To clear up any misgivings and/or misunderstandings that anyone may have about the material posted on these pages, I have decided to post the following statements.

The purpose of the Banjo Setup Web Pages is to gather and disseminate information on the subject of banjo construction and setup with the goal of discovering and teaching the various ways to produce different sounds from banjos. The material is here so that people who want a specific sound from their instruments may find ways of achieving their goals. Information is gathered at my own expense and is distributed freely. Ideas are welcomed. If there are proprietary details of a method, system or principle, they are respected and not distributed without permission.

I am not compensated in any way for the information I distribute. In most cases, I purchase the items tested. From time to time, someone will send me something to test, but I prefer to purchase these things myself. I do not work for any banjo dealer or manufacturer. NOBODY pays me to test a product.

I do know many of the people whose products I test. This is inevitable. The world of the banjo is small. If I test a product that is made by someone I know, I apply the same exacting standards to it that I would to the products of other people. If I feel that a product is not up to the claims of the manufacturer, I will either contact the manufacturer and explain the problem or I will simply not review the product. If a product is listed here as inferior or not up to the claims of the maker or distributor, it means that I have gone through a lengthy process of discussion of the situation, and the matter has not been settled in a way that I consider to be proper.

All the information on this site is based on my own observations, except where otherwise indicated. All information is my personal opinion.

My motiviation for these pages is purely selfish. I love the banjo, and I want to have the best sounding banjo in the world. By reviewing these products, I receive suggestions from those who read these pages, and I learn more about the banjo. Because I want more information, I share it with you.

I also feel that I should share information, so that valuable secrets of banjo construction and setup do not need to be rediscovered every time there is an upsurge in interest in the instrument. This way, the next selfish person out there will not have to go through what I did.

I do not claim to be an expert. There are many more people who know more about banjos than I do. But I do know many ways to get the most out of one of these instruments.

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©2006 Bill Palmer. All rights reserved. For permission to republish contact Bill Palmer. The opinions expressed on this page are strictly Bill Palmer's. Mastertone, Stelling and the other brand and model names are the property of the manufacturers and other people who own them.