From affordable student models to signature instruments built for virtuosos, Gold Tone's banjo range combines traditional craftsmanship with innovative design across every price point.
Gold Tone Music Group’s mission is clear: “To give a voice to their musical ideas through our fretted instruments.”
The Gold Tone Music Group was founded in Titusville, Florida, by Wayne and Robyn Rogers back in 1993. Not only do the pair have strong roots in the US folk music scene dating back to the 70s, but they also served the local music community for years through their well-loved Strings N Things Music Centre, which first opened its doors in 1978.
1993 saw the introduction of Gold Tone Banjos, with Wayne designing and manufacturing the TB-100 Travel Banjo. “The Traveller” was initially sold via mail-order, and after a rave review in the esteemed Banjo Newsletter, banjo players all across the US wanted a slice of the action. Inevitably, demand boomed, giving the small family-run company immediate provenance.
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Rapid growth was quick to follow, with dealers all over desperate to get their hands on Wayne’s innovative designs. Gold Tone operated with an emphasis on providing well-priced, quality instruments for musicians of all skill levels, a mantra that holds true to this day.
In 2026, Gold Tone’s range encompasses a plethora of fretted instruments from wood-bodied resonator guitars and mandolins to Weissenborn Hawaiian Steel Guitars and six-string Banjitars. They’re still built with the same love and care as they were when Gold Tone Music Group was just a small mail-order operation run out of a Titusville backyard.
No matter what your requirements are, something in the Gold Tone range will speak to you in volumes.
OB-150RF
The OB-150 strives to provide “Pre-War” appointments, authentic tone and superb playability all at a price that anyone can afford. No corners are cut when it comes to the OB-150, which sports a 3-ply maple rim and one-piece flange. Along with a high-quality brass flat-head tone ring.
If this wasn’t enough, the instrument is adorned with a beautiful maple neck with a 12″ radius fretboard adorned in an authentic style, meaning that the OB-150 delivers on looks and playability just as well as it delivers on sound.
CB-100 11″ Open Back Banjo
The CB-100 is the clawhammer player’s dream, offering every desirable feature at a price point that won’t break the bank. Providing a vintage-designed maple neck with a scooped rosewood fretboard, a rolled brass tone ring and a Remo Fiberskyn head, this 4-string banjo is guaranteed to withstand even the most rigorous of gigging schedules.
Combine these features with a No-Knot Tailpiece, planetary-gear tuning machines, and Gold Tone’s own designed dowel stick that contains a hidden coordinator rod for quick and easy action adjustments, and it’s hard to go past the CB-100 when it comes down to value for the hardworking musician.
Virtuoso Bela Fleck’s relationship with Gold Tone dates back years, during which he has had the company design a range of one-off custom instruments tailored to specific requirements he has as both a world-class player and performer.
The OB “Bluegrass Heart” allows anyone to play a professional-grade Banjo that matches up in feel and tonality to Bela’s number 1 pre-war masterpiece Mastertone Pot Banjo. Adorned with premium features such as the 10″ fingerboard radius, 11″ Remo head, Mahogany Resonator with Concentric Rings, all bound together with an 11″ 3-ply Canadian Maple Rim.
Rounded out with an Ebony fingerboard and Mahogany Neck, the OB-Bela Fleck is a prestige instrument that will appease even the most discerning of players.
Dojo-DLX
The perfect companion to intricate fills and enriched solo play, the Dojo-DLX’s beautiful cutaway curly maple body carries a very comfortable five-string Banjo neck and rosewood fretboard adorned with gorgeous decorative bindings that will go head-to-head with even the most premium in fretted instruments.
The Dojo-DLX’s stacked humbucking pickup is also a godsend for stage performers, tied together with the instrument’s wonderful parallel pull tailpiece.
Which in itself is an innovative design that works to provide even pressure along the biscuit bridge, situated upon a reverse cone resonator, a design which works to enhance the banjo’s tonal resonance across the frequency spectrum.
AC-5 Composite Series Resonator Banjo
The AC-5 is Gold Tone’s answer to providing a high-quality entry-level Banjo that doesn’t compromise on providing excellent tone or professional-level playability. The AC-5’s modern 11″ composite rim and resonator ensure the utmost in robust durability while keeping the instrument lightweight and sounding excellent.
Whether you are just starting and are in the market for a student instrument or a working professional in need of a worthy travel Banjo, the AC-5 is definitely an instrument to check out.
Mastertone™ OB-Grandee: Orange Blossom Grandee Resonator Banjo
Built as a tribute to the legendary pedigree of banjos that were produced before the Second World War, the Gold Tone Mastertone™ OB-Grandee banjo is a throwback holy grail for the modern age. Boasting a premium-grade curly maple neck and resonator, along with premium-grade hardware, no expense has been spared in crafting a professional instrument that will last generations.
In all of its engraved and gold-plated glory, the OB-Grandee Grandee sports a maple neck with a luxurious ebony fingerboard adorned with beautiful heart and flower inlays. Additionally, a 14″ maple resonator is complemented with an 11″ 3-ply maple rim, providing gorgeous pre-war tones of the highest standard.
Pair this all with a high-quality Gold Tone hardcase, and it’s easy to see why people are still singing their praises for this illustrious brand after all these years.
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