Banjo FAQ

By: Patrick David Sawyer There’s nothing quite as frustrating as a fifth string tuner that won’t stay put. If you’ve been playing banjo long enough, you’ve probably experienced this at some point—your tuner starts slipping, or worse, it pops right out of the hole entirely. Fortunately, this is an easy fix, and I’ll walk you (read the rest...)

Written By Patrick David Sawyer Founder and CEO of Pisgah Banjos and Balsam Banjoworks I started Pisgah Banjos in 2012 with the goal of building high-quality, handcrafted, American-made open-back banjos. But early on, I ran into a serious challenge: finding good, American-made hardware. At the time, nearly all banjo hardware was either imported or poorly (read the rest...)

Written By: Patrick David Sawyer When it comes to setting up a banjo, one of the most critical yet often overlooked elements is the bridge. Its height, placement, and string spacing all play a major role in your banjo’s tone, playability, and overall feel. As a builder and player, I’ve spent years fine-tuning setups, and (read the rest...)

At Pisgah Banjos, we believe in crafting instruments that don’t just take from the earth but give back to it. Wood is the heart of our banjos—the very essence of their tone, beauty, and soul. But as makers, we recognize that every tree used is part of a larger ecosystem, one that has suffered greatly (read the rest...)

Written by: Patrick David Sawyer As a banjo builder and avid player I’ve worked with a variety of domestic hardwoods—each bringing its own personality to the instrument. But time and again, I return to walnut as a personal favorite. Whether it’s the wood’s rich color, its tonal balance, or the way it shapes the character (read the rest...)

Written By: Patrick David Sawyer At Pisgah Banjos, we take pride in every detail of our instruments, and that includes the hardware we choose. One of the most crucial components of a banjo is its tuning system, and after years of experience building and playing banjos, we’ve found that Gotoh Planetary Tuners are simply the (read the rest...)

Written By: Patrick David Sawyer When I first picked up the banjo, the resources for learning clawhammer were sparse. YouTube was still in its infancy, online lessons were practically nonexistent, and if you wanted to learn, you either needed to find a local player willing to teach you or track down the handful of instructional (read the rest...)

Written By: Patrick David Sawyer Disclaimer: This article is based on my personal experiences and observations within the banjo and music industry. While opinions are included, they are informed by the trends and developments I’ve seen firsthand. It’s an exciting time to be a banjo player—especially if you’re drawn to the deep, rhythmic groove of (read the rest...)

Written by: Patrick David Sawyer Photo by Andy Wickstrom If you’ve ever picked up a banjo with a warped or bowed neck, you know how frustrating it can be. The action is all over the place, intonation suffers, and the instrument just doesn’t play like it should. That’s why a truss rod is one of (read the rest...)