What's wrong with my goldtone BUC banjo uke?

Total Ukphoria

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2011
Messages
147
Reaction score
0
Location
Charleston SC
I've never been thrilled with the sound of my goldtone BUC but it wasn't until recently that I noticed something ....
I played someone else's Goldtone BUC recently- it was exactly the same model. I noticed that the construction of his tailpiece was very different. The spot where the strings attach is much lower and the shape of the tailpiece was not the same. By the way his sounds MUCH BETTER than mine. (Mine is way too much overetone sound). Has gold tone changed this model recently? I'll include pics soon if no one know what i'm talking about.
 
the tailpiece shouldn't effect the sound , it just anchors your strings. your drum probably doesn't have the same tension. tap the other one and tune yours the same . strings can also make a big difference. different strings? stuff a rag into the drum so that it touches the head to control overtones, or get a mute.
 
Check how tight the head of your banjo is. The strings and type of bridge as well as the bridge position contribute to sound
 
Thanks for your input so far! My uke head is tuned to A as was the one I played.

I have a rag inside it right not to try to control the overtones-- better but not great

I haven't tried different stings- but his is no 30 dollar uke... I feel like it should have a better sound with the strings that came with it.

I still wonder why my tailpiece is different than his????? Anyone from goldtone or a dealer here know?
 
Some dealers replace the tailpiece with one they prefer, so it might depend on where you purchased it. My BUS has a different tailpiece than the standard one because of this for instance (I quite like it). But as strumsilly said, it doesn't affect the sound. Not sure what could make yours sound so different from your friend's though, apart from the head's tension or strings. What strings do you have on it?
 
When I got my Gold Tone banjo uke, it sounded AWFUL out of the box. So bad that I returned it and decided that maybe I didn't like banjo ukes after all. Then I took a shot with a much cheaper Rally banjo uke that I got on eBay. I wasn't crazy about the Rally either, at first, but then I changed the strings and the whole instrument came to life. The ones I'm using are Aquila Nylguts, which aren't even the top choice of banjolele players, but I have to admit, they probably would have made my Gold Tone sound a whole lot better, too. Bottom line? I think you have to drop the idea that a $400 instrument should be just right when you pick it up for the first time. They put bland strings on many of them because they know that uke players like to switch to the ones they prefer anyway. Invest another six bucks in some better strings and I bet you'll be a lot happier with your Gold Tone.
 
Top Bottom