Gold Tone CC-Carlin12D Bob Carlin Signature 12″ Vintage Brown Clawhammer Banjo with Gig Bag

The Gold Tone CC-Carlin12D is the Bob Carlin signature clawhammer banjo in a limited-edition Vintage Brown finish, and it is the same instrument old-time players have been recommending to each other for years — only darker, and only for as long as the run lasts.

Twelve inches is the point of it. A 12-inch multi-ply maple rim under a Remo Renaissance head and a rolled brass flat-bar tone ring gives the low, woody plunk that a standard eleven-inch pot simply cannot produce, and that voice is the whole reason clawhammer players go looking for a twelve. Bob Carlin specified this instrument for players learning the style, so nothing about it fights you: a scooped rosewood fingerboard leaves the strings clear over the head for frailing up the neck, a 1-3/8 inch Zero Glide nut keeps open strings in tune with fretted ones, and the two-way truss rod and dual coordinator rods mean the action can be set exactly where you want it.

Dot-and-star inlay, twenty-four brackets, a vintage tailpiece and chrome hardware finish it, and Gold Tone planetary tuners hold pitch through a whole session. At 5.8 pounds it is comfortable across an evening of playing.

This instrument ships factory-fresh direct from Gold Tone, where every instrument receives a professional setup at their Titusville, Florida shop before it leaves. It arrives with its gig bag and the full Gold Tone manufacturer warranty.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

We are an authorized Gold Tone dealer, so this is a genuine new instrument covered by the full manufacturer warranty. The shop is run by Geoff Hohwald, author of the Banjo Primer and co-designer of the Gold Tone OB-Standard, with over 45 years in the banjo world, and our team is available by phone or email if you want help deciding between the twelve-inch and the eleven-inch pot. Financing is available through PayPal Pay in 4 and 3/6/12/24-month plans, all with no late fees, plus Afterpay.

CC-Carlin12D Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What is different about the D?

The finish, and only the finish. The CC-Carlin12D is a limited-edition Vintage Brown version of the CC-Carlin12. Rim, tone ring, head, neck, hardware and setup are identical to the standard natural-maple model.

Why a twelve-inch pot instead of eleven?

A larger head moves more air at low frequencies, which is where clawhammer lives. Twelve-inch openbacks sound deeper, drier and more percussive than an eleven, and that thump is the classic old-time voice. An eleven-inch pot is brighter and cuts more, which suits bluegrass better.

Is this banjo on backorder?

Yes. Gold Tone has this limited run on order rather than in stock, so ordering now reserves one from the incoming batch. Get in touch and we will tell you where the run currently stands.

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