Enoch Dobson 11" submitted 11/21/2008 Submitter clawhammerist Where Purchased from maker Year Purchased 2008 Price Paid Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter Sound In looking for a "road" banjo that possessed as much of the sound and aesthetic of my original but fragile H.C. Dobson Silver Bell as possible, I quickly became aware of Kevin Enoch's new Dobson line. A few days spent with his prototypes--11" and 12" both--was all it took to convince me that Kevin had come up with the answer to my search. Both banjos sounded great, but it was the 11" that to me best captured the unique tonal qualities of my old banjo. (It is interesting, I think, to note that the original Dobsons were never made in sizes larger than 11", even though they had many larger contemporaries; perhaps, then and now, this tone ring works better in a smaller diameter.) This instrument has most of the richness and warmth of my old Dobson, but with a certain sparkling finish to its tone. In spite of being a fundamentally mellow instrument, it has loads of definition and none of the muddiness that comes to mind when one thinks of dark-sounding banjos. It is not an incredibly loud banjo, but it is far louder than its vintage equivalent, and thus better suited to more situations. I find it very easy to finesse whatever volume and tone I want out of this instrument; in other words, it has a most expressive and multi-dimensional voice (as do the old Silver Bells), and its sound could suit players of diverse tastes. Sound Rating 10 Setup The scale length and neck profile that Kevin had chosen was already almost identical to those of my old Dobson. Kevin took detailed measurements of that banjo's action, and took care to set the neck of this new instrument in such a way that the action over the head and the base of the neck were comfortably high for the right hand as it is on my other banjo, but the action in the fingerboard's midrange (say, between the 7th and 12th frets) was low enough for easy fretting and good intonation, unlike my old standby. These factors made it immediately easy for me to get comfortable with this banjo. I asked Kevin to install a skin head, as we both felt that this setup would bring out even more of the sound I was after than the Renaissance-equipped prototypes did. He acquired a very high-quality calfskin, and as we suspected, its sound it just great. It also seems surprisingly stable, unlike the very thin skin head on my old Dobson; I haven't yet had to adjust its tension, regardless of changes in humidity, and I have noticed precious little sinking or tightening on its own. Setup Rating 10 Appearance This particular banjo is the first in a small series of "limited edition" Dobson models that Kevin intends to produce. While it is structurally identical to his standard Dobson, it features some cosmetic upgrades. Kevin added some of his signature inlay work, with gorgeously engraved and colored abalone position markers of various shapes at the usual frets, and a breathtaking giant star in the peghead. He also came up with a design for a brass plate at the end of the fingerboard that extends to about an inch over the head, a feature that came standard on the original Dobsons. The overall appearance is one of subtle beauty. Appearance Rating 10 Reliability While the banjo is still too new for me to comment extensively on its reliability, I can say that it has performed brilliantly so far. I have used it on stage without a backup and without any worry, and it did not let me down in the least. I intend to bring this instrument with me on the road, particularly when I have to fly and cannot bring more than one banjo. At this point, I see no reason to believe that it will not do everything that I need it to do in performance and workshop situations in a totally dependable manner. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service Kevin is an excellent businessman who has provided me with great customer service, both while building the banjo and since. His unparalleled attention to detail made for very smooth dealings. I am confident that if this banjo required service, Kevin would be willing and able to help. Customer Service 10 Components The tuners are very smooth and precise. All of the rim hardware is uniform and seems substantial. I particularly like the round bracket hooks and fancy nuts. I see nothing that needs to be changed out for something "better." Components Rating 10 Overall Comments I highly recommend Kevin's Dobson line, particularly in the 11" version, to anyone looking for a high-quality, reasonably-priced, modern banjo with a unique voice. This instrument is exactly what I had been hoping to find: a perfect marriage between the sound and feel of my beloved antique banjo with the durability and reliability that only new instruments can always provide. I would replace it in an instant (with one just like it) if it were stolen if it were stolen or damaged beyond repair, something that I would not be able to do if I continued to only play my vintage Dobson, and a clear benefit of buying new. Overall Rating 10

