Gold Tone OB-250+ TP Orange Blossom Banjo with Tony Pass Rim & JLS #12 Tone Ring (Discontinued)

Let me start with the rim, because that’s the real story here. The Tony Pass banjo rim was the rim Geoff Stelling chose as standard equipment on every Stelling banjo for roughly the last twenty years of his career — right up until Stelling Banjo Works closed. Tony Pass built rims that were consistently dense, well-seasoned, and dimensionally precise, and serious players knew exactly what they were getting when a Stelling left the shop. When Tony passed away in 2016, the supply ended. Gold Tone had been offering the OB-250+ TP as a catalog configuration — their Orange Blossom platform fitted with a genuine Tony Pass rim in place of the standard Companion birch block rim — and when the Tony Pass inventory ran out, Gold Tone retired the model. This is the last right-handed OB-250+ TP we have at Banjo Warehouse. There will not be another.

Pair that Tony Pass rim with the JLS #12 bell brass tone ring — Jim Stull’s meticulous reproduction of a pre-WWII flat-top, 20-hole bell brass ring — and you have a pot assembly that does something genuinely distinctive. The Tony Pass rim brings the depth, sustain, and woody resonance that defined the Stelling voice. The JLS #12 brings pre-war bell-brass character: a warm, complex midrange with that sweet upper-register sparkle players associate with the great pre-war Gibson archtops. Together they produce a banjo that sits beautifully in an ensemble without fighting for space, while still cutting cleanly when you need it to. The rest of the build is everything the OB-250+ platform is known for: a curly maple neck, ebony fingerboard with Hearts & Flowers inlay, ZeroGlide nut, Gotoh planetary tuners, one-piece cast flange, 24-bracket tension hoop, dual coordinator rods, Prucha Presto tailpiece, and a 14-inch flame maple resonator in vintage brown high-gloss. Chrome hardware throughout. Hard shell case included. This is a complete, professional-grade instrument ready to work.

This banjo receives a professional setup at the Gold Tone factory in Titusville, Florida before shipping directly to you. That means head tension dialed in, bridge fit and position confirmed, action set at the nut and coordinator rods, intonation checked, and every contact point inspected. You receive an instrument that plays correctly right out of the case.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means you receive full manufacturer warranty support on this instrument. I’ve been in this business for more than 45 years — I co-founded Watch & Learn in Atlanta in the 1980s, wrote Banjo Primer (the number-one rated beginner banjo method), and co-designed the Gold Tone OB-Standard, so I know the Gold Tone Orange Blossom platform from the inside. When I say the OB-250+ TP with a Tony Pass rim is something worth paying attention to, that’s not marketing — it’s a judgment I’m comfortable standing behind. We carry financing options to make instruments like this accessible: PayPal Pay in 4, Afterpay, and longer-term plans at 3, 6, 12, or 24 months, with no late fees. Questions about this specific banjo? Reach out directly — we’re happy to talk through it.

Gold Tone OB-250+ TP Specifications

Tone Ring	JLS #12 Bell Brass, 11″ Flat Top, 20-Hole, Long Skirt
Rim	11″ Tony Pass Banjo Rim
Head	11″ Remo HC Coated Topside
Resonator	14″ Flame Maple
Neck Material	Curly Maple
Fingerboard	Ebony
Frets	22
Inlay	Hearts & Flowers
Nut	1-3/16″ ZeroGlide
Truss Rod	Two-Way Adjustable
Tuners	Gotoh Planetary
Tailpiece	Prucha Presto
Tension Hoop	11″ Notched
Brackets	24
Coordinator Rods	Dual 11″
Flange	One-Piece Cast
Hardware Finish	Chrome Plated
Body Finish	Vintage Brown / High Gloss
Scale Length	26-3/16″
Tuning	G D G B D
Weight	~13.5 lbs.
Case	Hard Shell Case Included
Handedness	Right Handed
Availability	Discontinued — last right-handed unit at Banjo Warehouse

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes the Tony Pass rim different from the standard Companion birch block rim on the OB-250+?

The Tony Pass rim is a solid maple rim — the same rim that Geoff Stelling chose as standard equipment on Stelling banjos for roughly the last two decades of that company’s run. Tony Pass was known for consistent quality: properly seasoned, dimensionally precise rims that contributed meaningfully to a banjo’s sustain and resonance. The standard OB-250+ Block uses a Companion birch block rim, which is a good rim for the price point, but it is a different animal. The Tony Pass rim adds depth and a woody warmth to the fundamental tone. When you pair it with the JLS #12 bell brass ring, the result is a pot assembly with a character that’s genuinely hard to replicate in current production — which is exactly why this configuration is worth noting now that it’s no longer being made.

Why is this model discontinued, and will Gold Tone bring it back?

Tony Pass passed away in 2016, and the supply of his rims ended with him. Gold Tone had incorporated the Tony Pass rim as a catalog option on the OB-250+ platform, but once the inventory was exhausted they retired the configuration. There is no indication Gold Tone will produce a replacement — the Tony Pass rim was specific to Tony’s shop. This unit at Banjo Warehouse is the last right-handed example we have, and to my knowledge one of the last available anywhere. When it sells, this particular configuration is effectively off the market.

Does the hard shell case provide adequate protection for travel?

Yes. The included Gold Tone hard shell case is a proper hard shell — rigid exterior with plush interior lining — and is appropriate for road travel, airline check-in with reasonable handling, and long-term storage. For touring musicians who check instruments frequently, a flight-rated ATA case offers an additional margin of protection, but for the vast majority of players the included case is entirely sufficient and road-ready.

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