Gold Tone F-12 F-Style Mando-Guitar with Pickup and Case

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. I have been in the fretted instrument business for more than 45 years — co-owning Watch & Learn in Atlanta since the 1980s, writing Banjo Primer (still the top-rated beginner banjo method on the market), and co-designing the OB-Standard with Gold Tone — so when I stock an instrument, it is because I genuinely believe in it, not because the margin is good. 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, Afterpay, and 3, 6, 12, and 24-month payment plans — all with no late fees. 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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