I went to 2 four day banjo workshops that Dwight Diller took here in England in the last year and a half. The guy is a totally dedicated teacher, who works his rocks off to get his class playing good solid rhythmic clawhammer in the style of the WV Hammons family banjo players. I've been playing clawhammer since the sixties, and Dwight really got my ideas bucked up. I'd recommend one of his banjo camps to anybody who wants to get a real feel for what clawhammer playing is all about.

Someone wanted to know what the Deering Goodtime banjos were like; I've played a couple of them, and they are superb value for what you pay for them. They have maple bodies and necks and no tone ring, only weigh 4 pounds, and sound surprisingly good for what is a pretty cheap new banjo. They are not very pretty, but I could stand the sight of one - I'm seriously considering getting one as a back-packing banjo! Cheers Ray