Gold Tone Grandmaster Super Cremona F-Style Mandolin with Case (Presale)

This is a pre-order. Gold Tone has the Grandmaster Super Cremona on order rather than in stock, so ordering now reserves one from the incoming run. Expected to arrive March 2027. Get in touch before you commit and we will tell you where the run currently stands. Your payment is fully refundable at any time before your mandolin ships, for any reason and with no restocking fee.

The Super Cremona is the top of the Grandmaster line, and the difference from the Elite is in how the top is made. It is high-RRV old-growth Swiss or Italian spruce, wood selected because it radiates sound efficiently for its weight, and it is hand-scraped in the tradition of violin making rather than simply machine-carved. The top also has a recurve profile, a subtle dip around the edge of the arch that lets the soundboard move more freely. Gold Tone describes the result as full lows, singing mids and a treble that projects clearly.

Back and sides are highly figured 5A North American maple, a grade above the Elite’s 4A, with a three-piece 5A maple neck. The fingerboard is radiused ebony with 20 frets over a two-way truss rod, and the bridge is ebony.

The finish is where the name comes from: a warm, vintage-inspired antique Cremona finish in shellac and varnish rather than lacquer, the traditional violin-maker’s approach. Triple ivoroid binding and abalone and mother of pearl inlays dress it, and the custom engraved brass tailpiece allows easy string changes and optional muting behind the bridge. Gotoh tuners and nickel hardware finish it, and a hard case is included. Gold Tone says each Super Cremona is set up at its Titusville, Florida shop before it leaves.

This is a professional instrument at a professional price. It is for a player who has owned good mandolins and knows what a hand-scraped top is worth to them.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

We are an authorized Gold Tone dealer, so this is a genuine new instrument with the full manufacturer warranty. If you want to talk through whether the Elite, the Victorian or the Super Cremona is the right one, call or email and you will get a real answer rather than a spec sheet read back to you.

Financing is available through PayPal Pay in 4 and 3, 6, 12 and 24-month plans, all with no late fees, plus Afterpay. On a pre-order nothing ships until the instrument arrives, and your payment stays fully refundable until it does.

Grandmaster Super Cremona Specifications

Model	Grandmaster Mandolin Super Cremona
Style	F-Style Mandolin
Top	High-RRV old-growth Swiss/Italian spruce, hand-scraped, recurve profile
Back and Sides	Highly figured 5A North American maple
Neck	Three-piece 5A North American maple
Fingerboard	Radiused ebony
Number of Frets	20
Inlay	Abalone and mother of pearl
Binding	Triple ivoroid
Bridge	Ebony
Tailpiece	Custom engraved brass, with optional muting behind the bridge
Tuners	Gotoh
Hardware	Nickel
Nut Width	1-1/8" (28.37mm)
Scale Length	13-9/10" (353mm)
Truss Rod	Two-way adjustable
Finish	Antique Cremona, shellac and varnish
Case	Hard case included

Frequently Asked Questions

When will it ship?

Expected to arrive March 2027. Gold Tone has the Super Cremona on order rather than in stock. Get in touch and we will tell you exactly what we have been told.

What happens to my money in the meantime?

It is fully refundable, at any time before the mandolin ships, for any reason, with no restocking fee.

What does hand-scraping the top actually do?

It lets the maker graduate the thickness of the top by feel and by tap, the way violins are made, instead of leaving it at whatever a machine carved. The aim is a top that responds to a light touch and still holds together when you dig in.

Is a shellac and varnish finish fragile?

It is softer than modern finishes and will wear with playing, which many players like. Keep it out of hot cars and away from alcohol-based cleaners, and it will age the way a good violin does.