughter of the founders, she runs the business now, and she’s been building charity banjos specific to gigs we do around the world. She’ll find local charities and raise money for them through the auction of banjos made specifically for that location. So if the gig’s in a certain state it’ll have that state’s outline engraved into it; they’re really detailed. I genuinely believe Deering are making the highest-quality banjos today. They’re all made by hand, unlike almost every other major banjo maker, and their value for money is pretty amazing.”
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Total Guitar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Total Guitar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Ihsahn – "Extreme music lends itself well to experimental arrangements"
In an extraordinary double album, former Emperor guitarist Ihsahn delivers new material in two contrasting versions: metal and orchestral. "It was a perfect match," he says, “because my guitar had the same tuning as the cellos!"
Rosie Frater Taylor – "I Love Guitarists That Started in Jazz but Moved Into Pop"
It's a bold claim, but one that we're prepared to make: there is no other guitarist in the UK right now who sounds quite like Rosie Frater-Taylor.
DIRTY SOUND MAGNET
Swiss psychedelic trio Dirty Sound Magnet have created a unique racket that's both thrillingly expansive and potently evocative.
ELECTRO-HARMONIX PICO POG
You should be familiar with the Electro-Harmonix POG- it's the Polyphonic Octave Generator that set the standard for multistring, multi-octave layering and has graced the pedalboards of legends ranging from Jack White to Joe Satriani.
BOSS KATANA AIR EX
More Air, vicar? Boss pump up their popular wireless desktop amp
FGN BOUNDARY ILIAD BIL2MHS
With Japanese quality and top tones, could this be your next T-style?
THE 2024 GUITAR WORKOUT
Smash your new year guitar goals with our 30-day technical workout
"TAPPING IS THE MOST-USED WEAPON IN MY ARSENAL!"
Jon Gomm's tips for getting more out of your acoustic guitar
"THE BEST GUITAR SOLO IS A SONG WITHIN A SONG"
Ace Frehley: the guitar hero of KISS, and an influence for Tom Morello, Dimebag and many more
"THE SIMPLE PARTS ARE THE HARDEST TO GET RIGHT”
Lzzy Hale's recipe for meaty arena rock and killer tone