The little guitar? The mighty mandolin is a powerhouse Bluegrass staple valued for its `bark` and pulsing off-beat chop. In comparison, a Bluegrass resonator banjo has a `pop`, and the open back 5 string has a `tubby` sound coveted in the old timey genre. A flattop guitar is called a boomer or a cannon if it is a `banjo killer`. Describing the tonal qualities of a BRC banjo on eBay is a seller`s challenge in descriptors: resonance, sustain, bright, twangy, plunky? 
This handsome hybrid banjo, recently auctioned online, had a `mid-range` tone because of its uncommon open back and arch top design
Although the text of a melody can be described onto scaled paper, only the sonic actuality of its performance on an instrument can translate the unique character of the music and the instrument. A few years ago, an e-mailer from New Zealand queried us about the sheet music for a You Tube mandolin solo picked by the BRC founder (see below link) at a coffee house gig for the Children`s Hospital. Our polite response: what is sheet music? The knack to play music by ear, however, is a fanciful myth. It is best described as being a bard who does not know the alphabet. Listen to the BRC founder`s mandolin solo (at 1:48 mins) on “Glendale Train” per the below link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4tLaA7ZZdY&list=PLBADC586625A34D06)The
Check-out the below link for a neighborly thread about the Banjo Rehabilitation Center as offered by our brethren at the Mandolin Cafe. The BRC founder has long hoped to author a mandolin-friendly book entitled `Why Banjos Matter` but has been unable to set pen to paper. Is this a description of writer`s block?
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?73475-Funny-Banjo-Repair-Site
P.S. See the new Hall of Fame member- a mandolinist!
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