Gold Tone OB-150/L Orange Blossom Left-Handed Banjo with Case

This is the left-handed version of the Gold Tone OB-150 Orange Blossom Banjo — and I want to make sure every left-handed player reading this knows exactly what they’re getting: a legitimately serious bluegrass instrument built on pre-war design principles, offered at a price that opens doors for working musicians and passionate students alike. I’ve been around banjos for over 45 years, and I co-designed the OB-Standard with Gold Tone specifically because I believe in what this company is doing with flathead construction at accessible price points. The OB-150 is the next step up in that same philosophy — a three-ply maple rim, a one-piece cast flange (the same architecture you find on the megabucks originals), and an 11″ bell brass flathead tone ring that gives you that warm, punchy low-end Scruggs-style voice that Bluegrass demands. This is not a starter banjo dressed up in fancy clothes. This is a genuine working instrument.

The maple neck is capped with a rosewood fingerboard, dressed with 22 frets and vintage pearloid (ABS) inlays that evoke the classic look of pre-war Gibson headstocks without the six-figure price tag. The ZeroGlide nut at 1-3/16″ keeps open strings ringing just as cleanly as fretted notes — a small detail that makes a real difference in tone and intonation. Gold Tone’s planetary tuners are smooth and stable, and the Terminator tailpiece gives you precise downward break-angle adjustment over the 5/8″ maple bridge with ebony cap. The vintage brown satin finish is understated and beautiful, and because it’s satin rather than gloss, the neck feels fast and natural under your hand. Dual 11″ coordinator rods and 24 brackets round out a package that is engineered thoughtfully from headstock to resonator. A hard case is included — not an afterthought gig bag, an actual hard case.

Every instrument receives a professional factory setup at Gold Tone in Titusville, Florida before it ships. They check and adjust the neck angle, set the action at the nut and bridge to comfortable bluegrass-playing specs, verify intonation up the neck, and make sure the head tension is even and optimized for tone. What arrives at your door is a banjo that plays the way it was designed to play — not one that needs a trip to the repair shop before you can enjoy it.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means your OB-150/L comes with Gold Tone’s transferable lifetime warranty fully intact. I’m Geoff Hohwald — I’ve been in this industry since the late 1970s, co-founded Watch & Learn in Atlanta in the 1980s, wrote Banjo Primer (still the top-rated beginner banjo method on the market). I co-designed the Gold Tone OB-Standard, so the Orange Blossom family is something I know from the inside out. When I say this instrument is the real deal for the money, I mean it — not as a sales pitch, but as someone who has played and evaluated thousands of banjos over four decades. We also make financing easy: we offer PayPal Pay in 4, Afterpay, and 3, 6, 12, and 24-month financing plans with no late fees, so there’s no reason to wait on an instrument that’s ready to play right now.

Gold Tone OB-150/L Specifications

Handedness	Left-Handed
Rim	11″ 3-Ply Maple
Tone Ring	11″ Flat Top – 20 Hole – Bell Brass
Flange	One-Piece Cast
Resonator	14″ Maple
Neck Material	Maple
Fingerboard	Rosewood
Frets	22
Inlay	Vintage Pearloid (ABS)
Nut	1-3/16″ ZeroGlide
Truss Rod	Two-Way Adjustable
Tuners	GT Planetary
Tuner Buttons	Cream
Head	11″ Remo HC Coated Topside
Bridge	5/8″ Maple with Ebony Cap
Tailpiece	Terminator
Tension Hoop	11″ Notched
Brackets	24
Coordinator Rods	Dual 11″
Binding	Cream ABS
Armrest	Fits All GT Engraved
Hardware Finish	Chrome Plated
Body Finish	Vintage Brown / Satin
Scale Length	26-3/16″
Weight	11.5 lbs.
Tuning	G D G B D
String Gauge	.009, .022w, .013, .011, .009
Case	Hard Case Included
Warranty	Transferable Lifetime (Gold Tone)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the OB-150/L a true left-handed banjo or just a mirrored setup?

The OB-150/L is a purpose-built left-handed instrument — the neck is manufactured for left-handed playing, with the nut, tuner arrangement, and coordinator rod geometry all designed for a southpaw player. It is not simply a right-handed banjo with the strings flipped. Left-handed players get the same structural integrity and tonal performance as the right-handed model.

How does the OB-150 compare to vintage pre-war flatheads it references?

The design cues — one-piece cast flange, three-ply maple rim, bell brass flathead tone ring — are all drawn from the architecture of late 1930s Gibson Granada and RB-3 banjos that defined the Scruggs-style sound. You won’t get the exact aging and character of a 1937 original, but you will get a banjo that produces a genuinely warm, open, focused flathead tone that responds correctly to Scruggs rolls and melodic single-string playing. For the price, the OB-150 is one of the best value propositions in the pre-war-inspired category.

Does the hard case fit the resonator banjo securely?

Yes. The included hard case is sized and contoured for the OB-150 with its 14″ maple resonator attached. The banjo sits securely without rattling, and the case provides real protection for travel and storage — not just a padded shell. It’s a meaningful inclusion at this price point and one of the reasons I recommend this package to players who gig or travel.

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