Gold Tone A-6/L A-Style Mando-Guitar with Pickup and Gig Bag (Left-Handed)

If you’ve ever wanted to explore that tight, bright, mandolin-like bark without learning a new tuning system, the Gold Tone A-6/L is built exactly for you — and this is the left-handed version, so southpaw players no longer have to compromise. Tuned standard EADGBE across six courses on a 15″ scale, the A-6 sits in a tonal sweet spot that is genuinely unlike anything else: chords ring with a chimey, compressed snap that cuts beautifully in a mix, single-note runs have a woody immediacy that a full-scale guitar simply can’t replicate, and the built-in bridge-mounted transducer means you can plug straight into a PA or amp without hunting for a clip-on mic. I’ve watched guitarists pick one of these up for the first time and not put it down for an hour. That reaction never gets old.

Gold Tone built the A-6 around a traditional A-style mandolin silhouette, and the choices here are smart from top to bottom. The solid spruce top delivers responsiveness and projection that laminate simply can’t match — the grain stiffens over time and the instrument actually opens up as you play it. Maple back and sides keep the tone focused and articulate rather than warm and diffuse, which is exactly what you want when you’re after that cut-through mando-guitar character. The maple neck carries a radiused fingerboard (Gold Tone’s spec sheet lists rosewood; note that some recent production runs use African blackwood which plays and wears beautifully), 21 frets, and dot inlays — clean and functional. The two-way adjustable truss rod and adjustable mandolin bridge mean this instrument is genuinely easy to keep in optimal playing condition over years of use. Gold Tone’s patented Zero Glide nut replaces the traditional bone or plastic nut with a zero-fret design that improves open-string intonation and makes string changes quicker. Chrome hardware, cream ABS binding, and a tobacco sunburst satin finish give the whole package a classic look that doesn’t shout for attention. A gig bag is included.

Each instrument receives a professional setup at Gold Tone’s factory in Titusville, Florida before it ships to you. At $699.99 you are getting an instrument that plays like it should right out of the box — no trip to a repair shop required.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means every instrument we sell carries a full manufacturer warranty and comes through legitimate channels — no gray-market surprises. I’ve been in this business for more than 45 years. I co-own Watch & Learn in Atlanta, I wrote Banjo Primer (widely considered the top-rated beginner banjo method on the market), and I co-designed the Gold Tone OB-Standard, so when I say I know these instruments, that’s not a marketing line — it’s a career. I wouldn’t put a Gold Tone on this site if I didn’t believe in it. We keep financing accessible because a good instrument shouldn’t be out of reach: PayPal Pay in 4, Afterpay, and installment plans at 3, 6, 12, or 24 months are all available, with no late fees.

Gold Tone A-6/L Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m a guitar player — how long will it take me to feel comfortable on the A-6/L?

Honestly, most guitarists are playing songs within the first sitting. The tuning is identical to a standard guitar, so every chord shape and scale pattern you already know works exactly the same way. The main adjustment is the shorter 15″ scale and the lighter string gauges, which change the feel and touch response — you’ll likely find you need a lighter picking hand than you’re used to. Give it a day or two and it starts to feel completely natural.

Can I use the A-6/L for live performance, or is the pickup mainly for practice?

The bridge-mounted transducer is a legitimate performance pickup. It captures the acoustic character of the instrument well and feeds cleanly into a DI box or instrument input on a mixer or amp. For most acoustic performance situations — open mics, small venues, acoustic sets — it does the job without fuss. If you’re playing larger stages regularly you might eventually want to experiment with an outboard preamp to shape the tone further, but right out of the box it is stage-ready.

Is this truly built for left-handed players, or is it just a right-handed instrument restrung?

The A-6/L is a purpose-built left-handed instrument from Gold Tone — the body, neck, and hardware are configured for left-hand play from the factory. It is not simply a right-handed model with the strings flipped, which means the nut, bridge, and internal bracing orientation are all correct for how a left-handed player will actually hold and play it.

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