Custom Pisgah 12" Curly Maple Tubaphone 5-String Banjo with Goat Skin Head #4347

Banjo Studio is proud to be a Pisgah dealer. You are viewing the actual banjo that you'll be purchasing.

This custom Pisgah Tubaphone was handmade by Pisgah Banjo Co. in Asheville, North Carolina, and built with our Banjo Studio tweaks. The Tubaphone is Pisgah's take on the classic Vega Tubaphone, with a brass tube tone ring that Pisgah makes in house. 

What Makes This Banjo Different

• Tubaphone tone ring. The head sits on a hollow brass tube that rides on the 12" rim. It adds punch, bell-like sustain and a strong low end while keeping the old-time warmth, so the banjo has a big voice that carries in a jam.
• Goat skin head. A real skin head is the traditional choice for old-time banjo. It softens the attack, adds a warm, earthy growl and lets the Tubaphone ring without sounding brash. The mottled hide also looks great against the stained maple.
• Stained curly maple rim, neck and armrest. The tiger stripe figure runs through the rim, neck, heel and the matching armrest. The armrest keeps your forearm off the hooks and the head, so the banjo is more comfortable and rings more freely.
• Vintage details. Pisgah's vintage headstock with a quilted star inlay, a vintage heel, Balsam Banjoworks aged brass hardware with J.B. Schall ball shoes, a hawktail tailpiece and a scalloped black Tusq nut.
• Short 25 1/2" scale with S-scoop. The shorter neck feels slinky and easy to fret and is great for tuning down to old-time keys. The S-scoop gives your strumming hand room to frail over the sweet spot and don't forget the addition of the scooped tension hoop 

The Sound

Big, round and punchy with plenty of growl. The Tubaphone ring gives each note a clear ring and sustain, the goat skin head rounds off the edges and adds that rustic old-time character, and the 12" curly maple rim fills in a deep, full low end. It has the power to lead a jam and the warmth to sit back for a quiet tune at night.

Why Banjo Studio Loves This Banjo

• A classic old-time sound with extra power. The Tubaphone and goat skin pairing is a favorite recipe for clawhammer players who want a vintage voice that still cuts through fiddles and guitars.
• Pisgah advantages. All Pisgah banjos have easy truss rod access with a unique truss rod cover held in place with magnets. You also get the frailing notch on the tension hoop for more room at the sweet spot between the neck and the head. A small detail that makes a big difference. Pisgah builds by hand in a solar-powered, net zero carbon shop and backs every banjo with a limited lifetime warranty to the original owner.
• A one-of-a-kind. Stained curly maple from headstock to armrest, aged brass and a mottled goat skin head make this a banjo you will want to leave out on the stand.

Comes with a padded Pisgah Access gig bag, PBCO Clawhammer strings and Pisgah's certificate of ownership. Made in U.S.A.

Best for: clawhammer and old-time players who want a powerful, traditional Tubaphone voice, the warmth of a goat skin head and an easy-playing short scale neck.

Professional Setup and Free Shipping

Every banjo is professionally set up and checked by Banjo Studio before it leaves our shop, so it plays great right out of the box. Shipping is free to the lower 48 states.