Gold Tone Pbb Resonator Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

This model of Goldtone squareneck resonator is absolutely best in class. I own two (tuned differently). Incredible bell like tone, sweet wailing and LOUD. I have been playing lapsteel for 40+ years. The color of the front of the guitar on this MF site is horrible. You can get some idea of color by the photo of the back of the guitar on this site. Best photos are on Paul Beard's store site. I ordered my first Gold Tone PBSDeluxe blind. The second one I ordered a year later through Paul Beard's shop because he goes through them and sets them up and changes anything that is not perfect. Once the second one arrived and I heard it, I shipped my first one to across country to have them do a set-up and also install a Fishman Aura pick up like I did with the other. Well worth it, even if you buy it through MF.Bugs

This model of Goldtone squareneck resonator is absolutely best in class. I own two (tuned differently). Incredible bell like tone, sweet wailing and LOUD. I have been playing lapsteel for 40+ years. The color of the front of the guitar on this MF site is horrible. You can get some idea of color by the photo of the back of the guitar on this site. Best photos are on Paul Beard's store site. I ordered my first Gold Tone PBSDeluxe blind. The second one I ordered a year later through Paul Beard's shop because he goes through them and sets them up and changes anything that is not perfect. Once the second one arrived and I heard it, I shipped my first one to across country to have them do a set-up and also install a Fishman Aura pick up like I did with the other. Well worth it, even if you buy it through MF.Bugs

This model of Goldtone squareneck resonator is absolutely best in class. I own two (tuned differently). Incredible bell like tone, sweet wailing and LOUD. I have been playing lapsteel for 40+ years. The color of the front of the guitar on this MF site is horrible. You can get some idea of color by the photo of the back of the guitar on this site. Best photos are on Paul Beard's store site. I ordered my first Gold Tone PBSDeluxe blind. The second one I ordered a year later through Paul Beard's shop because he goes through them and sets them up and changes anything that is not perfect. Once the second one arrived and I heard it, I shipped my first one to across country to have them do a set-up and also install a Fishman Aura pick up like I did with the other. Well worth it, even if you buy it through MF.Bugs

Great guitar. My first resonator. Difficult to know whether to take the plunge or not, but I'm glad I did and I'm very happy with it. Nicely set up by the team at Project Music.Reviewed by Project Music custom

This package includes finger and thumb picks, a strap, a tuner, a gig bag, and a learning DVD as well as adjustment tools. This banjo sounds great, and is very easy to tune and play. The satin finish is beautiful and makes fretting a bit easier (for me). The textured skin keeps picking hand secured while the arm rest keeps hand in correct position.Alex

Way over priced at $450 for the left handed model, does not stay in tune long, and its virtually impossible to lower string height and you will need to do with all but the nylon spaghetti like stock strings. Thin wood veneer over what appears to be plywood though I could be wrong. Cheap tuners, cheap bridge and cheap standard piezo pickup. Basically a triumph of style over substance in my opinion. At $300 give or take for this Asian acoustic bass it would be a decent deal but not for $450, no way. To its credit it is ultra lightweight so good for travel and those with certain physical problems. Keep in mind distributor in the US does not stock replacement parts, a big minus. Same review applies to the 25 in. scale model. Fretted and unfretted.kraigster414

I was looking for a bass to complement recording in a home studio and small venues. I wanted to come as close as possible to a standup but acoustic basses were not doing it for me. Then I found this. I run it through a Roland AC-60 acoustic amp patched through to a Roland KC-100 subwoofer. The deep bass sound is incredible! The fretless model has fret markers to help guys like me who are guitarists by nature. The strings do take a little getting used to for tuning. They stay in tune during playing but will loosen a bit if they sit in the bag for a while. All in all, I'm very pleased. P.S. – Make sure you read the instructions. When you plug it in the preamp automatically defaults to the tuner and mutes the output. You simply have to push the button and switch off the tuner. Says so right in the instructions!Robert

I play in 3 groups 2 of which are country. Both players and listeners love this instrument. The tone is rich and unique. It is not exactly a banjo but not exactly a guitar. If you want a pure banjo sound, this is not the instrument for you. In fact, buy a 5-string banjo. But if you want an instrument that gives a banjo flavor with the ease of playing an electric guitar, buy it. The neck is fast and the tone and looks of this thing are unique and exciting! Folks are always telling me how good it sounds. Gold Tone has a winner with this one. I love it. This is my second one.Richard

sorry,but this was not a good buy, i kept it but was not impressed, for that kind of money it should have been better, pick up hums bad, not much tone adjustment sound is dead in the upper frets, i have been playing for a long time giving lessons for 30 years. thought it would be fun to play an electric but their is on quality in this banjo at all. you would get better in a 99.00 rouge! may send it back!engine joe

