Gold Tone Banjola+ Woodbody Banjo with Pickup and Bag

There are instruments that fill a role, and then there are instruments that open a door you didn’t even know was there. The Gold Tone Banjola+ is firmly in that second category. Born from the marriage of a mandola — the viola of the mandolin family — and a five-string banjo, this woodbody hybrid occupies a tonal space that is genuinely its own. At just four pounds, it’s light enough to play for hours, and the 26-1/2″ scale length gives it a feel that’s comfortable for both banjo players and mandolin-family players looking to expand their range. Whether you’re reaching for a delicate fill in a folk ballad or spinning out a lyrical solo in a small acoustic ensemble, the Banjola+ has a voice that is warm, singing, and completely unlike anything else in your case. It’s tuned GDGBD — an open G voicing — so five-string banjo players will find the territory immediately familiar, even as the sound takes them somewhere new.

The construction details on the Banjola+ reflect Gold Tone’s commitment to genuine quality at an honest price. The solid spruce top does the heavy lifting tonally, transmitting energy from the moveable ebony bridge and projecting it into that full, resonant sound. The curly maple back, sides, and neck are bound in white ABS top and back, giving the instrument a clean, refined look that punches well above its price point. The rosewood fretboard carries dot inlays with a shooting star accent and offers 22 frets with a comfortable feel under the fingers. A two-way adjustable truss rod means the neck can be dialed in precisely as seasons change. The ZeroGlide nut at 1-3/16″ keeps open strings in tune with fretted notes, and the GT planetary-gear tuners hold pitch reliably. The chrome vintage tailpiece with cover and the bone nut and saddle are finishing touches that matter — bone transfers vibration better than plastic, and you can hear it. The bridge-mounted passive transducer pickup means you can plug straight into a PA or an acoustic amp without any modification, making this an ideal choice for performers who need acoustic warmth with amplification flexibility. A gig bag is included.

Every Banjola+ receives a professional factory setup at Gold Tone in Titusville, Florida before it ships. This includes checking neck relief with the truss rod, setting action at the nut and bridge for comfortable playability, ensuring intonation is as accurate as the instrument allows, and stretching the strings so tuning is stable when it arrives at your door. For a hybrid instrument like the Banjola+, where the setup variables involve both a floating bridge and a transducer pickup, this professional factory setup makes a real difference.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means every instrument we sell is covered by Gold Tone’s manufacturer warranty and backed by our own commitment to making sure you’re happy with what you receive. I’m Geoff Hohwald — I’ve been working with fretted instruments for more than 45 years, co-own Watch & Learn in Atlanta, and wrote Banjo Primer, the top-rated beginner banjo method on the market. I co-designed the OB-Standard with Gold Tone. I’ve been around long enough to know which instruments are worth recommending, and the Banjola+ is genuinely one of the most interesting things Gold Tone makes. When you buy here, you’re not rolling the dice on a marketplace listing — you’re buying from people who play these instruments, know them deeply, and set them up properly before they ship. Financing is available through PayPal Pay in 4, Afterpay, and 3, 6, 12, or 24-month plans with no late fees, so you can bring this instrument home on a schedule that works for you.

Gold Tone Banjola+ Specifications

Top	Solid Spruce, Natural High Gloss Finish
Back & Sides	Curly Stained Maple
Neck	Curly Maple
Fingerboard	Rosewood
Frets	22
Inlay	Dot with Shooting Star
Nut	1-3/16″ ZeroGlide Nut (Bone)
Truss Rod	Two-Way Adjustable
Scale Length	26-1/2″
Tuners	GT Planetary Gear, Chrome Plated
Bridge	Adjustable, Moveable Ebony Bridge
Tailpiece	Vintage Style with Cover, Chrome Plated
Binding	White ABS, Top and Back
Hardware	Chrome Plated
Pickup	Bridge-Mounted Passive Transducer
Headstock Style	A-Style
String Gauge	.012, .026w, .018, .016, .012
Tuning	GDGBD (Open G)
Weight	4 lbs.
Bag	Included
Optional Hard Case	HD15-M (sold separately)

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Banjola+ different from a regular banjo or a mandolin?

The Banjola+ is tuned like a five-string banjo in open G (GDGBD) and uses a mandola-scale body with a solid spruce top rather than a drum head. This means it produces a woodier, warmer, more sustained tone than a traditional banjo — closer in character to a bouzouki or octave mandolin — while still feeling natural to a banjo player’s right-hand technique. It fills a genuine gap in acoustic ensembles where you want banjo voicings without the sharp, percussive attack of a drum-head instrument.

Can I play the Banjola+ through an amp or PA system without any modifications?

Yes. The Banjola+ comes with a passive bridge-mounted transducer pickup already installed. You can plug directly into an acoustic amp, a DI box, or a PA channel with a standard 1/4″ instrument cable. The pickup is passive, so there’s no battery to worry about. For best results with amplification, an acoustic preamp or a DI with some EQ flexibility will let you shape the tone to taste, but it works cleanly straight in as well.

Is the scoop option available, and what does it do?

Gold Tone offers the Banjola+ with or without a scoop — a carved-out section on the bass side of the body near the upper frets that makes it easier to reach the highest positions on the neck. If you plan to play a lot of melodic lead work up the neck, the scoop version is worth considering. Please contact us before ordering if you’d like the scoop version and we’ll confirm current availability.

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