yes, exactly. curious if this as seen as a big advantage. it is slightly unsightly. Isn't the thumb hitting the head an integral part of the frailing style? is this not impossible with you hand not directly above the head? Are the missing frets a problem? it seems (from what little I know) that old time tunes seldom call for playing that far up the neck. is this a correct assumption? Thanks again, and lets keep the lame banjo jokes to a minimum, if at all possible.