Well, Rick, you saved yourself from vitriolic rejoinder by your subsequent waffling posts. The second banjo I ever owned is still the one I play. It is a Gibson long-necker bought in the early 60s. I thought it sounded pretty good then. It has gotten better and better with age and use, and now sounds superb.

The negative about a long-necked banjo is that it is unbalanced. Hang it on your shoulder and the neck will drop to the floor. Pete Seeger--saw him two weekends ago--still has the problem. You just get used to supporting the neck with your left hand.