Gold Tone Banjos
Gold Tone makes very good to excellent banjos of virtually every type, and holds the highest standards for every instrument they build. They care about their customers and back every banjo fully.
The Gold Tone range covers bluegrass and 4-string banjos, openback and clawhammer banjos, electric banjos, banjitars, mini travel banjos, a 5-string spruce-top Banjola, and even a Béla Fleck signature banjo.
New to the brand? Read our Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Gold Tone Banjo.
The Gold Tone CC-100R is the best beginner banjo at this price. Maple neck and rim, rolled brass tone ring, two-way adjustable truss rod, and a convertible resonator that comes off for true openback playing. Part of Gold Tone’s Cripple Creek line, in stock in Yellow Springs, and set up twice before it ships. Choose the build pictured here or Gold Tone’s current one at the same price, just say which in your order notes. Gig bag included.
The Gold Tone AC-1 is an award-winning beginner banjo that weighs under four pounds, thanks to its composite rim and slim, playable neck. Named “Best in Show / MUST Stock” at the 2016 Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, it delivers real banjo tone in a durable, travel-friendly package. Openback, with a resonator available separately. Ships with a gig bag and a professional setup from the Gold Tone factory, plus free insured US shipping.
The Gold Tone OB-150 is the most affordable professional-grade bluegrass banjo we carry. Sand-cast 20-hole flat top bell brass tone ring, 3-ply Canadian maple rim, one-piece cast flange, GT planetary tuners, vintage brown satin finish. 11.5 lbs. Hardshell case and Gold Tone's transferable lifetime warranty included. Professionally set up before it ships.
The double-cut headstock, combined with the Hearts-and-Flowers inlay pattern, says it all. The OB-Standard respects the GOAT Bluegrass banjoist, Earl Scruggs, who played this banjo style for many years.
The Gold Tone AC-12 is a 12-inch openback 5-string banjo built specifically for old-time and clawhammer players who want a serious instrument without a serious price tag. At just five pounds, it's one of the lightest full-size banjos on the market — perfect for long festival days and casual front-porch sessions alike. Every AC-12 is professionally set up at Gold Tone's factory in Titusville, FL so it plays beautifully right out of the box.
The Gold Tone AC-5 is the lightest resonator banjo we carry at $499.99. Composite rim and resonator deliver full bluegrass volume at just 5.5 lbs. Maple neck, ZeroGlide nut, two-way adjustable truss rod, Terminator tailpiece, Remo head. Professionally set up at Banjo Warehouse in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Includes gig bag.
This is the left-handed version of the Gold Tone AC-1 — the award-winning openback 5-string that won Best in Show at the 2016 Summer NAMM. Weighing under four pounds thanks to its innovative composite rim, it's one of the best-sounding and most playable entry-level banjos on the market, and now southpaw players can enjoy it too. Professionally set up at the Gold Tone factory in Titusville, Florida, so it plays great right out of the box.
The Gold Tone AC-12A is a featherweight 12-inch openback built specifically for old-time clawhammer playing — generous nut width, a proper frailing scoop, and a composite rim that sounds better than it has any right to at this price. At just five pounds, it's the banjo your shoulders will thank you for after a long weekend of festival jamming. Professionally set up at Gold Tone's factory in Titusville, FL and ready to play the moment it arrives.
The Gold Tone AC-12FL is a purpose-built clawhammer banjo that packs serious old-time credentials into a featherweight five-pound package. A 12-inch composite rim, ZeroGlide nut, frailing scoop, and two-way truss rod give beginners and festival veterans alike everything they need right out of the box. Includes a gig bag and ships to you professionally set up at Gold Tone's factory in Titusville, FL.
The fretless version of Gold Tone's best-selling AC-1: same lightweight 11-inch composite openback, with a fretless neck for old-time and clawhammer playing. Aquila Nylgut strings, under 4 lbs, gig bag included.
This is the left-handed version of the Gold Tone AC-1, the award-winning acoustic composite openback banjo that won Best in Show at the 2016 Summer NAMM Show. Weighing under four pounds, it's an ideal first banjo for left-handed beginners, younger players, or anyone who wants a lightweight, travel-friendly instrument that actually sounds great. Every AC-1 is professionally set up at Gold Tone's factory in Titusville, FL to play comfortably right out of the box.
The Gold Tone AC-1 is a lightweight, great-sounding openback banjo built around an innovative composite rim that keeps the whole instrument under four pounds — making it an ideal first banjo, travel companion, or starter instrument for a younger player. Named "Best in Show / MUST Stock" at the 2016 Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, it punches well above its price point. Every AC-1 we ship has been professionally set up at Gold Tone's factory in Titusville, FL so it plays its best right out of the box.