Gold Tone GT-500 Banjitar 6-String Banjo Guitar with Case

If you’ve ever wanted that unmistakable banjo snap and cut without abandoning your guitar chops, the Gold Tone GT-500 Banjitar is the instrument I’d put in your hands first. Designed specifically by guitar players for guitar players, it tunes to standard EADGBE — the same as any guitar you’ve ever picked up — so you can dive straight into that bright, percussive banjo voice without spending a year relearning where your fingers go. I’ve been working with Gold Tone since the early days, and this model has consistently stood out as the most refined and playable 6-string banjo guitar in its price class. The 11-inch multi-ply maple rim and 13-inch maple resonator combine to push a focused, resonant tone that carries genuine acoustic authority, whether you’re playing around the campfire or on stage.

Construction details on the GT-500 are genuinely impressive for the price point. The maple neck is capped with a radiused rosewood fingerboard — that radius matters more than people realize; it makes chord voicings feel natural and familiar to any guitarist — and the 21-fret layout gives you the full range of the instrument across a comfortable 25-1/2″ scale length. The ZeroGlide nut at 1-11/16″ width keeps open strings ringing in tune, and the sealed guitar-style tuners hold pitch reliably. The 11″ steel alloy tone ring is what really separates the GT-500 from lesser banjitars: it delivers the crisp attack and sustain that makes a banjo sound like a banjo rather than a toy. Then there’s the Gold Tone SMP Sliding Magnetic Pickup — a genuinely clever piece of engineering that slides along the head to dial in your preferred tone character, with volume control on board, so you can go from subtle warmth to full-range punch without a separate preamp. Chrome hardware throughout, black ABS binding, snowflake inlays, and a natural high-gloss finish round out a package that looks as good as it sounds.

Every instrument receives a professional factory setup at Gold Tone in Titusville, Florida before it ships. This includes checking and setting the neck relief via the two-way adjustable truss rod, optimizing the bridge placement and fit, ensuring the ZeroGlide nut is cut correctly for each string slot, inspecting the head tension across the full 11-inch hoop, verifying the SMP pickup is seating and sliding properly, setting the action for comfortable playability straight out of the box, and bringing the instrument up to pitch with a fresh set of strings. Most banjitars at this price arrive needing real work before they play well — ours don’t.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means you’re getting a genuine, warranty-backed instrument — not a gray-market copy or a return someone else rejected. I’ve spent more than 45 years in the fretted instrument world, co-owning Watch & Learn in Atlanta since the 1980s and authoring Banjo Primer, the top-rated beginner banjo method on the market. I co-designed the Gold Tone OB-Standard, so I know these instruments at an engineering level, not just a sales level. When we say this GT-500 is set up right, we mean it in the same way a professional luthier means it — because it receives professional factory setup from Gold Tone. We also want to make sure cost never stands between a player and a great instrument: financing is available through PayPal Pay in 4, Afterpay, and 3, 6, 12, and 24-month plans with no late fees. Questions before you buy? Reach out — we actually answer.

Gold Tone GT-500 Specifications

Tuning	EADGBE (Standard Guitar)
Scale Length	25-1/2″
Nut Width	1-11/16″ ZeroGlide Nut
Neck Material	Maple
Fingerboard	Radiused Rosewood
Frets	21
Inlay	Snowflake
Truss Rod	Two-Way Adjustable
Tuners	Sealed Guitar-Style
Headstock Buttons	B-Style
Rim	11″ Multi-Ply Maple
Resonator	13″ Maple
Tone Ring	11″ Steel Alloy
Head	11″ Remo HC Smooth
Bridge	Maple with Ebony Cap
Tailpiece	Straightline
Tension Hoop	11″ Notched
Coordinator Rods	Dual 11″
Pickup	Gold Tone SMP Sliding Magnetic Pickup with Volume Control
Hardware Finish	Chrome Plated
Binding	Black ABS
Body Finish	Natural / High Gloss
Armrest	Fits All GT Engraved
String Gauge	.052w, .042w, .032w, .020w, .013, .010 BTS
Weight	11 lbs.
Case	HD15 Hard Case (Included)
Handedness	Right-Handed

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know how to play banjo to enjoy the GT-500?

Not at all — that’s really the whole point of this instrument. The GT-500 is tuned to standard EADGBE, exactly like a guitar, so every chord shape, scale, and lick you already know translates directly. You get the banjo’s distinctive bright, snappy tone and acoustic projection without any learning curve on the neck. Many of our customers are gigging guitarists who want a unique sound in their set, and the GT-500 delivers that immediately.

How does the SMP Sliding Magnetic Pickup work, and do I need a special amplifier?

The SMP pickup mounts on the head of the banjo and slides toward or away from the bridge to change the tonal character — closer to the bridge gives you a brighter, more cutting sound, while sliding it back produces a warmer, fuller tone. It outputs a standard instrument-level signal through a 1/4″ jack, so it works with any guitar amplifier or DI box you already own. There’s an on-board volume control as well, so you have useful real-time control without a separate preamp. It’s a genuinely versatile system that holds up well in live situations.

Is this instrument available in a left-handed version?

Yes — Gold Tone does offer a left-handed version of the GT-500, and as an authorized dealer we can source it. If you need a left-handed model, please contact us before ordering and we’ll confirm availability and lead time for you.

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