Gold tone tenor banjo uke ? Advice comments ?

I recently got a Duke10 banjo uke and out of the box I was disappointed with it...I am taking it to my tech on Tuesday for his setup. That being said, I have been looking at the Gold Tone series and wondering if I should have gone that route. The BUT seems like the model I would like to purchase, but would like to hear your experiences. I also like the looks of the DLX, but again without playing it dont know if it is worth the extra money, and am not sure what scale it is...tenor or concert...the ads I have read dont say and I am not educated enough to tell by looking.
Sorry for the long post, I am looking for answers and I know you guys and gals out there on this forum have tons of experience and are willing to share ! Even if my Duke turns out to be a good choice, I am interested in trying other brands of banjo ukes. Thanks in advance.

Have you considered buying a used/vintage tenor banjo and changing the strings to nylon? I'm considering doing this except possibly turning the tenor into a baritone banjo lele. A tenor banjo is basically the same scale length, 17-19" with a larger head and better quality than a Duke 10 or goldtone.

Patrick Madsen said:

Have you considered buying a used/vintage tenor banjo and changing the strings to nylon? I'm considering doing this except possibly turning the tenor into a baritone banjo lele. A tenor banjo is basically the same scale length, 17-19" with a larger head and better quality than a Duke 10 or goldtone.

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That is an interesting thought...no I hadnt considered it, but it intrigues me. I am not against the idea of it being a baritone either...I will look around and see what I can find in a vintage tenor banjo. Thanks for the idea ! Would you look for certain name brand of tenor banjo or anything I should stay away from ?

Is this supposed to be a tenor uke in banjo format or a tenor banjo in uke format?

Depends on the strings and tuning you want to do. The bridge is moveable so adjusting the scale length is easy. My intention is a baritone lele with a larger head and slick fast neck from years of plying.

Good tenor banjos are reasonable because they're not in favor now. Maybell, Slingerland, Deering vintage are exceptional.

I've had this one for many years; bought from a garage sale. I'm deciding on restoring this one or buying a different tenor. I'm most concerned finding someone to clean the head and ensure she's okay to use. She may have been the owner as there are divots in the fretboard from long fingernails.

It's just an idea I've been thinking about since John Bange had a Maybell for sale. This is a timely thread to get other opinions and suggestions. I've tried the Duke 10 and Goldstar. With a good setup, they sound great.

I found this Gretsch at Elderly Instruments...it looked like a great deal...alas...it is sold...would this one have worked for the conversion ?

https://www.elderly.com/collections/tenor-plectrum-banjos/products/gretsch-orchestrella-1925

It's a 23" scale so could probably make it it into a baritone with a 20" scale. Perhaps Elderly or the Banjo Hangout Forum would know if it could. 23" scale is the same as a tenor guitar. I have a custom baritone with a 23" scale. It's like a tenor guitar with nylon strings. We call it a contra baritone.

The case looks really cool; as does the banjo itself. Perhaps John would knowsince he built the Maybell one.

I guess the other option is just to go for a vintage banjo uke....I found a 20s gretsch for about $350, since it was built as a banjo uke, you wouldnt have to worry about the conversion process, altho I am assuming that would only mean changing strings to nylon.

Got my Duke10 properly set up and I am happy with it..so for now, I will stick with it and when I am somewhere that has a banjo uke, will play it for comparison. For now, this is the only one I have heard and will just use it for my banjo-uke desires.
Thanks for the help.