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The banjo reviews database is here to help educate people before they purchase an instrument. Of course, this is not meant to be a substitute for playing the instrument yourself!
7235 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Pisgah Banjos (Online)
Year Purchased: 2020
Price Paid: 1845 ($US)
Sweet, great sustain.
Sound Rating: 10
Setup was great, much better than the first Pisgah I bought several years prior.
Setup Rating: 10
It's simply beautiful. The 11 " Pot/Rim is Spun Brass over Cherry. The Cherry neck is blonde (fingerboard dark richlite) with a center stripe. The color of the dots on the fingerboard match the blonde neck. Really cool.
Appearance Rating: 10
Seems like it will last forever
Reliability Rating: 10
Lifetime warranty. Service/response has always been top-notch.
Customer Service: 10
I love the fact that Patrick uses sustainable hardwoods. The brass fittings are beautiful.
Components Rating: 10
The only "complaint" I have is that new banjos are shipped with medium-gauge strings only, probably to facilitate production (if you visit the facility, you'll see various PBCO strings hung vertically on small nails). It would be nice if they'd string banjos with different gauge strings by request. Even so...while I prefer light-gauge strings, my new banjo is more than playable with the mediums it shipped with. (But there will be lights on it in due time :-) )
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Pisgah Banjos (Online)
Year Purchased: 2018
Price Paid: 1604 ($US)
It sounds just right, not too muddy, not too bright. Very warm. The standard scoop and tailpiece affords variation of timbre.
Sound Rating: 10
I had to reset the bridge slightly to correct intonation
Setup Rating: 9
Gorgeous and rock-solid. I custom-ordered all Brass fittings/hardware, standard scale, plain Richlite fingerboard, Vintage headstock with Star inlay, and a Fiberskyn head. It's flawless in construction and appearance.
Appearance Rating: 10
Looks like it would last a thousand years.
Reliability Rating: 10
Lifetime warranty, they did everything I requested in my order. Fast, courteous response.
Customer Service: 10
I custom-ordered some components that don't come standard (all brass hardware).
Components Rating: 10
Some notes on my custom 12" Pisgah "Woodchuck" (no. 1293). I opted for all Brass fittings, a Vintage headstock, Standard scale, a plain Richlite fingerboard (side dots only) and a Fiberskyn head. I had to order it special, because Pisgah's design tool doesn't offer Ash (at time of Review) as a wood choice - and Ash is what I wanted. (Price included shipping, hardshell case, extras).
I first visited Patrick at the shop near Asheville last summer, and he was very gracious and hospitable. I got to play just about every model he had (none were completely finished, so the experience was pretty exciting) but he didn't have a Woodchuck at the time. Not that I was looking for one particularly, but I drove over to Acoustic Corner in Black Mountain the next day, and they had one, as well as a Possum. Not sure why, but there was something about the Woodchuck that completely won me over. I paid extra for the ordered modifications, and I was very specific about what I wanted, including string height off the fretboard, and railroad spikes at frets 7 and 9.
I figured I probably would find something I didn't like about it, because I'm so nitpicky - but the banjo actually exceeded my expectations ! The only problem I had was the need for a slight adjustment of the bridge to set correct intonation (which was easy), and locating the production number on the dowel rod. Again, I absolutely love my Pisgah banjo.
Overall Rating: 10
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