No sense in keeping something you're not happy with.  IIWM, I'd talk to Mike and see what I can do for a trade-in.  

About 4 months ago I bought a Clemmer Banjammer at a festival (remember when we had festivals?).  I just haven't bonded with this instrument.  At first I thought it was because it was louder than I was used to, but that problem was solved by stuffing a sock in the back like you would with a banjo.  However, I'm still not comfortable with it and I finally decided just a little while ago that it is probably due to the height of the fingerboard, which is about 1 and 1/4 inches from the body (which consists of one board).  Somehow that seems to affect the action; my fingers just don't seem to glide along it as I would like.  I have two other dulcimers, a very old Folk Roots and a relatively new James McAnulty with an extra kind of "trestle" piece at the back which gives it a wonderful, mellow tone.  I bought the Banjammer because I thought it would be good for fiddle tunes, but I'm thinking of asking the builder if I can trade it in towards another instrument.  Advice, anyone?

Ken , I very much appreciate your comments. All this amazing internet stuff, you in USA, & me in Australia, asking you questions!. Yesterday a friend dropped me off a couple of “black camphor” logs, so will start milling them up today, they are already dried. Then I can start making. I have already secured a redo drum pad and the rest of the hardware. I very much enjoy the building as well as the playing. Any chance of a photo of the one you built?

That's the kind I've built -- basically a wider, longer dulcimer body combined with a 6" tambourine that is free floating and perched on 3 or 4 stub legs to hold it at the correct height.  The free floating bridge sets just aft of center on the drumhead.

Thanks for the reply Ken, I am about to start  building one. You have swayed me toward the drum in a box model.

I've heard both "drum in a box" and "drum on a 2x10" type banjimers.  IMHO the "drum in a box" types sound much more like a banjo -- both in  sound a volume. 

Sorta like the difference between hearing an acoustic guitar and a solid body electric guitar being played acoustically (not plugged in to anything).  They both sound like "guitar" but the acoustic sound MUCH better.

Has anyone had experience with both types of banjammer / banjimmer MD one being, the flat Remo drum on a board type, and a Remo drum enclosed in a sound box type. What are the sound differences? volume differences? Does one sound more like a banjo than the other? From memory I think I saw a post from some one who has made both, but I cannot find the post......maybe I was in dreamworld

Dave