Rob --

Thanks for your welcome to Minstrel Banjo. I will check in at Classical Banjo, as you suggested. You may be interested to know that I introduced one of my Washburns to Mac McNagthen at Clifford Essex early in the 1970's shortly after I acquired it. I had only recently acquired it in Dublin and wanted an appraisal. My wife and I spent an hour in the shop with him, listening to 78s of his teacher (whose name escapes me -- you may be able to fill in the blank) on a wind-up Victrola and admiring his banjo, on which he allowed me to play Pete Seeger's arrangement of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". We were charmed, but I didn't really appreciate the encounter until decades later. By the way, I watched one of your videos today -- Grimshaw's etude on the 7-string banjo -- with immense pleasure.
R.D. Eno

Difficult to keep up with you. You keep popping up in so many places. Discovered this site through a link from BanjoHangout. Extremely pleased that you were good in 2010 and Santa let you keep the Mercier. Looking forward to mine. I thoroughly enjoy your uploads and looking forward to your new book and CD. Hoping that the New Year will shine brightly on your family and fill it with health, wealth and happiness...and of course a full year of music in your head, soul and fingers. And thanks for your sharing your gifts will all of us who pick up a banjo.

Hi Rob,

Friends are great to have. Thank you for accepting!

Vince