Pisgah: Woodchuck

Submitted by folkplayer on 8/11/2018

Where Purchased: Reverb

Year Purchased: 2018
Price Paid: Don't Remember (bought USED) historic exchange rates / currency converter

Sound

This banjo has a great dynamic range. From warm and plunky to bright and sweet. It has a lot of volume, but also sounds heavenly with a t-shirt in the pot. Unsurprisingly I play old-time music in the clawhammer style, and the Woodchuck suits this style perfectly.

Sound Rating: 10

Setup

I'm no expert, but I am very happy with the action when it came to me. I'm not sure if the factory setup had been altered as it was a used banjo, but it felt comfortable to me.

Setup Rating: 10

Appearance

This is pretty subjective, but I very much prefer plain banjos as opposed to those with a lot of ornate inlay. It feels strange to be playing working-class music on a fancy instrument. The woodchuck is plain, yet beautiful. The brass against the black pot adds a touch of class.

Appearance Rating: 10

Reliability

The word I would use to describe this banjo is solid. It seems like it could handle gigging without breaking a sweat. I don't feel any need for a backup. The hardware is all very high quality.

Reliability Rating: 10

Customer Service

Patrick is a pleasure to talk to and I am confident he would do anything within reason to solve any problems I had. I bought the instrument used, so I am unaware of Pisgah's warranty policy.

Customer Service: 10

Components

The rolled brass tone ring sounds killer. There is absolutely no need to upgrade any of the parts on this banjo.

Components Rating: 10

Overall Comments

Overall this is a stellar mid-tier banjo that can easily duke it out with the best of them. I previously played a very low-end Epiphone banjo and quickly realized I needed an upgrade. If you are looking to upgrade from your beginner banjo but don't have thousands to spend; this is the banjo for you. The care and passion is evident in the quality of the Pisgah Woodchuck and I could happily play it for the rest of my life. 

Overall Rating: 10