facebook.com/tom.berghan
Playing Since: 1961
Experience Level: Expert/Professional

Interests:
[Socializing] [Helping]

Occupation: Musician

Gender: Male
Age: 73

My Instruments:
1) Gibson RB-250 tube & plate flange, early 70s
2) Banjo d'Amore (Orpheus) - Dan Knowles, 2011
3) 1929 Gibson TB-2, four string
4) 5-string Buck Creek - Arthur Hatfield, 2012
5) Gold Tone Fretless Bass Banjo BB-400 Custom, bass tuning EADG, 2010
6) Minstrel "early" banjo, after Joe Sweeney, by James Hartel, 2016
7) 2014 Mini-Banjo (Soprano 5 string) by Marvin Walker, http://www.banjomaker.net/

Favorite Bands/Musicians:
In general I like the "old stuff" and older styles. I admire many of today's younger "progressive" artists, but I have always enjoyed collecting records from the 1920s through to the early 1960s. That fifty year period of American music is my favorite: Bluegrass, Old Time, Blues, Hokum, Rags, Swing, Hillbilly, Country, & Rockabilly. That's for me!

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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 6/23/2009
Last Visit 3/12/2026

I am a lute, theorbo, and guitar player who took up clawhammer banjo (in June of 2009). In 2010 May and June I began playing fiddle tunes on baritone and tenor 4-string banjos, and in November 2010 I began playing bass banjo. In August of 2011 I began to study bluegrass banjo and also began a deeper study of bluegrass guitar as well. The short story is that I am in love with all things "Old Time" and "Bluegrass." Beginning about 2014 my focus has really turned to music of the Antebellum period (early minstrel era) I am also an old Rock-a-Billy and Blues musician (guitar and piano). I have played music professionally my entire adult life. I have always loved OT music. I knew Gus Cannon in 1969, who besides being one of the greatest American Banjoists, was a real gentleman and a wise old soul. You may hear some of my lute recordings at www.cs.dartmouth.edu/berghan