I carry a Buck rigging knife (with spike) (not a marling sp[ike which is used to splice wire rope, but the itsy bitsy shackle pin and turnbuckle turner) and an old Air Force Tl 29 knife and common screwdriver combination. There's just too many useless gadgets (useless for me) on the "two ton" Swiss Army knife. I have enough trouble keeping my pants from falling down without adding all that superfluous weight. I don't have any hips to speak of, and lately I've developed a serious cse of Dunlop's disease. (My belly done lopped over my belt buckle) which aggrivates the "pants holding up" problem. (O.K. I don't know how to spell, either)

I also carry a socket wrench (1/4" drive "Snap on" ratchet) and four sockets that fit the standard banjo brackets and tail piece. plus an eyeless awl in one of my banjo cases. I carry two banjos, a long necked one of a kind made in 1920\./ Fred Bacon , himself, made the pot and Todd Farnham, the famous luthier of North Tiverton Rhode Island made the neck. Tuned to Uncle Dave Macon's open "C" tuning and a Gibson Mastertone (copy) tuned to standard "G" with D-tuner pegs added. So I need the Common Screwdriver for the "Bacon"'s Dowel type neck fitting, and the awl to adjust the Gibson (copy)

Todd's in his 90's, losing his eyesight. His wife died a couple of months ago and he's moving down to Florida to live with one of his neices, so he doesn't have to be alone or in a nursing home. Just before he left, He went down into the basement and cqame up with this GREAT BANJO, AND HE GAVE IT TO ME. He said that he wanted me to have this. It was the first thing he ever made. (the neck) when he was still an amateur. "Play it a lot" he said, as he put6 it in the case, while my jaw dropped down to my knees. I told him (and it's so) that this is the nicest gift anyone has ever given me. He also made the case, which is leather covered BRAZILLIAN ROSEWOOD. I could sell the case to any number of Luthiers (for the Brazilian Rosewood) for a couple of grand. But it is not and never will be for sale.

Donna, my wife, has started calling me King Nebuchudnezzer again (because I do Babble on) so I'll end this thing after I tell you that he also gave my daughter, Joyce Katzberg, a resonator guitar (dobro-like) that he made in 1929.

Jody Gibson