Gold Tone GT-Dread-NA The Dread All-Solid Acoustic-Electric Dreadnought Guitar with Bag – Satin Natural

There are guitars built to look the part, and then there are guitars built to sound the part — the Gold Tone GT-Dread-NA falls firmly in the second camp. Everything about this instrument starts with solid wood: a solid Sitka spruce top that opens up and sweetens with every hour of play, and solid mahogany back and sides that give the low end real body and the mids that warm, woody clarity you only get from the real thing. At this price point, all-solid construction is genuinely rare, and Gold Tone has managed it without cutting corners on the hardware or the electronics. If you’re a developing player ready to move past laminate-top guitars, a seasoned strummer looking for a dependable acoustic-electric for open mics and jam sessions, or simply someone who wants a workhorse dreadnought that sounds better every year you own it, the GT-Dread-NA deserves a serious look.

The dreadnought shape was purpose-built for projection and power, and this guitar wears the format well. The slim “C” profile mahogany neck keeps the left hand comfortable through long playing sessions, and the rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays has a smooth, familiar feel that suits flatpicking, fingerpicking, and everything in between. At 25 5/8″ scale length there’s enough tension to keep D’Addario .012 strings singing clearly while still bending without a fight. Grover open-gear tuners — a step well above what you typically see at this price — hold pitch reliably through temperature swings and enthusiastic strumming alike. When you need to plug in, the Fishman pickup with individual tone and volume controls captures the guitar’s natural resonance accurately rather than coloring it, so what comes out of the PA sounds like your guitar, not a generic acoustic simulation. The satin natural finish keeps the top free to vibrate fully and lets the grain of the spruce speak for itself.

Every instrument receives a professional factory setup at Gold Tone in Titusville, Florida before it ships. The nut, saddle, action, truss rod relief, and intonation are evaluated and adjusted so the GT-Dread plays in tune all the way up the neck and feels as good as it sounds — right out of the box, on day one.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer located in Yellow Springs, Ohio, which means every GT-Dread-NA we sell is a genuine, warranty-backed instrument — not a gray-market import. I’ve been working with stringed instruments for more than 45 years, and I’ve had a front-row seat watching Gold Tone grow into one of the most innovative builders in the industry. As the author of Banjo Primer — still rated the number-one beginner banjo method — and as someone who co-designed the OB-Standard with Gold Tone, I know how seriously this company takes quality control and player-focused design. When you buy from us you’re buying from people who actually play and teach these instruments, not a warehouse that stacks boxes. And if the upfront cost is a consideration, we make it easy: financing is available through PayPal Pay in 4, Afterpay, and 3, 6, 12, or 24-month plans with no late fees. You can get a professional-grade all-solid guitar in your hands today and pay over time.

Gold Tone GT-Dread-NA Specifications

Top	Solid Sitka Spruce
Back & Sides	Solid Mahogany
Neck Material	Mahogany
Neck Profile	Slim “C”
Fingerboard	Rosewood
Inlay	Pearloid ABS Dot
Bridge	Ebony
Binding	Cream ABS
Finish	Natural Satin
Frets	20
Scale Length	25 5/8″
Nut Width	1 11/16″
Tuners	Grover Open Gear
Tuner Buttons	Nickel
Truss Rod	Two-Way Adjustable
Pickup	Fishman with Tone and Volume Control
Strings	D’Addario .012, .016, .024, .032, .042, .054
Tuning	EADGBE (Standard)
Bag	Included

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an all-solid guitar and a laminate guitar, and why does it matter at this price?

A laminate guitar uses thin layers of wood pressed together for the top, back, and sides — it’s stable and affordable but it doesn’t resonate and open up the way solid wood does. An all-solid guitar like the GT-Dread-NA uses single pieces of real wood throughout, which means the instrument actually improves as the wood vibrates and ages. You get richer overtones, more dynamic range, and a guitar that sounds noticeably better five years from now than it does on day one. Finding all-solid construction under $700 with a Fishman pickup and Grover tuners is genuinely unusual — Gold Tone has done something special here.

Can I use the GT-Dread-NA for live performance, or is it primarily an acoustic guitar?

It’s very much built for both. The Fishman pickup with separate tone and volume controls is a reliable, stage-worthy system that accurately represents the guitar’s natural acoustic character rather than adding unwanted color. You can plug straight into a PA, an acoustic amp, or an audio interface for recording. The dreadnought body also gives you enough unplugged volume to hold its own at a casual jam or small acoustic gathering without needing amplification at all. It’s a genuinely versatile instrument.

Does the guitar come ready to play, or will I need to take it to a guitar shop first?

Every GT-Dread-NA receives a professional factory setup at Gold Tone in Titusville, Florida. The action, nut slots, saddle, truss rod relief, and intonation are checked and adjusted before the guitar ships, so it should play comfortably and intonate accurately right out of the bag. Most new guitars from big-box retailers ship in factory-default condition and benefit significantly from a setup — ours don’t need that extra step.

---

Want to know when new banjos arrive? Join our email list: Sign up here.

---

Videos