Wayne Sagmoen 12" w/Dobson Tone Ring submitted 11/20/2007 Submitter clawhammerist Where Purchased from maker Year Purchased 2007 Price Paid Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter Sound This banjo is LOUD! It is also surprisingly bright, yet there is still a touch of warmth provided by the 12" rim, which an 11" "bright" banjo would not possess. The sound is a good one, but it is very unlike that of my original H.C. Dobson banjos with the tone rings upon which this banjo's tone ring is modeled. Even when stuffed thoroughly, the notes played on this banjo do not "decay" nearly as quickly as they do on either my old Dobsons (also well-stuffed, but with smaller skin heads and spun-over rims) or my other Sagmoen banjo, which has a simple brass hoop as its tone ring but is otherwise nearly identical in construction and setup. While I am still getting used to this instrument, I do find its volume and, to a lesser extent, its overall tone (i.e. affecting brightness and darkness by adjusting my attack), rather challenging to control. I love its volume for loud jam-session situations, playing for dances, and leading workshops, but for more subtle playing, particularly in concert settings with mics, I find my other Sagmoen without the Dobson-style tone ring more to my liking in terms of its tonal quality and easily-controlled nature. Please note that it would be unreasonable for me or anyone else to expect this banjo to sound like the original Dobson Silver Bell banjos, as their construction is fundamentally different, and their ~125-year age difference is no small thing! While this instrument does not sound like these others with similar tone rings, it does have a sound all its own that is perfectly fine--just not necessarily my preferred sound for *every* occasion. Sound Rating 6 Setup This banjo came from Wayne's shop with a very useable setup; he even worked with me as I collected the instrument from him in selecting the "ideal" bridge, and made several on the spot for me to try out! As with my other Sagmoen, I preferred a heavy, two-footed pine bridge. The action was great and easy on both hands. The scale length I requested (I believe this is Wayne's standard, or close to it) of roughly 25" places the bridge in the center of the head, which is a relationship that Kyle Creed and other makers of his school have used with much success. A No-Knot tailpiece does its job admirably, as does the Fiberskyn head. Wayne gave me a Renaissance head to try, but I still came back to the Fiberskyn, with which I have had much success on my other Sagmoen banjo. The Renaissance brightened up this already bright, loud banjo far too much for my taste. Soon after I returned to North Carolina after picking up the banjo in Minnesota, I noticed that the string alignment had somehow shifted; in other words, all five strings were now closer to one side of the fingerboard (I can't recall which side, though) than the other, and no amount of bridge- or tailpiece-adjusting seemed to fix it. Wayne offered to take the banjo back and fix this mysterious problem free of charge, which he did by replacing the dowel stick, which had somehow worked its way out of proper alignment. I have had no more issues since the banjo came back to me. Wayne's service was very efficient and generous indeed! Setup Rating 9 Appearance The banjo's appearance is structurally similar to that of my other Sagmoen banjo (see the review for more details): thin-turned block rim and integral wood bracket band, all makore wood, ebony fingerboard and peghead overlay. This time, I asked for a boat heel like on John Balch's Sagmoen banjo (images are somewhere on these forums), plus a nice pearl inlay in the scooped area that I saw on an 1880s banjo on eBay, a five-piece pearl star at the fifth fret taken from a Fairbanks and Cole design, and pearl side dots. Wayne followed my instructions to a T, and the results look great! Appearance Rating 10 Reliability All of the hardware seems high-quality, or at least as high-quality as that used by most of the other small-shop makers. The finish is very nice, but subtle; I suspect that if it does wear over time (and note that I haven't noticed such a thing happening to my 2003 Sagmoen banjo with similar finish--yet!), the feel will still be a good one, just with some natural "aging." I wouldn't say that this banjo is as dependable as my other Sagmoen for stage use, as I am still not enough accustomed to it to be able to know exactly what to expect from it TONALLY. That is not to say that its construction is in any way unreliable, as it most certainly would not fail on me unexpectedly. I hope that in time, when I get better acquainted with this banjo, I will be comfortable using it without having a backup. For now, though, I am very comfortable including it as a member of my arsenal, and often as my exclusive "session" banjo when I need to depend on its volume! Reliability Rating 9 Customer Service Wayne is a caring and conscientious craftsman and businessman, and he communicated well with me through every step of the process of designing and building this banjo, offering helpful suggestions regularly. He is always easy to reach via email. His repair service noted above was most appreciated, and something he offered willingly. Customer Service 10 Components Wayne has switched to a notched tension hoop, which I like MUCH more than the grooved version he used on my other banjo. The pegs work well and appear to be of good