Pisgah Dobson 11" 5-String Banjo with Walnut Rim and Neck, Persimmon Fretboard

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The Pisgah Dobson 11" 5-String Banjo combines 19th-century vintage tone with eco-conscious manufacturing process.

Tonal Foundation: Walnut & The Dobson Tone Ring

• Walnut Neck & Rim: Native Appalachian walnut offers a rich, warm, and mellow fundamental tone with a woody midrange that softens harsh overtones.  This is why it is popular on open back banjos
• Dobson Tone Ring: Recreating the famous 1880s patent, this lightweight flared brass ring adds open resonance, sweet sustain, and subtle bell-like clarity without overpowering the wood's warm acoustic voice.  This tone ring can be removed to provide a secondary tone for your banjo.  You gotta love that! 

Persimmon Fretboard & 11" Rim Platform

• Persimmon Fingerboard: Harvested domestically as a native, sustainable alternative to imported ebony, persimmon is exceptionally hard, smooth under the fingers, and adds quick note attack.  
• 11" Rim Size: The 11-inch pot delivers superior punch, quick response, and tight note separation compared to wider 12-inch rims. It maintains a balanced frequency profile—crisp highs with focused lows—making it versatile for clawhammer, old-time frailing, or fingerstyle playing.

The Pisgah Difference

• Wide Frailing Notch: Pisgah notches the tension hoop near the neck joint and fretboard scoop, giving clawhammer pickers seamless right-hand clearance without hitting their thumb or fingers against metal edges.  
• Sculpted Thumb Rest: A carved contour on the neck profile provides an ergonomic anchor for your thumb when playing higher up the neck while reinforcing the area around the 5th-string tuner.  
• Magnetic Truss Rod Cover: Snaps off magnetically for instant, tool-free access to the two-way adjustable truss rod—eliminating tiny screws and scratched headstock overlays.  

Why Banjo Studio loves this banjo: Like most Pisgah banjos, the Pisgah Dobson 11" bridges the gap between historical tone and modern playability. Between its native hardwood construction, historic Dobson voice, and player-focused hardware tweaks, this banjo offers an effortless playing experience and a rich, earthy sound built to last a lifetime.  

Specifications

Serial: 4185

Rim:
11" Walnut Rim
Dobson Tone Ring
18 bracket brass tension hoop
Antiqued Brass Hardware
Renaissance head
No knot tailpiece
Pisgah Frailing Notch on tension hoop

Neck:
25.5" scale
Walnut neck
Persimmon fingerboard
Pisgah Quilted Star headstock inlay
Black side dot and fretboard inlay
Straight Scoop
Gotoh tuners
Tusq nut
Two way compression truss rod
Sculpted Thumb Rest
Magnetic Truss Rod Cover
Folk Heel

Includes Access Stage One Case with PBSCO Logo