This is a good idea that didn't end up so good. Looks awesome! I love the look! That's kind of where it ends. Tone is muddy. Pickup tone is even worse. Feels lifeless. Bottom E string sound really bad. Not what I was hoping for. Gonna try to change strings and pickups. We'll see.Pwzion

This model of Goldtone squareneck resonator is absolutely best in class. I own two (tuned differently). Incredible bell like tone, sweet wailing and LOUD. I have been playing lapsteel for 40+ years. The color of the front of the guitar on this MF site is horrible. You can get some idea of color by the photo of the back of the guitar on this site. Best photos are on Paul Beard's store site. I ordered my first Gold Tone PBSDeluxe blind. The second one I ordered a year later through Paul Beard's shop because he goes through them and sets them up and changes anything that is not perfect. Once the second one arrived and I heard it, I shipped my first one to across country to have them do a set-up and also install a Fishman Aura pick up like I did with the other. Well worth it, even if you buy it through MF.Bugs

If you are tired of searching for a professional sound buy this bass. I hated the mim fender deluxe model, but fender did something special with this bass. It has a clear piano like quality to it. My two sire basses sound like toys up against it. I have wasted so much money on lesser basses. I'm just trying to help my fellow bass players out there. Everyone says that I sound good playing my other basses, but there are certain ugly overtones that I don't want to hear in my bass. This bass doesn't have those unwanted frequencies, it is voiced beautifully. I know that most of tone is in the fingers, but at the end of the day you know what you want to hear. If you are an audiophile this is the bass for you. I have spent weeks demoing this bass and no matter what amp you run it through it sounds good. I played it at a church last week and all I can say is it was nasty. My wife ordered mine yesterday for my birthday and it's suppose to arrive today, fingers crossed.Eric

I've owned and played bass guitars for 30 years now and I've owned several fender basses and the myriad clones out there of the J and P basses. That history and background left me with a bias against fender and an eye for other "better" production guitars like the Stingray which is my other go-to bass. That being said, I am blown away by this bass. It is a SOLID instrument with no flaws or blemishes that I can detect. It came from the factory with an almost perfect setup. I had to make a minor intonation adjustment on the low B and E strings but the string height, pickup height, and neck position were perfect. Fender's Ultra Noiseless pickups (a stacked humbucker really) sound great in passive mode emphasizing a fat bottom end and the tone nob adds a good bit of mids. The highs are kinda meh for me but the active switch takes care of that and I can get as bright as I want. The 18v active preamp provides a lot of room to boost or cut low, mid, and high frequencies to get just about any sounds I want (I still prefer my Sting Ray if I want to get real funky). This is about the best sounding 5-string I've had. Most 5-strings sounds great as 4-strings and SUPER muddy when you work the low-b string but this bass brings it out without too much mud.T. DeWees

I bought this base back in April 2022. It sounds great and plays great. However, the front pickup recently quit all together. After a tech looked at it, it was discovered that it was a bad front pickup. It was beyond the store warranty, so I took it up with fender. After 2 weeks of going back and forth between them and the store that I bought it at, it was determined that fender would send the pickup to the technician if my choice and they would fix it. But it would take 30 days because they send it directly from the manufacturer. Which still boggles my mind, because the slowest mail would be less than a week? So my opinion of fender customer service has dropped considerably. A working musician doesn't have 30 days to do without their instrument. This is unacceptable. I decided to purchase the pickup myself. I can get it in the mail in 2 days, and put it in myself. However this is a great base if you happen to get one with good parts in itJerry

This bass is really comfortable after you get used to it because it is very different than any other bass on the market.But the fact is, the quality of these instruments does NOT match their price. They are built by hand, but so are fenders, and my pro jazz is FLAWLESS and absolutely solid. My Ric came directly from the factory with finish issues.The chrome neck pickup cover was heavily scratched, but the factory did replace it after making me jump through some hoops. When I took the pickguard off to get to the pickup, I noticed that it left a very deep impression in the clear coat (my other basses do not have this issue) which tells me two things: it was put on before the clear cured, and it was put on way too tight & the paint around the pickguard mounting hole screws is already bubbling and chipping away, as is the paint around the pickup routing, which is absolutely 100% going to lead to bigger issues. The overall finish of the final buff is ok. not great, just ok. (I am actually in the custom paint industry). These issues were brought to the attention of their "customer service dept" (for lack of better term) and I was basically told to pound sand. In the video of the factory tour, their CEO says he will put the finish of their instruments up against any one in the industry. BAD IDEA bro. You will get spanked. So to "nutshell" it: great looking bass, fun to play, great sound, BUT low quality build and ZERO customer support. They do NOT care about you, unless you are Lemmy (RIP) and are not shy about letting you know it. That was my experience, but maybe yours will be different. But based on what I have read so far, highly unlikely. Do yourself a favor…buy a used one. Then you wont have to deal w the factory. There really is no upside to buying new because their warranty is short, and doesn't really cover much, because ultimately, THEY decide what they will cover in spite of what the warranty saysnOne

