Made from natural materials, Banjos were a way for ancient Africans to play music and entertain themselves with the least resources.
Banjo beginners usually face issues in striking the right chord without strangling the ‘neck’, tuning the strings correctly, and getting the right sound. That’s when a ‘Banjo Resonator’ and a chunky banjo neck come in handy.
Today, we’ll be reviewing one of the best Banjos on the market for amateurs. The Gold Tone CC-100R.
Contents
Gold Tone CC-100R Features
FEATURES
Body and Neck
Gold Tone CC-100R is made of a maple body, a maple neck, and a maple convertible resonator. I almost forgot. It comes with a solid maple rim too!
Moreover, it has a two-way adjustable truss rod to control the neck alignment. The neck radius is on the wider side, this might bother some people. Yet, the bulky neck allows for better string spacing, which can be a huge asset for those with ‘chunky’ fingers.
Strings
For beginners, they don’t seem to get the strings quite right easily. We, personally, faced a similar problem when We started out and well-spaced strings definitely make a difference. In the end, it’s a matter of personal preference.
Weight
If you care about detailed technical specs, then you should know that the banjo weighs around 7 pounds, so it’s lightweight. It features an armrest and a bone nut, which is a beloved feature among many of its users.
Tuner
The tuners aren’t installed with screws, so you can easily replace them. It also features a straight-line tailpiece and highly-functioning rolled brass tone ring.
Sound
The sound quality this banjo offers is superior. The produced sound is crisp and suits the bluegrass style. Thanks to the resonator, beginners can produce higher volumes without a hassle. You can easily take the resonator off to play at quieter volumes at night.
Others
One of the distinguishing features of Gold Tone is their quality control procedures. Every unit is examined thoroughly before shipment, and it passes a 12-point inspection process before its release. Keeping the manufacturing defects at bay.
Moreover, the banjos undergo a full head tuning and setup so that they’re ready when they reach your hands. This is heaven on earth for a beginner musician!
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Great value for the price
- Holds its tone well
- Sturdy solid maple build
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Helpful customer service
Cons
- Relatively expensive, especially for beginners
- The neck is a bit bulky
What Other Customers Think about Gold Tone CC-100R
- The overall feedback was positive. Getting a hard-rock maple build for a banjo for this price was impressive to many of them. Especially that most of the banjos in the same price category are made of mystery-sourced ‘wood’.
- According to customers, Gold Tone CC’s sound quality is its high point. A perfect pitch, impeccable resonance, and precise tones. Another thing that gained traction was that the banjo comes in already tuned and ready to use.
- The only feature that wasn’t loved by reviewers was the tuners. Many customers reported that they were unresponsive and unreliable. The good news is that they’re replaceable. Many opted for the planetaries instead.
- They all agreed that it’s a perfect fit for beginners.
Conclusion
We know that buying an above-average priced instrument for beginners doesn’t seem logical. Especially when you’re not sure whether you’ll carry on playing this instrument or not.
But we also know that investing in a decent instrument that’s sturdy, easy to resonate, and produces crisp sound is essential to getting yourself to love the process, and Gold Tone CC-100R is just that!