quality. No hardware issues yet! I really like the fact that Wayne supplies with his banjos a number of handmade bridges in different thicknesses, heights, string spacings, and, most significantly, woods. He did this with both of my banjos from his shop, and they were wonderful to experiment with in getting the sound I preferred. These included bridges are a special touch that is unique to Wayne. Components Rating 10 Overall Comments I think that Wayne's work represents today's best bargain in the field of hand-crafted-by-one-person banjos, as well as in the field of sub-$1000 banjos of any sort (his prices may go above this mark for certain kinds of work, but these simpler banjos that have become his specialty are all highly affordable, at least in my experience). I love the fact that Wayne's instruments are uniquely his, and not copies of anything else past or present; while he pays certain homages to historic makers' work (such as the Ashborn-like rim construction, the Cole-style boat heel, or the traditional peghead shapes), the result is something new, different, and totally delightful. Overall Rating 8

Ramsey Woody submitted 4/17/2006 Submitter clawhammerist Where Purchased The Acoustic Corner Year Purchased 2004 Price Paid 1200 ($US) Sound I didn't care for this banjo, and resold it a mere six months after buying it (and this is definitely a record for me!). I used it in a recording situation with a band, and while I was ultimately satisfied with its sound on the recording, the sound was not at all to my liking while we were actually making the recording, which is where my primary complaint lies. Time after time, I found myself very self-conscious about my playing when using this instrument, as it sounded, to me, from behind, as I was playing it, quite muddy, boomy, and with a certain metallic edge. When I heard others play it, and when I heard recordings of myself playing it, I was somewhat happier, but this was definitely not a comfortable situation. I feel a true need to know what my banjos sound like to others, and when I'm faced with an almost dreadful sound coming back to my ears while playing, I cannot be confident that the sound is any better out front. Even the sound heard by others (and by myself, on recordings) did not end up being much to write home about. Some of my favorite fiddlers and guitarists, whose opinions I trust highly, said that while the banjo itself did not sound bad to their ears, it did sound rather bland, compared to my other banjos that they had heard in the past. They told me, and I agreed, that the sound is fairly nondescript, leaning neither towards the treble nor the bass end of things, and was not memorable in any way. Also, they said, it did not blend very well with their instruments, but stood out more than it should have--again, in a very bland, white-bread sort of way. This is not what I like to hear about my instruments! Sound Rating 3 Setup The banjo was quite playable when I bought it, and the bridge was all that I changed, as I prefer slightly higher right-hand action than the music store did. Mike equipped this banjo (and perhaps most of his others, these days) with the Renaissance head, whose time has most certainly not come, in my opinion. I do not like the sound of this head at all. Proponents of the Renaissance claim that it captures the sound of real skin like no other head, a comment that makes me wonder just how familiar these people are with real skin heads. Skin heads are warm and mellow, the antithesis of the Remo Weather King heads with their brash, sharp tone. I felt that the Renaissance head, both on this banjo and on others I've played, sounds more like the Weather King than anything else, which is a sound I do not like! Also, the looks of the head turn me off in every way. I don't know if the designers of the Renaissance intend for it to look like skin as well as sound like it, but if this is the case, I believe they've missed the mark again, in a big way. In my experience, the Fiberskyn head, old standby that it is, sounds and looks more like skin than anything else around besides skin itself. I don't quite understand what all the fuss over the Renaissance is about--but, I digress: this is supposed to be a banjo review, not a diatribe on banjo heads. I tinkered with the setup in every way that I knew how in an effort to improve the sound I heard while playing this instrument. Aside from the action and the head not being to my liking--both easily changed, of course--there was nothing fundamentally "wrong" with the setup. Through all of the setup iterations I tried, this banjo never sounded good to my ears, which says to me that its poor sound was not setup-related. Setup Rating 5 Appearance This is a solid walnut banjo, rim and neck both. I think that walnut is a very beautiful wood, in a subtle, simple sort of way. The finish and color are very even throughout. While I do like the fingerboard inlays of leaves, acorns, and dots with a new engraving style (and, I should note, the engraving on all of these inlays is executed much better than on many older Ramsey instruments I've seen), I do not care for the ugly, blob-like tree in the peghead. It attracts negative attention from other players, who have guessed it to be anything from a lollipop to a spool