Behind the Scenes at PBCO

by Patrick David Sawyer, Pisgah Banjo Company Hey folks, Patrick here from Pisgah Banjo Company and BanjoFAQ.com. I want to share some insight into one of the smallest but most important parts of every Pisgah banjo…. the nut. After years of building and setting up open back banjos, I’ve learned that the nut has a (read the rest...)

By Patrick David Sawyer If you’ve ever wanted to build something meaningful with your hands—something that sings, that travels the world, that gets passed down through generations—this might be your moment. Pisgah Banjo Company is growing, and we’re looking for a full-time Lean Manufacturing Production Technician to join our team in Fairview, NC. This isn’t (read the rest...)

As tariffs and trade restrictions ripple through the global economy, many companies—particularly in the instrument-making world—are bracing for impact. For Pisgah Banjo Co., however, this is not a moment of panic. It’s a moment that reaffirms the decisions we made long ago: to build something local, sustainable, and resilient. From the start, we chose a (read the rest...)

Written By: Patrick David Sawyer Why We’re Writing This We’re writing this article in response to recent trends in the banjo industry where certain companies have begun using the “Made in the USA” label in a way that we believe lacks full transparency. While they may meet the legal definition, they are not always forthcoming (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...)

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:Brent Davis Photo by Andy Wickstrom This article was originally published in the Bluegrass Standard Feb. 1 2025.  Brent and Patrick met at the 2024 Banjo Gathering in Lansing MI. Here is a Link to the originally published article. Pisgah Banjo Company not only takes its name from a national forest in Appalachia but (read the rest...)

Cover Photo by Andy Wickstrom Patrick David Sawyer: Founder & CEO of Pisgah Banjo Company Patrick David Sawyer, originally from Morganton, North Carolina, has been crafting banjos since 2005. He built his first banjo under the guidance of renowned luthier and Appalachian treasure Charlie Glenn of Beech Mountain, NC, while studying at Appalachian State University. (read the rest...)

Written by: Patrick David Sawyer At Pisgah Banjos, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a core value that drives everything we do. One of our proudest achievements in this commitment to the environment is our use of solar energy to offset 100% of our energy needs. This isn’t just a bold step for us as a (read the rest...)