Gold Tone OB-250+TP/L Orange Blossom Left-Handed Banjo with JLS Tone Ring, Companion Block Rim & Case

This is the left-handed version of the Gold Tone OB-250+TP, and if you play left-handed and you have been waiting for a professional-grade bluegrass banjo that genuinely sounds like something off a 1930s recording session, your wait is over. The heart of this instrument is the JLS #12 bell brass tone ring, hand-cast by master founder Jim Stull of San Antonio, Texas. Jim spent years measuring, testing, and reverse-engineering pre-WWII tone rings — the kind that sell for thousands of dollars on their own on the vintage market — to nail down the exact bronze alloy formula that gives those old rings their legendary sustain and depth. The result is a long-skirt flat-top ring that dramatically improves energy transfer between the neck, the rim, and the pot. Pair that with the Made-in-America Companion Banjo birch block rim and you have a combination that pushes volume, focus, and mid-range punch well beyond what a standard cast pot can deliver. I co-designed the OB-Standard with Gold Tone, so I have spent a lot of time thinking about what makes an open-back-influenced resonator banjo truly sing — and this pot assembly is the real deal.

The rest of the build matches the tone ring’s ambitions. The curly maple neck wears an ebony fingerboard with 22 frets and the classic Hearts & Flowers inlay pattern that says “serious instrument” without screaming for attention. A ZeroGlide nut (1-3/16″ width) keeps open strings perfectly in tune with fretted notes — a detail that matters enormously in a bluegrass ensemble. Gotoh planetary tuners hold pitch reliably under real playing conditions, a one-piece cast flange keeps the resonator rock-solid, and the Prucha Presto tailpiece gives you fine-grained break-angle adjustment so you can dial in exactly the feel and response you want under your right hand — or in this case, your left. The 14″ flame maple resonator and vintage brown high-gloss finish give the whole package a visual warmth that matches its sonic character. A hard shell case is included.

Each instrument receives a professional setup at Gold Tone’s factory in Titusville, Florida before it ships to you. That setup covers neck angle, head tension, bridge placement, string action, intonation, and tuner feel so that this instrument arrives ready to play at a professional level right out of the case. For a banjo in this price range, that setup is not a courtesy — it is essential, and it does not get skipped.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means every instrument we sell carries full manufacturer warranty support and comes through a legitimate supply chain. I have been in this industry for over 45 years — I co-own Watch & Learn in Atlanta, wrote Banjo Primer (still the top-rated beginner banjo method on the market), and I have been cited on Wikipedia for Scruggs style and banjo roll. I was Deering Banjo’s number-one dealer back in 1980. When I recommend an instrument, it is because I know what it does and who it is for — not because I am trying to move inventory. Left-handed banjos at this level are genuinely hard to find, and I want to make sure the player who needs this one can get it. We offer flexible financing through PayPal Pay in 4, Afterpay, and 3, 6, 12, or 24-month plans — all with no late fees — so the right instrument does not have to wait until you have the full amount saved up.

Gold Tone OB-250+TP/L Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes the JLS #12 tone ring different from a standard tone ring?

Jim Stull spent years studying original pre-WWII tone rings — the ones that drive vintage banjo prices into the stratosphere — to identify the specific bell brass alloy formula that gives them their tone. The JLS #12 is his recreation of that formula, cast with the same long-skirt flat-top geometry that increases contact between the neck, the rim, and the pot. The practical result is more sustain, a fuller mid-range, and a clarity in the upper register that standard cast rings simply do not produce. Combined with the birch block rim in this model, it is as close to pre-war tone as you can get without buying a pre-war banjo.

Is a left-handed banjo harder to find parts and accessories for?

For most accessories — heads, bridges, strings, tailpieces, cases — handedness makes no difference at all, and the OB-250+TP/L uses standard parts across the board. The only area where you need to be thoughtful is the armrest, which is handed, and the nut, which on this model is already cut for left-handed string spacing. Each instrument receives a professional setup at Gold Tone’s factory in Titusville, Florida before it ships to you, so you are not getting a right-handed instrument with strings simply reversed — this is a properly configured left-handed banjo from the ground up.

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