Gold Tone F-12 F-Style Mando-Guitar with Pickup and Case
$839.99
The Gold Tone F-12 is a six-string mando-guitar tuned to standard EADGBE — think of it as a guitar that shrank just enough to be genuinely fun. Built on an F-style mandola body with a solid spruce top, 15″ scale, and a built-in bridge transducer, it bridges the gap between guitar familiarity and mandolin portability in a way very few instruments manage. Every F-12 receives a professional factory setup at Gold Tone in Titusville, Florida before it ships.
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Watch the demoHear this model played The Many Strange Uses of a Soprano Guitar | The World's Weirdest Guitars #7, opens a video playerAt a Glance
- Handedness
- Right-Handed
- Style
- Mando-Guitar
- Strings
- 6
- Scale Length
- 15"
- Pickup
- Yes
- Made In
- China
- Weight
- 2.4 lbs
If you have ever wished your guitar were a little more compact and a lot more interesting, the Gold Tone F-12 is going to stop you in your tracks. Tuned to standard EADGBE — every chord and lick you already know transfers instantly — this six-string mando-guitar is built on a larger F-style “Artist” mandola body that gives it a genuine resonant air chamber. The result is more volume than you would expect from something this size, a surprisingly warm low end, and a woody, focused midrange character that sits beautifully in acoustic jams and cuts cleanly through a mix when you plug in. The 15″ scale length is a meaningful upgrade over earlier mando-guitar designs: barre chords near the nut are actually playable, and your fretting hand never feels cramped. This is a serious instrument that just happens to be endlessly portable.
Gold Tone built the F-12 thoughtfully from top to bottom. The solid spruce top does real acoustic work, and the maple back, sides, and neck give the voice a bright, articulate clarity that rewards fingerpicking and flatpicking alike. A radiused rosewood fingerboard keeps things comfortable over long playing sessions, and the two-way adjustable truss rod means the neck can be dialed in precisely for your preferred string height and playing style. The 1-3/4″ ZeroGlide nut is one of my favorite small details on this instrument — it dramatically improves tuning stability and allows for the lowest possible action without the sharp string tension that plagues shorter-scale instruments. The bridge-mounted transducer pickup is unobtrusive and surprisingly natural-sounding; plug into any acoustic-friendly amp or DI and you are gig-ready. A hard foam case is included, which protects the instrument well during travel. Finish is a gorgeous tobacco sunburst in satin — it looks as good as it plays.
Every F-12 receives a thorough professional factory setup at Gold Tone in Titusville, Florida before shipping. The nut slots, saddle height, neck relief, and overall action are checked and adjusted, and the ZeroGlide nut is verified to be seated and functioning correctly. The intonation across all 21 frets is confirmed before the instrument is packaged. What arrives at your door is a fully playable, properly adjusted instrument, not a factory-fresh box that needs a trip to a local shop.
Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse
Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means every instrument we sell is covered by the full manufacturer warranty and backed by a real relationship with Gold Tone. The F-12 earns its place in our catalog. We want every customer to feel confident buying from us, which is why we offer flexible financing through PayPal Pay in 4 and 3, 6, 12, and 24-month payment plans — all with no late fees, plus Afterpay. If you have questions about whether the F-12 is the right instrument for you, reach out. We are happy to talk it through.
Gold Tone F-12 Specifications
| Body Style | F-Style Mando-Guitar |
| Top | Solid Spruce |
| Back & Sides | Maple |
| Neck Material | Maple |
| Fingerboard | Radiused Rosewood |
| Scale Length | 15″ |
| Nut Width | 1-3/4″ ZeroGlide Nut |
| Frets | 21 |
| Inlay | Dot |
| Truss Rod | Two-Way Adjustable |
| Tuners | Open Gear Guitar-Style |
| Tuner Buttons | Metal |
| Bridge | Adjustable Ebony Bridge |
| Tailpiece | Trapeze |
| Pickup | Bridge-Mounted Transducer |
| Binding | Cream ABS |
| Hardware | Chrome Plated |
| Finish | Tobacco Sunburst / Satin |
| Tuning | EADGBE (Standard Guitar) |
| String Gauge | .042w, .032w, .024w, .018, .012, .008 |
| Weight | 2.4 lbs. |
| Case | Included Hard Foam Case |
| Setup | Professional factory setup at Gold Tone in Titusville, Florida |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular guitar strings on the Gold Tone F-12?
You can use light acoustic guitar strings, but I would recommend sticking close to the factory string gauges (.008–.042) for the 15″ scale length. Standard medium or heavy guitar strings will put more tension on the top and neck than this instrument is designed to handle. Light strings in standard guitar tuning work well and keep the action comfortable. If you want to experiment, stay in the light to extra-light range and you should be fine.
Is the F-12 suitable for a guitarist who has never played a mandolin-style instrument?
Absolutely — that is honestly who this instrument is made for. Because it is tuned to standard EADGBE, any guitarist can pick it up and play immediately. The shorter 15″ scale does mean your chord shapes will feel slightly compressed compared to a full-size guitar, but most players adapt within an hour or two of playing. The radiused fingerboard and ZeroGlide nut make the action genuinely comfortable, and barre chords near the nut are workable. Think of it as your guitar’s more interesting, more portable cousin.
Does the built-in pickup require any special preamp or equipment?
The bridge-mounted transducer is a passive pickup, so it works with any standard instrument input — an acoustic amp, a DI box going into a PA, or an audio interface for recording. Many players find it sounds best with a preamp that has a high-impedance input, which helps preserve the natural acoustic character of the transducer. A simple acoustic guitar preamp pedal will give you excellent results if you want more tonal control on stage, but it is by no means required for casual plugged-in playing.
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