I have exclusively played a Fender Precision for many years and it's still my Go To Bass. I recently purchased a Gibson ThunderBird and was happy overall especially playing technical songs but it still didn't beat the Precision's Tone and Punch. As soon as I plugged the Ric up and hit the first few notes I knew this was something special. Awesome look with the Jet Glo Black, Great Tone and Play-ability, easier to hit the notes, and a lot of fun in general. Spend the extra few hundred and don't get the 4003S. I now own the Trilogy of Great Basses. I say the same good things as others who went from a Fender Precision to the Rickenbacker 4003. You won't go wrong with this Bass.Poveglia99

I have been a bass player for over 50 years. During that time, I have owned a variety of basses including different Fenders, Gibsons and a Pedulla. My primary "go to" bass has been a Leo Fender (pre Ernie Ball) Music Man "Sting Ray" bass. I also own an American Fender Precision Deluxe and added the Ric two years ago. All three basses are great. What I like about the Ric is that it is a bit lighter and thinner than the other two basses (especially when compared to the Fender P bass). It has a different yet comfortable playing neck and is capable of getting that classic Ric sound and sustain. I've also always loved the look of this bass which is very distinctive. I enjoy playing this instrument quite a bit and find myself using it more and more. I purchased mine in the Mapleglo. It was a hard decision for me between the Fireglo and the Mapleglo, so it's possible that I might see myself getting a second one down the road. I haven't noticed any shortcomings in workmanship which seems to be one of the negative things I see surfacing in some of the review. These basses have always been a little pricey, and there are other very nice basses out there for less money. However, these basses have always had an intangible "kewl-ness" factor. I've been very happy with mine and love the sound and feel of the instrument. If I have any complaints, I would say the pick-ups can be noisy and the toggle switch sometimes can produce a static noise switching back and forth between pick ups.Artie

I took my old unplayable banjo to these wonderful craftsmen and they fixed it and now it plays and sounds so SWEET!!! If you want someone that you can trust you need to take your instruments to these folks! I am so happy that I did. :):):)Brenda Cohen

I use this banjitar, just for different sound in our band. There was an easy transition from the guitar to the banjo. No learning curve. The store sales person, Mike and Domenick did a great job ordering the item and following up after the sale. Your people got me the item in about 5 days, where your competitor was not successful at getting me the product at all. I am now a Sam Ash customer for life.Bruce

I've played banjo off and on for 45 years. The tone of this banjo is outstanding for its price! Ease of playability is also excellent, due to being set up properly at the factory. You might not expect much for this price, but you'd be wrong, in this case. The light weight is easy on my 60 year old bones, making this the perfect instrument to have sitting next to the couch where I can just pick it up with one hand and start playing. This is important, because half the secret to getting good on the banjo is playing in small spurts whenever you have a few minutes. At this price, you don't have to worry about keeping it in a case for fear of its being damaged, since it's inexpensive. I have an Ome banjo which is excellent, but I find myself playing this Gold Tone most of the time! Buy it!Brady

I've played the Deering B6, and it's amazing, but this does the same job, and feels slightly more solid. I had been in the market for a Banjitar for some time, and after trying the Dean and several others at a lower price, I came upon a B-Stock here at MF. All of the others were a severe disappointment. I lucked out with a killer price of $300, all because a screw from the resonator was missing. I tightened the remaining 3 and it played perfectly. I plugged it in a fell in love. The sound is amazing, and the set up out of the box was spot-on. I didn't have to change a thing. The volume knob is smooth, and although you can change the position of the pick-up inside, I didn't have to. I rehearsed with it the following weekend, and it was nice to be just as loud as the rest of the band! If you are looking to get a banjitar, get this one. It's well worth the money (even at the regular price of $750). You won't be sorry. Everything about it is pro. No corner cutting on this one. I would by another at regular price tomorrow.Community User

When you are plugging in the input dangles and I noticed this when I plugged in the cable for the very first time ,otherwise it is not possible to twist it. I hope I need to put some glue to fix it In general the banjo sounds professional and good Thank you Serge123khrichenko

Excellent quality. It came with the frosted head, not the clear as advertised. This makes it a little more difficult to play without rubbing noise when playing but It can still work if you anchore at the wrist not at the two smaller fingers on the drum. I have written to the store twice to get the correct head size without taking it all apart as heads come in 1/16 sizes and 3 depths. They have tried to get me one from Remo but so far have not given me the size to order. I love the instrument and have played it at two different performances along with my 5 string. Just know it does not have a clear head. no effect on quality, just the way you play it.scottsharon1928

