Rick: I'll be real interested in the (5-string) banjo info; been putzing mostly ineffectually for years, just dabbling at C tuning for a few, mainly Irish, folk songs; I cheat & adapt a bit of guitar 3-finger or use arpeggio's etc. I would like to start using G tuning. Still think the banjo is a great choice for many folk ballads & I know some Irish singers have often used it so, as opposed to the plectrum - 4-string - used for bold lead playing, (and sometimes relentlessly aggressive drown-out-the-competition instrumentals) at some "sessions."

Not always brash songs either; "Coulter's Candy" is a natural, but so is "Plasir D'Amour." Some others I use banjo with include "Gilgarry Mountain," "Marvellous Toy," "Danny Boy" (if I really feel vocally brave!) and "Last Thing On My Mind."

While you're at it - do tou know any source for the mandolin chords I see bluegrasser's using that look easier than those in my simple book? Their chords are compact - not the finger-stretches that my book's chords require.

Anyway, thanks for all the info.

Cheers, BK