DVD-quality lessons (including tabs/sheet music) available for immediate viewing on any device.
Take your playing to the next level with the help of a local or online banjo teacher.
Weekly newsletter includes free lessons, favorite member content, banjo news and more.
Premier Sponsors
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!
7233 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Directly from Kevin Enoch
Year Purchased: 2009
Price Paid: 1295 ($US)
The sound is very clear with good note definition. It isn't particularly loud, and the tone isn't particularly deep or full, but there is something just very pleasing about the tone. It's hard to describe, but it's kind of a warmth, clarity, and smoothness rather than the twang or metallic quality of most banjos.
It has a nice range of tones from playing over the head to playing over the scoop. It sounds great throughout that range, but I especially like the tone when played over the scoop -- it just sings.
I tried a heavy Moon bridge that I happened to have, and it added some additional warmth and fullness to the tone. A nice improvement.
It is set up with a renaissance head, but I plan to try a calfskin head in the future.
Sound Rating: 10
Excellent setup. My Enoch Tradesman came setup a little too high action for my liking, but the Dobson model is perfect. Kevin said that it was set up more for the melodic style playing that people seem to like this instrument for. Great fret work, very comfortable neck, good action. No tweaking necessary.
Setup Rating: 10
Some of the early ones had a walnut pot, but mine is the current maple pot that is painted black. Fretboard is ebony. Headstock has an ebony overlay, but it is dark brown with visible grain instead of solid black. It looks great. There is a star inlaid on the headstock which has some exquisite engraving. The neck is walnut, but is a very dark brown. I think it might be stained, but I'm not sure. The very dark brown looks great to me -- enough of a contrast from the pot, but not too much. There is some visible unfilled grain on the neck, but it still looks good and feels great. The bracket shoes are the round style, which looks great on this guitar. The black tuning knobs also go nicely with the black pot.
Overall, it has a very simple appearance, which is what I like in an old-time banjo.
I think it would look really good with unplated brass hardware instead of the nickel-plated stuff.
Appearance Rating: 9
Everything looks to be of great quality. Tuners work great. Other hardware seems to be very solid.
The Dobson tone ring is a little rough at the edge, a result of the spinning process, but it doesn't cause any problems.
Reliability Rating: 10
Kevin lives about 20 minutes away, and I deal directly with him. He is super helpful and friendly and provides great service.
Customer Service: 10
No weak parts.
The main standout component is the reproduction Dobson silver bell tonering, made by Bill Rickard.
Nothing needs to be upgraded, but I felt that a heavy Moon bridge improved the depth and fullness of the tone. I also plan to try a calfskin head. And, I think that unplated brass hardware and an unplated Dobson tonering would look great on this banjo.
Components Rating: 10
I like it a lot, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes the Dobson tone. It isn't super loud, so it might not be the best choice for a very loud jam.
I compared it to my Chuck Lee 11", which has an ebony tone ring. The Lee is louder and has a deeper fuller tone. However, the Enoch Dobson has better clarity and note separation and I think the tone is just more pleasing overall. I also think that the Enoch Dobson will get better after it has been played for awhile, and I still need to experiment with head tension to optimize it to my preference. Both are great banjos, but somewhat different. I think the Enoch would be my choice for playing at home or in a small group, and for recording. The Lee would probably be my choice for a bigger louder jam. The Enoch is also better suited to more melodic playing.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: directly from Kevin Enoch
Year Purchased: 2007
Price Paid: 880 ($US)
I already had a loud, bright, banjo with a tubaphone tone ring, and I wanted something with a deeper, warmer tone. The Enoch has that warm deep tone that I wanted. And while it has good depth of tone, it doesn't sound dead or muddy. Mine has the cherry neck, which I think adds a slight bit of brightness and volume over the standard walnut neck. And while not the loudest banjo I've played, it does have good volume. I think it is the perfect combination of tone, clarity, and brightness. I don't usually stuff anything in my banjos, but on the Tradesman I do like a small piece of sheepskin in the back to dampen some of the overtones.
Sound Rating: 10
When I picked it up from Kevin, the action was a little higher than I'm used to, so he swapped the bridge on the spot. The setup is now perfect. The short scale and neck profile make it very comfotable to play. It is also very lightweight. It also has a nice thin oil finish on the neck, which feels and looks very good.
Setup Rating: 10
It's a plain looking banjo, which is fine with me. To keep costs down, there is no binding on the fretboard or pot, the pot is painted black, and the headstock has a simple shape and has no overlay. There are simple dot position markers in the ebony fretboard. However, although low cost, it is a quality hand-built instrument. There are no flaws. And the Dobson style neck heel has an atractive cutout in it. The black tuner buttons go nicely with the black pot. The renaissance head has no logo. The octagonal dowel stick looks nice. I wouldn't change a thing.
Appearance Rating: 10
It is lightweight but feels very solidly built. The hardware appears to be good quality. The oil finish on the neck is thin, but I expect it to hold up just fine.
Reliability Rating: 10
Kevin was very friendly, and he said to let him know if I ever have any questions or need anything. He lives just 10 miles away from me, so I can easily access him if the banjo needs anything.
Customer Service: 10
Everything seems to be of good quality. Nice thin 12" pot. Handbuilt neck with Dobson heel and nice cutout. Neck finish and neck profile are fast and comfortable. Has a renaissance head an no-knot tailpiece.
The 5-star tuners work fine, but aren't as smooth as some of the more expensive ones. However, they are what I'd expect to see on a banjo in this price range. With my other banjos I've changed the heads, the strings, the bridges, and tailpieces. On the Tradesman I am not changing a thing. The only thing I would even consider changing is the tuners. However, I am curious how a calfskin head would sound on this banjo.
Components Rating: 9
Excellent banjo for the price. I love its looks, sound, light weight, comfort, and playability. If it were stolen I'd get another just like it. It provides a nice contrast in tone to my heavy tubaphone banjo, and it saves my back too. It is definitely my first choice to take to a music camp -- easy to haul around, not so expensive that I have to worry about it, and plays and sounds great.
Overall Rating: 10
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Privacy Consent (EU/GDPR Only)
Copyright 2026 Banjo Hangout. All Rights Reserved.