Really fun to play. Perfect for the guitarist that wants that banjo sound. Great highs, even lows. Couldn't recommend it more.stiley17

It has a really nice mahogany look. Not glossy but natural. The feel is real nice. Plays like a dream. Truss rod & intonation right out of the box is great. You can use plain acoustic guitar strings as long as the ball end is hollow in the middle of the ball (Martin & D'Addario both has).Like a Bigsby, the tail piece has 6 posts. the hollow part of the ball will fit in those posts. Considering that I've played guitar for over 40 years, and played banjo for less than 6 months, this feels pretty good. Don't get me wrong. For good old claw hammer bluegrass, I'll use my 5 string. But for everything else (and guitar playing friends that want the banjo effect while I play mandolin), this is great.Bobtec

Overall: I love the sound and playability of this wonderful instrument. My only complaint is with FedEx, they delivered a day late and at 10pm. they did not walk it up tp the door they left it in the middle of a driveway I share with a neighbor and left with no notification. I just happened to hear their door slam. I opened the front door as they left. I walked out to the driveway and stepped on the package because it was so dark. Fortunately the instrument was not damaged.Micheal

I took my old unplayable banjo to these wonderful craftsmen and they fixed it and now it plays and sounds so SWEET!!! If you want someone that you can trust you need to take your instruments to these folks! I am so happy that I did. :):):)Brenda Cohen

I use this banjitar, just for different sound in our band. There was an easy transition from the guitar to the banjo. No learning curve. The store sales person, Mike and Domenick did a great job ordering the item and following up after the sale. Your people got me the item in about 5 days, where your competitor was not successful at getting me the product at all. I am now a Sam Ash customer for life.Bruce

I've played banjo off and on for 45 years. The tone of this banjo is outstanding for its price! Ease of playability is also excellent, due to being set up properly at the factory. You might not expect much for this price, but you'd be wrong, in this case. The light weight is easy on my 60 year old bones, making this the perfect instrument to have sitting next to the couch where I can just pick it up with one hand and start playing. This is important, because half the secret to getting good on the banjo is playing in small spurts whenever you have a few minutes. At this price, you don't have to worry about keeping it in a case for fear of its being damaged, since it's inexpensive. I have an Ome banjo which is excellent, but I find myself playing this Gold Tone most of the time! Buy it!Brady

I took my old unplayable banjo to these wonderful craftsmen and they fixed it and now it plays and sounds so SWEET!!! If you want someone that you can trust you need to take your instruments to these folks! I am so happy that I did. :):):)Brenda Cohen

I use this banjitar, just for different sound in our band. There was an easy transition from the guitar to the banjo. No learning curve. The store sales person, Mike and Domenick did a great job ordering the item and following up after the sale. Your people got me the item in about 5 days, where your competitor was not successful at getting me the product at all. I am now a Sam Ash customer for life.Bruce

I've played banjo off and on for 45 years. The tone of this banjo is outstanding for its price! Ease of playability is also excellent, due to being set up properly at the factory. You might not expect much for this price, but you'd be wrong, in this case. The light weight is easy on my 60 year old bones, making this the perfect instrument to have sitting next to the couch where I can just pick it up with one hand and start playing. This is important, because half the secret to getting good on the banjo is playing in small spurts whenever you have a few minutes. At this price, you don't have to worry about keeping it in a case for fear of its being damaged, since it's inexpensive. I have an Ome banjo which is excellent, but I find myself playing this Gold Tone most of the time! Buy it!Brady

I took my old unplayable banjo to these wonderful craftsmen and they fixed it and now it plays and sounds so SWEET!!! If you want someone that you can trust you need to take your instruments to these folks! I am so happy that I did. :):):)Brenda Cohen

I use this banjitar, just for different sound in our band. There was an easy transition from the guitar to the banjo. No learning curve. The store sales person, Mike and Domenick did a great job ordering the item and following up after the sale. Your people got me the item in about 5 days, where your competitor was not successful at getting me the product at all. I am now a Sam Ash customer for life.Bruce

I've played banjo off and on for 45 years. The tone of this banjo is outstanding for its price! Ease of playability is also excellent, due to being set up properly at the factory. You might not expect much for this price, but you'd be wrong, in this case. The light weight is easy on my 60 year old bones, making this the perfect instrument to have sitting next to the couch where I can just pick it up with one hand and start playing. This is important, because half the secret to getting good on the banjo is playing in small spurts whenever you have a few minutes. At this price, you don't have to worry about keeping it in a case for fear of its being damaged, since it's inexpensive. I have an Ome banjo which is excellent, but I find myself playing this Gold Tone most of the time! Buy it!Brady