Gold Tone banjo uke - any owners?

I'm looking at a baritone Goldtone banjo uke as a possible purchase (or more correctly: helping a friend choose one...).

Anyone have any experience with these BUs?

Can you comment on quality? Action? Intonation? Sound?

I just got mine less than a month ago. These are great for the money. Good quality build and workmanship. I reviewed it on my blog.

Also, another review on ukulelesecrets.org. Better sound sample than I have.

~DB

I have an open back concertl banjolele from goldtone for review, and will be doing a review of it and 5 others for Banjo Week April 17-23
I think the gold tones are the bees knees.

Here's a link to my review of the (BUC) concert size banjo uke.
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...4827-Gold-Tone-Concert-Banjo-Uke-(BUC)-Review

Nice. I found a dealer in Toronto - Twelfth Fret - who has some. Might drive down there this weekend to check them out. I've also been reading here about the Firefly banjo uke, and I think it would be a good recommendation if it came in larger sizes.

ukeeku said:

I have an open back concertl banjolele from goldtone for review, and will be doing a review of it and 5 others for Banjo Week April 17-23
I think the gold tones are the bees knees.

Click to expand...

Ref above: I have the Goldtone "Banjolele Standard" with open back. I believe, unless "just made avaiable" in concert, it only comes soprano. Matter of fact, I just picked-up the Resonator Kit to convert it to the "Banjolele Deluxe" model this morning.

They do have the "Banjo Uke" series in soprano, concert, tenor & baritone, also known as the BU_ series. They are NOT "Banjoleles". The Banolele weighs about 2 1/2 times the Banjo Uke series because of the heavy brass Tone Ring and wood thickness.

Perhaps I am incorrect, but don't think so. I looked at both the BU series and the Banjolele series before purchasing. Just thought all should be aware of difference.

I LOVE my Banjolele and hope even more so once I install the resonator kit this weekend.

Regards,

Tom

Banjo ukulele and banjolele are the same thing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjo_ukulele

Banjolele is just the nick-name given to the instrument.

I'll agree that the model name of the Goldtone "Banjolele" is different than that of the "BU_" series.

~DB

I think Uke whisperer was reffering only to the Gold Tone Banjo ukes/ Banjoleles.
In that case his post is correct about the two different model names and the sizes.

Interesting. I was at the Twelfth Fret today playing several different Gold Tone BUs, all of the same style (the "BU" series, resonator back). Tenor was nice, baritone was lovely. Bright, brash and cocky, but nicely made, with properly dressed frets.

Also played one of the new Martins. Soprano, $1,875. My impression: yawn.

ichadwick said:

Interesting. I was at the Twelfth Fret today playing several different Gold Tone BUs, all of the same style (the "BU" series, resonator back). Tenor was nice, baritone was lovely. Bright, brash and cocky, but nicely made, with properly dressed frets.

Also played one of the new Martins. Soprano, $1,875. My impression: yawn.

Click to expand...

What tuning where they using on the tenor?

cb56 said:

I think Uke whisperer was reffering only to the Gold Tone Banjo ukes/ Banjoleles.
In that case his post is correct about the two different model names and the sizes.

Click to expand...

Sorry for any confusion. Yes, referring to names of Goldtone models.

Ref: http://www.goldtone.com/products/w/c/89/Banjo-Ukulele

Tom

cb56 said:

What tuning where they using on the tenor?

Click to expand...

GCEA. The tech guy I spoke with - Grant - said he could change it to "traditional" tenor tuning (DGBE). The baritone was also strung re-entrant (high D). Apparently that's how they come from the factory.

Found the first string a tiny bit too close to the fret board edge, too. I've read a similar comment about that on the forum. Can be easily fixed, I was told.

Also had a chance to tinker with a really nice National resonator. Had it been tenor, it would have been mine, regardless of the excessive price.

Interesting, I bought the concert instead of the tenor (the one I originally wanted) because the tuning indicated on their web page for the tenor was DGBE (same as baritone). They state that the tenor can be tuned gCEA with lighter guage strings and "tighter" tuning but when I emailed the folks at Gold Tone about it they said I would be 50% more likely to break strings with the gCEA tuning on the tenor. I really needed to have gCEA tuning so I went with the concert scale neck.
Oh well, I'm happy with the one I got, just wish I had the larger scale for my fat fingers.

Although I'm a tenor player mostly, I've found BU tenors are harsher than I like. I think it's the increased string tension juxtaposed with the small head size. Just seems to make them too brash, the notes too strident. But that might change if tuned to a lower pitch. For the same reason I don't like baritones tuned to GCEA - the extra tension just strikes me as making the sound too harsh.

I actually gave serious consideration to a concert scale, mostly because I prefer the GCEA pitch for many songs. I am just not as comfortable with that scale. But it was tempting. The sound was very pleasing, to my ears the best of the four scales.

I'm not sure why it would be more more likely to break a string for the GCEA tuning on a tenor, other than the tension causing abrasion at the "Ez tail piece" (I don't know who Ez is, perhaps a designer named Ezra? Ezekiel?). I did email Gold Tone and ask if they had an alternate tail piece, even one I could purchase and alter (widen the holes) so strings could be fitted with a protective sleeve, but have not had the courtesy of a response yet. I have read many comments on the geared tuners loosening and not holding tune, though, so I would probably want to upgrade the tuners to a better set (although the stock tuners can be tightened somewhat).

I also think the stock three-foot bridge could be replaced with something to improve the tone. I'm looking into two-foot bridges, a little denser or thicker to perhaps shed some of the treble. There are all sorts of experiments to do with the inside and the resonator. Is the resonator at the optimum depth for the tone? I suspect a deeper body would be better for the baritone, but how to affect that?

I've received fairly quick responses to my emails from Gold Tone . The switch from tenor uke to concert banjo uke doesn't seem to be bothering me too much but I do prefer the longer tenor length.