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Gold Tone OT-800 Old Time Tubaphone-Style Banjo w/Case
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Product Videos :
YouTube Video
YouTube Video
Your Price: $2,459.99 CDN
or from $144 CDN/mo
2 models to choose from:
The Old Tone OT-800 pays homage to one of the most sought-after banjos of the "classic" period (1890 to 1930) when the Boston School of banjo making was the highest expression of the art. The pot sports a pre-WWII style Tubaphone tone ring, which adds pleasing overtones via a square-section tube mated to a solid brass rod, all encased in a turned brass sleeve. This sits snugly on an eleven-inch maple rim equipped with dual coordinator rods (for easy action adjustment) and is topped with a Remo Renaissance head carrying a maple and ebony bridge. A No Knot tailpiece anchors the strings. The authentic bracket-band carries the shoes without the need to drill holes in the rim, increasing the OT-800's power and sustain. The maple neck has a bound ebony fretboard inlayed in engraved vintage style and a scoop at the pot for the hardcore clawhammer player. A deluxe arched top hard case is included.
Features:
• GT Master Planetary Tuners
• Tubaphone-Style Tone Ring
• 1/2" Maple Rim
• Old-Time inlay
Specifications:
• Neck: Maple
• Finish: Vintage Brown
• Fingerboard: Ebony with Scoop
• Bridge: Maple with Ebony Cap
• Tuners: GT Master Planets
• Inlay: Old-Time
• Truss Rod: Two-Way Adjustable
• Tone Ring: 32-Hole Tubaphone-Style
• Rim: 1/2" Maple Tubaphone-Style Bracket Band
• Tension Hoop: Notched Brass
• Binding: White ABS
• Brackets: 24
• Buttons: C-Style
• Hardware: Chrome Plated
• Pickups: Optional
• Tailpiece: No-Knot
• Armrest: Vega-Style
• Head: 11" HC Renaissance
• Number of Frets: 18
• Nut Width: 1-3/16" Bone
• Scale Length: 26-3/16"
• Weight: 8 lbs.
• Tuning: GDGBD
• Strings: .011 .013 .016 .024w .011
• Hard Case: Included
Features:
• GT Master Planetary Tuners
• Tubaphone-Style Tone Ring
• 1/2" Maple Rim
• Old-Time inlay
Specifications:
• Neck: Maple
• Finish: Vintage Brown
• Fingerboard: Ebony with Scoop
• Bridge: Maple with Ebony Cap
• Tuners: GT Master Planets
• Inlay: Old-Time
• Truss Rod: Two-Way Adjustable
• Tone Ring: 32-Hole Tubaphone-Style
• Rim: 1/2" Maple Tubaphone-Style Bracket Band
• Tension Hoop: Notched Brass
• Binding: White ABS
• Brackets: 24
• Buttons: C-Style
• Hardware: Chrome Plated
• Pickups: Optional
• Tailpiece: No-Knot
• Armrest: Vega-Style
• Head: 11" HC Renaissance
• Number of Frets: 18
• Nut Width: 1-3/16" Bone
• Scale Length: 26-3/16"
• Weight: 8 lbs.
• Tuning: GDGBD
• Strings: .011 .013 .016 .024w .011
• Hard Case: Included
Media
Youtube video product demo
Youtube video product demo
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Reviews
3.142.200.102
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Great banjo, just seems mine was missing a few things 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Halifax, Nova Scotia
Purchased this banjo new about 9 months ago, and figured i would give it a review after steady playing for the last 9 months.
The goods: Banjo has a very nice sound, lots of power from the tubaphone tone ring and with a rag stuffed in the back can quiet it down to a nice old-timey sound. I am learning Scruggs style also, and has enough volume to keep up with any resonator banjo when used with finger picks. I switched the tailpiece out due to personal preference, however the stock "No-Knot" tailpiece does just fine. Finish and binding are good, all what you would expect from a banjo of this price range, however the inlays had a few flaws.
The bads: The inlays on my banjo were not patterned as shown in the pictures advertised, i know someone with the a scale version and the had the engraved patterns on inlays (which drew my attention to the fact). Shown on the pictures the stars and large bow tie shape had patterns engraved in them, mine however were just plain pearl, and the large bow-tie also looked like it was patched up with a small piece of different colours which at a close look just looks rough. Also a couple of my tuning pegs were slipping right out of the box, which is not what one would expect from an $1800+ banjo. These were not deal breakers for me as I already had a set of tuners on order with plans to replace and with the inlay, well, i only noticed after i saw someone else's similar banjo which prompted me to go back and look at the description on the site from gold tone, which has a close up of the inlay. Not a huge issue to me.
Other than the 2 issues i brought up, this banjo is pretty well top notch in terms of playability. Would have been a 5 star review if not for the cosmetic flaws.
Posted by Oliver on Apr 9, 2019