Goldtone Baritone Banjo Uke?

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Patrick Madsen

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Has anyone played or own a Goldtone banjo uke? I was thinking on restoring an old tenor banjo uke and changing it over to a baritone banjolele but saw the Gold Tone up for sale.

I just saw Gold Tone introduced a bari' banjo uke out now. it can be strung with either steel or nylon strings.

If anyone is selling a bari banjo uke, I may be interested.
 
my only problem with the Gold Tone is the same as the Duke. There are not enough hooks to keep the head adjusted properly. If nylon strings are to be used, a slack head robs the banjo of it's volume and tone, not to mention string action. the hooks and nuts it does have will not tolerate enough tightening and they break.
I think a better option is a 20's or 30's era tenor with a 9 or 10 inch pot and new, top quality hardware. there are 19" scale tenors out there with a 9" pot. If it's too loud, stuff a rag in the pot. the Gold Tone sounds fine and plays well as long as you stay on top of the head tension.
john
 
Patrick Madsen said:
Has anyone played or own a Goldtone banjo uke? I was thinking on restoring an old tenor banjo uke and changing it over to a baritone banjolele but saw the Gold Tone up for sale.

I just saw Gold Tone introduced a bari' banjo uke out now. it can be strung with either steel or nylon strings.

If anyone is selling a bari banjo uke, I may be interested.
Click to expand...

Patrick Madsen said:
Has anyone played or own a Goldtone banjo uke? I was thinking on restoring an old tenor banjo uke and changing it over to a baritone banjolele but saw the Gold Tone up for sale.

I just saw Gold Tone introduced a bari' banjo uke out now. it can be strung with either steel or nylon strings.

If anyone is selling a bari banjo uke, I may be interested.
Click to expand...

Patrick Madsen said:
Has anyone played or own a Goldtone banjo uke? I was thinking on restoring an old tenor banjo uke and changing it over to a baritone banjolele but saw the Gold Tone up for sale.

I just saw Gold Tone introduced a bari' banjo uke out now. it can be strung with either steel or nylon strings.

If anyone is selling a bari banjo uke, I may be interested.
Click to expand...

Hi, Patrick! It’s been a long time since we were last in touch. You had helped introduce me to Brian Griffin’s ukuleles as he makes them with a radius fretboard.

I DO have a GoldTone baritone banjo ukulele! I LOVE mine! I’m not selling it, but I just wanted to chime in that I find it to be a lovely instrument and so much fun to play! It’s great to get a different sort of sound to change things up.

I’ll see if I can include a couple links to vids that I have in which I’m playing the instrument (Hopefully, I won’t get the dreaded ‘Forbidden’ error message when I attempt to add the links in my post. ;-) )

I purchased mine from Uke Republic — I think back in 2015 or 2016.
 
Thanks John and Chelle. I taking my tenor banjo down to a luthier/tech who does a lot of banjoleles. I'm at odds whether to change out the head with the flapper girl with a new head. Judging from the divots in the fingerboard from long fingernails, I have the feeling it may have been she who owned the instrument. Would hate to separate the two after so many years together.

Loved your Utube demos. Chelle. Didn't you end up buying two of Brians tenors? I know someone from around Seattle did.

Here's a couple photos of the banjo and flapper. Sorry about the sideways photos.
 

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GoldTone BUB Baritone Banjo Ukulele has 16 hooks. Should be enough :) I really like the GoldTone stuff especially the serries with 16 hooks.
NOTE some advertized as BUB don't have 16 hooks you just have to look they are available. https://youtu.be/3s0QRMuXTnE
 
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Hadn't seen one with 16...that would certainly take care of my criticism. The BUB Gold Tone is fun to play.
 
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Patrick Madsen said:
I'm at odds whether to change out the head with the flapper girl with a new head. Judging from the divots in the fingerboard from long fingernails, I have the feeling it may have been she who owned the instrument. Would hate to separate the two after so many years together.
Click to expand...

Hi Patrick.

That's a lovely classic tenor banjo.

I'd leave the head in place.

And suggest that a new $220 Goldtone AC-4 will be more satisfying than the heavy Goldtone BUB. I like the AC-4 so much that I bought another.

One is in DGBE baritone tuning using fluorocarbon strings (it also sounded great with four strings from a standard set made for five string banjos).

The other is in GDAE octave mandolin/violin tuning using an set of light weight irish tenor banjo strings.

Cheers.
 
Hi! I am new to this forum. Not new to Ukes, but new to a Gold Tone BUB Banjolele. How do I string it with the EZ Bridge? I am stumped. It looks likes the tail piece should take ball end strings. But the string sets I got directly from Goldtone have no ends, just straight cut. If I have to tie them do I have to tie knots on the ends? It doesn't seem like I can tie the string around the tailpiece as it is curved. Can you make sense of this of me?

Alex
 
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