Thanks for all your help, everyone. How do I know if my banjo is a "bakelight" or not? It just says "harmony" right up on top over the pegs. I'm sure it's a pretty cheap banjo, but that's fine for me. I actually like the banjo a lot -- it actually seems easier to achieve basic competence than with a guitar because my fingers can easily manage 4 strings (instead of 6). But, you know how it is, with an $800 violin sitting under my bed, I just can't afford to be too serious about anything else for a while...