of yarn to a mushroom cloud. I wish that Mike would come up with a more appealing design to replace this particular inlay, one that could perhaps compliment the non-abstract, rather elegant fingerboard inlays. The tuner buttons are black, which I like a lot. The tuners themselves, along with the other hardware, are of high quality; the rim hardware in particular seems very heavy and solid. Appearance Rating 6 Reliability As far as durability is concerned, this instrument has it. It is entirely solid, and, if I didn't have such a problem with its sound, I would feel comfortable traveling with it as my only banjo. Reliability Rating 10 Customer Service The banjo came with a five-year warranty. However, given my previous success with Mike's banjos, I do not expect to encounter any problems. Customer Service 10 Components The only component that seems worthy of replacement, as mentioned above, is the Renaissance head. Otherwise, each piece appears to do its job commendably. Components Rating 9 Overall Comments It could be argued that I paid more than I should have for this banjo. However, I do not care! The Acoustic Corner is a fine, small establishment that deserves plenty of business, and I was delighted to buy an instrument from these people--and even more delighted that they actually had three Ramsey banjos in stock when I visited! That is no small accomplishment. I was happy to pay a bit extra to support friends of the old-time music community and to not be forced to wait for who knows how many months had I ordered the banjo through Elderly, et.al. What's more, when I sold it privately, at Clifftop, a few months later, I got every bit of my money back out of it, so perhaps I did not overpay terribly in the first place. Unfortunately, this banjo did not meet my needs, and I cannot recommend it. Not owning any other banjos with wooden tone rings, I am unable to determine whether my problems concern this particular instrument only, or the wooden tone ring concept, regardless of the banjo itself. I would highly encourage people who are considering the Woody model and/or who have read and heard all the fast talking about wooden tone rings being the next big thing to check out Mike's other offerings, with regular metal tone rings, most of which can be had for this price or less. Overall Rating 4

Ramsey Standard (custom) 10" submitted 4/17/2006 Submitter clawhammerist Where Purchased from maker Year Purchased 1999 Price Paid Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter Sound This is a fretless banjo, but it is louder and clearer (less muddy) than many modern fretless instruments I have played. I attribute this to the small rim; it brightens and projects quite sufficiently. However, I don't care for the even brighter-sounding maple banjos when I am playing with other people, as I usually am with a fretless, so I asked Mike to use the mahogany neck of his Standard model for this particular instrument. This, I think, made for the best of both worlds: a fairly bright-sounding pot balanced by a mellow neck, which meet to produce a very well-rounded instrument capable of being heard in an ensemble without being overpowering. Sound Rating 10 Setup The setup was, and is, exceptional. Mike managed to set the banjo up with rather high action over the frailing scoop, so that I am able to attack the strings as vigorously as I like, while the left-hand action is almost as low as it can get. This makes for wonderfully effortless fretting (or fretlessing, as the case may be). If I had it to do over again, I might ask Mike to extend the scale length beyond its mere 23 1/4", which he chose so that the bridge could be placed in the very center of the head. Tuned up to A or D, as the banjo usually is, things work perfectly well, but tuned down to G or C, the strings flap around far more than I like. I use light-gauge strings; perhaps heavier strings would solve the problem, but since I own other banjos that play well in the lower keys, I'm not inclined to experiment. Since this is a fretless banjo, I realize that the bridge could be moved closer to the tailpiece, which might allow for the lower keys to be used with greater success, but I like the sound with the bridge placed where it is. Setup Rating 8 Appearance I wanted the banjo to be visually appealing, and it certainly is. Patty Ramsey did a full-length vine inlay for me, which is quite striking on a fretless fingerboard. As is the case with many fancier Ramsey instruments, the inlay work is not flawless, but I have begun thinking of the minor flaws as "birthmarks," as a poster in the forums suggested, which serve to distinguish these handmade instruments from those of the Deering school and the like, which are flawlessly decorated instruments that, to me, end up being quite cold and sterile. Perhaps my favorite decorative touch on this banjo is one that I did not request or expect, and have not seen on any other banjo before or since. Mike engraved the dowel stick ferrule (the little metal cube that the dowel stick fits into on the tailpiece end) on three sides, with three very different, complicated, and elegant floral motifs. Fantastic! The mahogany neck is stained a very deep burgundy, and the rim is painted black, as on the regular Standard model, and this color combination