Playing Since: 2020
Experience Level: Just Startin'
Enfield1858 has made 81 recent additions to Banjo Hangout
Occupation: Retired
Gender: Male
My Instruments:
Baritone Horn
Favorite Bands/Musicians:
Larkin Poe, Crooked Still
Classified Rating: not rated
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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 8/1/2020
Last Visit 9/16/2021
Most of my working life has been in engineering; 5 years as an RAF radio mechanic, designing industrial instruments, and a bit of repairing steam locos, with a spell training heavy draft horses, owning a retired racehorse, and about 30 years working on a steam railways as a volunteer fireman and signalman.
Tried playing guitar in my 20s - which was hopeless. It was only a year or so back I dabbled in bass guitars, and found it was far more natural to play southpaw (I was born left-handed, and forced to change to right as a baby).
Got into playing baritone horn with a brass band after I retired - but that all ground to a halt thanks to lockdown, and I've no idea when (or if) we'll be allowed to practise and play together again - and playing a baritone by myself just doesn't cut it; it NEEDS to be in the context of a band.
So I've been looking for something I can play by myself at home, and which will be complete in itself - and I've always like what I've discovered to be the clawhammer / frailing style of music (MTA - tried CH, but ended up switching to TFTL, Old Time, and very happy with it!
Bought an open-back, LH, wide neck banjo, Grafton Gem, from Andy Grafton, based in Faversham, Kent - and I'm making good progress with it, with the help of a first rate teacher. At least, until the ludicrous lockdown restrictions made lessons with her impossible.
