Gold Tone CC-OTA Cripple Creek Clawhammer Banjo Package with Gig Bag

If you have been wanting to get into clawhammer banjo — the old-time, frailing style that pre-dates bluegrass by generations — the Gold Tone CC-OTA is the package I would hand you. I have been working with beginners and seasoned players alike for over 45 years, and one thing I know for certain is that the wrong instrument can stop a promising player cold. The CC-OTA is the right instrument. At its heart is an 11-inch multi-ply maple rim topped with an 11-inch rolled-brass flat-bar tone ring and dressed with a Remo Fiberskyn head — the combination that gives open-back old-time banjos that warm, slightly muted, deeply resonant voice clawhammer demands. This is not a cosmetic choice; that rolled-brass hoop is a direct descendant of the hardware found on 19th-century parlor banjos, and it genuinely shapes the sound in a way a simple tension hoop cannot.

The maple neck is comfortable in the hand and features a rosewood fingerboard with dot-and-star inlays, 18 frets, and — critically for clawhammer players — a fretboard scoop at the head end of the neck. That scoop lets your striking finger clear the strings cleanly on the downstroke without catching on the wood, a small detail that makes an enormous difference in comfort as you build technique. A ZeroGlide nut, Gold Tone planetary tuners, a No Knot tailpiece, a vintage-style armrest secured by the bracket hooks (just like the old Fairbanks and Bacon instruments), and a Fairbanks-inspired headstock shape round out an instrument that looks and plays the part. The vintage brown satin finish on both neck and rim is tasteful and era-appropriate. The package includes a padded gig bag, a Swift Clip tuner, a banjo strap, a seventh-fret fifth-string spike, and the Bob Carlin instructional video — Bob is one of the best-known old-time educators in the country, and having his video in the box with a properly set-up banjo gives a new player a genuine path forward from day one.

Every instrument receives a professional factory setup at Gold Tone in Titusville, Florida before it ships. This includes checking and adjusting the neck relief via the two-way truss rod, setting the action at both nut and bridge for comfortable playing across the full scale length, verifying intonation, and making sure the head tension is dialed in for the warm, responsive tone this style of banjo is meant to produce. You are not opening a box and hoping for the best — you are receiving a banjo that is ready to play.

About the photos: Gold Tone has not photographed the CC-OTA separately — the images on this page show the standard-scale CC-OT. The CC-OTA is the A-scale version: a shorter neck with 19 frets instead of the standard scale, which puts the whole instrument in a higher register and shortens the reach for smaller hands. Everything else in the package — the openback pot, the gig bag, the strap, the tuner and the Bob Carlin clawhammer video — is exactly as pictured.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means every CC-OTA we sell carries the full manufacturer warranty and comes through legitimate distribution channels. When you buy from us, you are buying from people who play, teach, and think about banjos every single day. We offer flexible financing through PayPal Pay in 4 and longer-term plans at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months — all with no late fees, plus Afterpay — so the right banjo does not have to wait until the timing is perfect.

Gold Tone CC-OTA Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the CC-OTA a good banjo for someone who has never played before?

Absolutely, and it is specifically designed with that player in mind. The fretboard scoop makes the clawhammer downstroke feel natural from the start, the Fiberskyn head produces a forgiving, warm tone that sounds good even before your technique is refined, and the Bob Carlin video gives you a structured, proven way to learn. With its professional factory setup from Gold Tone in Titusville, Florida, the action will be low enough to play comfortably without being so low that it buzzes — a balance that trips up a lot of out-of-the-box instruments in this price range.

What is the difference between this banjo and a standard bluegrass banjo, and can I use it for both styles?

The CC-OTA is an open-back banjo — there is no resonator on the back — and it uses a rolled-brass flat-bar tone ring with a Fiberskyn head. This combination produces the warm, focused, somewhat mellow voice that old-time and clawhammer music calls for. A bluegrass banjo typically has a resonator, a heavier tone ring (often cast bronze), and a clear Mylar head, all of which push toward a brighter, louder, more cutting sound suited to Scruggs-style picking. You can technically play any style on any banjo, but this one is genuinely optimized for clawhammer and old-time. If you know you want to play bluegrass, I would steer you toward the Cripple Creek CC-100 instead.

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