The Goodtime, as the other Jon has guessed, indeed has no metal tone ring.

I just did some work on my main banjo - an old tenor Maybelle wood pot to which I attached a five-string neck (just to make Jon F. angry). I replaced the friction pegs with geared pegs, added fifth string spikes at the 7th, 9th, and 10th frets, and put on a set of medium strings (.0l0, .012, .016, .022W, .010). The banjo is more fun to play and sounds better than ever - I think it sounds better than the Goodtime and definitely looks better.

My first banjo had a resonator and a cast aluminum pot - these are fairly common low-end banjos - and whenever I play it now I just don't like the sound. I would sell it but my four-year-old daughter thinks it is hers.

Jon W.