I am currently borrowing a banjolafrom my friend Aaron O’Rourke<for a few days. Its pretty cool, a mix between a banjo and an octave mandolin. This one has six strings, with the sixth string functioning as a high drone string. Right now, its tuned gGDGCD. You can frail it like a banjo, but also switch to fingerstyle guitar oriented things. It has a more immediate attack than a guitar, with more sustain than a banjo.
At the moment i am just exploring it as a clawhammer instrument, working up a version of the march Lord Mayo. Perhaps I will get a chance to record it in a few days.
Anton