is more strikingly beautiful to my eyes than if the neck and the rim had been stained to match. There is a small finish flaw on the heel of the neck, but it is on the treble side, and, therefore, hides well when the banjo is being played. Appearance Rating 9 Reliability After five years of owning the banjo, I began to see a couple of hooks starting to rust, which is something that happened far earlier on other Ramsey instruments I have seen, so I wasn't terribly disappointed by this development. The silver wire used in the vine inlay looks as though it has seen better days, unfortunately, and does not polish up as well as I might have expected. Also, the area of this wire that extends into the frailing scoop has become quite worn as it gets played on; perhaps Mike could find a more durable material. As far as general reliability is concerned, things have gone swimmingly so far. I intended for this instrument to be a travel banjo, given its small size (perfect for overhead compartments on airplanes; in its custom, triangular gigbag, it is scarcely larger than a cased fiddle, and has fooled many people into thinking that it is a fiddle!), and it has done the job in every way, often without my having a backup banjo to use. Reliability Rating 8 Customer Service Mike is difficult to get in touch with, but after he is located, he aims to please in every way. Customer Service 8 Components I have not needed to upgrade anything that came with the banjo. Components Rating 10 Overall Comments This banjo comes with a very high recommendation, despite its minor issues. The sound and playability are such that I will never need to look for another fretless banjo. Overall Rating 10

Ramsey Cherry Special 11" submitted 4/17/2006 Submitter clawhammerist Where Purchased from maker Year Purchased 1995 Price Paid 800 ($US) Sound I ordered this banjo equipped with a reproduction Bacon tone ring, which I have since regretted. Mike's standard rolled brass hoop does a far superior job, at least for my style of playing. The Bacon ring does not produce very much sustain, and tends more towards the treble end than I prefer. Also, I find that the banjo is surprisingly muddy unless it is heavily stuffed, which, as you might guess, cuts down the volume quite a bit (which may or may not be a good thing!). Sound Rating 6 Setup The banjo came equipped with a Five Star head, which Mike only used because he had run out of Fiberskyn. Set up this way, it had an even brighter sound than it does now (which is saying something--see my words above on the Bacon tone ring), after I've installed a Fiberskyn head. The fifth-string nut was a problem area for a while. The original was brass (!), and not only did it brighten the sound of the string more than I preferred, but it also managed to break string after string, as the slot was not very smooth. I have since replaced it with a standard bone nut, and have had no further issues. Setup Rating 7 Appearance This is an attractive banjo, in a simple sort of way. Mike's trademark Saturn inlay is gorgeous, as is the shooting star. The dots are not engraved, however, and I was under the impression that they ought to have been (this being the Special model). Mike added a backstrap to the reverse of the peghead, which was executed beautifully. The rim was initially veneered (on the outside only...something that I don't much care for) to match the color of the light cherry neck, but over the years, the rim veneer has darkened more quickly than has the neck. It doesn't look bad, though. Appearance Rating 8 Reliability I have had a fair amount of trouble with rusting brackets, which I have noticed on other instruments from Mike. Also, no matter how often or firmly I tighten the screws on the pegs, the ivoroid buttons are always loose! I believe that he has since switched to a different type of button when using this color, and I hope that the new version fits a bit better than mine do. Reliability Rating 8 Customer Service Mike is a bit difficult to get ahold of, but he is excellent to deal with--an honest, conscientious businessman, and a nice guy to boot. Customer Service 9 Components I ordered this banjo, for reasons unbeknownst to me both now and at that time, with coordinator rods rather than a dowel stick. The rods don't look good to my eye, and I do not recommend this feature. As mentioned above, the plating on the metal parts, including these rods, seems somewhat questionable. Components Rating 7 Overall Comments This is a good, well-built instrument, and I'm glad to own it. It was also my first banjo, so I don't plan on getting rid of it, even though I don't use it very much because of the complaints I have about its sound. I've thought more than once about sending it back to Mike and having it reworked, with a different tone ring; perhaps then I would be more satisfied. I've gathered that Mike has improved the quality of his instruments since 1995 (mine is rather early--#126), so his newer, more sophisticated banjos might warrant a higher recommendation. In any case, Mike still gives the buyer more bang for the buck than a lot of other makers. Overall Rating 7

