Gold Tone Mastertone™ OB-Standard: Orange Blossom Standard Resonator Banjo with Case

Gold Tone Mastertone™ OB-Standard: Orange Blossom Standard Resonator Banjo with Case

The OB-Standard is built around the appointments of the pre-war Gibson flatheads that Earl Scruggs played: a double-cut headstock, a Hearts and Flowers inlay pattern, and nickel plated hardware over a Vintage Brown high gloss finish. Underneath it is a 20-hole bell brass flathead tone ring in an 11 inch three-ply maple rim with a one-piece cast flange, which is the construction that defines a professional bluegrass banjo.

Call or text Geoff at (404) 218-8580 if you want to talk through whether this is the right step for where you are in your playing.

What the OB-Standard Gives You Over the OB-150

This is the question we get most often, so here is the straight answer. The OB-150 and the OB-Standard share the part that matters most. Both use a 20-hole bell brass flathead ring, a one-piece cast flange and an 11 inch three-ply maple rim. The pot is the same idea in both banjos.

What the OB-Standard adds is everything around that pot:

• An ebony fingerboard in place of rosewood
• A 14 inch flamed maple resonator rather than plain maple
• Gotoh planetary tuners in place of Gold Tone’s own
• A 1 1/4 inch bone nut instead of a ZeroGlide
• A Prucha Presto tailpiece
• A high gloss Vintage Brown finish rather than satin

None of that changes the fundamental voice of the banjo, and we will not pretend otherwise. What it changes is how the instrument feels under your hands and how it holds up over decades of playing. Ebony wears better than rosewood. Gotoh tuners hold pitch longer. A bone nut can be dressed and recut by a tech when a synthetic one cannot. If you are buying a banjo you intend to keep, those are the parts you stop thinking about.

Specifications

Tone Ring	11″ Flat Top, 20 Hole, Bell Brass
Rim	11″ 3-Ply Maple
Flange	One-Piece Cast
Resonator	14″ Flamed Maple
Neck	Maple
Fingerboard	Ebony
Frets	22
Inlay	Hearts and Flowers
Nut	1-1/4″ Bone
Tuners	Gotoh Planetary
Tailpiece	Prucha Presto
Armrest	Fits All GT Plain
Tension Hoop	11″ Notched
Brackets	24
Head	11″ Remo HC Coated Topside
Binding	Cream ABS
Hardware	Nickel Plated
Finish	Vintage Brown, High Gloss
Scale Length	26-3/16″
Weight	11.8 lbs
Case	Included

Setup

Every Gold Tone is professionally set up at the factory in Titusville, Florida before it ships. If this one is in stock here in Yellow Springs, our banjo tech Tara goes through it a second time before it goes in the box, so it has been through two professional setups before it reaches you. Some Gold Tone orders ship directly from the distributor with the factory setup only. If you would like Tara to go through yours either way, say so in your order notes and we will route it through our shop first.

Fifth string spikes are free. Most shops charge to install them. Just ask in your order notes and tell us which frets you want, or say “the usual” and we will do the 7th, 9th and 10th.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

We are an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means this is a genuine new instrument with the full manufacturer warranty behind it, not a gray market or diverted unit. We ship free within the United States, fully insured. If it is not right for you, you have 7 days to return it. Return shipping is the buyer’s responsibility, and refunds are the purchase price less $125 to cover our original shipping cost. Financing is available at checkout through PayPal Pay in 4, and through Afterpay on instruments under $4,000. Full details are on our store policies page.

Questions before you buy? Call or text Geoff at (404) 218-8580.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this an Earl Scruggs model?

No. It is not a signature instrument and Gold Tone does not sell it as one. What it does is borrow the appointments of the pre-war Gibson flatheads that Earl Scruggs made famous, the double-cut headstock and the Hearts and Flowers inlay, and put them on a banjo built with a bell brass flathead ring and a one-piece cast flange.

How is this different from the OB-150?

Same tone ring, same flange, same rim construction. The OB-Standard upgrades the fingerboard to ebony, the resonator to flamed maple, the tuners to Gotoh, the nut to bone and the tailpiece to a Prucha Presto, and finishes it in high gloss rather than satin. You are paying for the appointments and the hardware, not for a different pot.

What does it weigh?

11.8 lbs, which is a full weight bluegrass banjo. If you play long sets standing up and that concerns you, call and we will talk about lighter options before you order.

Does it come with a case?

Yes, a case is included.

Can you install fifth string spikes?

Yes, and they are free. Tell us which frets in your order notes, or say “the usual” for the 7th, 9th and 10th.

More Gold Tone

See the rest of the Gold Tone banjos we carry, including the OB-150 where professional-grade construction starts in the line, and the Mastertone™ OB-2 Bowtie if you prefer bowtie inlays to Hearts and Flowers.