Gold Tone TS-250/L Tenor Special Banjo with Case (Left-Handed)

If you grew up admiring the great American tenor banjos of the 1920s and ’30s — the kind that drove jazz combos, Irish sessions, and vaudeville stages alike — the Gold Tone TS-250/L will feel like coming home. This is the left-handed version of the TS-250 Tenor Special, and I want to be clear about that upfront: the neck, headstock, and pot are all purpose-built for left-handed playing. Gold Tone doesn’t just flip a right-handed instrument and call it a day, and neither do we. The TS-250 was designed from the ground up as a tribute to the most popular vintage tenor banjo ever made, and it delivers that classic look and feel with construction quality that holds up to real playing. The 19-fret rosewood fingerboard is bound in white celluloid and adorned with the iconic hearts-and-flowers inlay pattern that defined the golden era of tenor banjo craftsmanship. Tuned standard CGDA, this instrument is equally at home in a Chicago jazz setting, an Irish traditional session, or the living room of a dedicated tenor enthusiast who finally found an instrument worthy of their style.

The tone of the TS-250/L comes from an 11-inch bell brass flathead tone ring seated on a 3-ply maple rim — a combination that produces the warm, full midrange and clean note definition that made pre-war tenor banjos so expressive and cutting in ensemble playing. A one-piece cast flange and a 14-inch mahogany resonator round out the pot, giving the instrument projection and a richness that cheap imitations simply cannot match. The maple neck with two-way adjustable truss rod provides long-term stability, and the ZeroGlide nut keeps intonation accurate all the way up the neck. GT Master Planetary tuners with C-style buttons are smooth and precise, holding pitch reliably through hours of playing. The vintage brown high-gloss finish ties it all together with a look that feels genuinely period-correct without being a museum piece.

Each instrument receives a professional setup at Gold Tone’s factory in Titusville, Florida before it ships to you. On a tenor like the TS-250/L, that means checking the neck angle and truss rod, seating the tone ring properly, fitting the bridge to the head, dialing in action for easy chording and smooth playability up the neck, and stretching and tuning the strings so the instrument is fully settled and in tune when it arrives at your door. A $1,599 instrument deserves more than a factory box — it deserves to be played-in and ready.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means every instrument we sell is covered by Gold Tone’s full manufacturer warranty and backed by our own service commitment. I’ve been in this business for more than 45 years — I co-own Watch & Learn in Atlanta, I wrote Banjo Primer (the top-rated beginner banjo method on the market), and I co-designed the OB-Standard with Gold Tone — so when I tell you the TS-250 is a serious tenor banjo at a fair price, I’m speaking from a lifetime of working with these instruments. We don’t stock instruments we wouldn’t recommend to our own students and colleagues. If you need to spread out the cost, we offer flexible financing through PayPal Pay in 4, Afterpay, and extended plans of 3, 6, 12, or 24 months with no late fees — so you can get the right instrument now without waiting.

Gold Tone TS-250/L Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this truly a left-handed banjo, or is it just a right-handed model with the strings reversed?

This is a genuine left-handed instrument. The TS-250/L is built specifically for left-handed players — the neck is oriented for left-hand fretting and the pot is configured accordingly. It is not a converted right-handed model. Gold Tone offers the TS-250 in a left-handed configuration because they understand that serious left-handed players deserve the same quality and intent as right-handed players, and we at Banjo Warehouse won’t sell you anything less than that.

What is CGDA tuning, and is the TS-250/L appropriate for Irish traditional music as well as jazz?

CGDA is standard tenor banjo tuning — the same intervals as a viola or mandola — and it’s the tuning used across jazz, Irish traditional, and old-time contexts. The TS-250/L is well-suited for all of these. Irish players often use a slightly shorter scale, but many traditional players are perfectly comfortable on a 22-5/8″ scale like this one, and the warm tone of the bell brass flathead ring translates beautifully in both session and solo playing. If you’re coming from fiddle or mandolin, the CGDA tuning means your muscle memory for chord shapes transfers directly.

Does the TS-250/L come with a case, and what kind is it?

Yes — a hard case is included with the TS-250/L. This is not a gig bag add-on; it’s a proper hard case that protects the instrument in transit and storage. An optional HBTR bag is also available separately if you want a lighter carry option for gigging. The case is one of the details that makes the TS-250/L a complete, road-ready package right out of the box.

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