Wayne Sagmoen 12" submitted 12/3/2004 Submitter clawhammerist Where Purchased from maker Year Purchased 2003 Price Paid Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter Sound This banjo sounds great. It is very full and mellow, with a lot of bass, but it is not muddy, and suits melodic playing better than one might imagine. It is not terribly loud, but is very satisfactory for band situations and, of course, for solo playing. Sound Rating 10 Setup Wayne Sagmoen, the maker, set the instrument up as he saw fit, which suited me just fine. The Fiberskyn head is perfect for the banjo, and the action is low for the left hand but high enough over the frailing scoop for me to play forcefully (although the action is so low over the frets that buzzing has begun to develop, something that a tiny bit of fretwork would cease, and not enough of an issue for me to feel like raising the action). I stuff it with a sock and a small piece of foam, but it sounds good without such things as well. Setup Rating 10 Appearance Wayne Sagmoen, a maker from the Minneapolis area, has developed his own very appealing rim design, which is wonderful to look at. He bases his design on the banjos built by James Ashborn in the middle nineteenth century, which featured a wooden bracket band glued to the outside of the rim, eliminating the need for bracket shoes and holes drilled through the rim, much as the Whyte Laydie banjos did several decades later. However, rather than using a standard bent rim with the bracket band glued on (although I believe that Wayne has tried this), Wayne chooses to build the rim out of blocks of wood in three rows from tension hoop-level to rim cap-level, with the second row of blocks being quite a bit thicker than the others, comprising the bracket band itself. However, unlike every other block-rim banjo on the market today that I know of, Wayne's rims are still THIN, like the bent rims on Ramsey banjos and the like, not thick and bluegrassy like the Wildwood rims and others of that school. This rim design ends up being quite beautiful, as the blocks are still very apparent (Wayne uses a rather transparent stain), their natural variations in color blending gorgeously, and the bracket band is elegant yet highly practical. The rim (actually the whole banjo) looks like a piece of fine furniture; I don't know how Wayne glues the blocks together so seamlessly, but he manages to do so without fail. In a final nod to the minstrel-style banjos from which he gets inspiration, Wayne extends the dowel stick through the rim for the tailpiece bracket to stick through (and no, it is not a tie-on tailpiece; it is a No-Knot, and it uses steel strings--while a good bit of the banjo's design does come from the minstrel era, it is most definitely a modern banjo designed for clawhammer-style playing!). The neck and rim are both made from a tropical (?) wood called makore, which Wayne feels produces an exceptional tone. It looks very much like cherry, but sounds more mellow than a cherry banjo would. The wood is gorgeous, and I wanted the banjo to show off this natural beauty more than anything else, so I asked Wayne not to put any inlays in the ebony fingerboard or peghead overlay. He used a rather large, elegant peghead shape from a Fairbanks and Cole banjo, and made the entire neck rather beefy. Appearance Rating 10 Reliability I have used this banjo in competitions and recording sessions throughout 2004 (it has accompanied me to over twenty fiddlers' conventions!), and it has been reliable through and through. Some folks who play it have problems with the fifth string tuning down while it is being played; I guess my touch is a bit lighter, as I have not experienced this issue myself. The plating on the metal parts seems to be holding up quite well. My only quibble with these parts is the grooved tension hoop, which I wish were notched. I feel that this would make it look more like the custom instrument that it is. Reliability Rating 9 Customer Service Wayne is a very conscientious person, and works hard to see that his banjo customers are satisfied in every way. He is a perfectionist, too (and I say this in the best possible way), as I have never seen any sloppy work from his shop, which is a relief. I have often found the instruments from small shops and makers with small output to be of sketchy quality in some respects, but not here. Customer Service 10 Components As mentioned above, the tension hoop is the only thing that I wish were higher quality. Wayne supplied me with many different bridges from assorted unusual woods and in several different heights, all of which he made himself in a unique, aesthetically-pleasing way, and I love the selection. This is a bonus that I really enjoy. Components Rating 9 Overall Comments This banjo has been a wonderful thing for me, in a variety of settings. Out of a collection of banjos that has included several Ramseys, some H.C. Dobsons, an original Whyte Laydie, and some others, this instrument is a particular favorite. I would not hesitate to recommend Wayne's banjos to anyone looking for a high-quality, custom-built banjo that is not a clone of things already on the market. The icing on the cake is that his banjos are exceedingly affordable, one of the best buys among modern, handmade, clawhammer banjos today. Wayne doesn't have a website that I am aware of, but he can be contacted via email, at wsagmoen@frontiernet.net. Overall Rating 10