Gold Tone Weissenborn?

Fred Kinbom · From: Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.

Hi all,

Is the (solid wood) Gold Tone Weissenborn a good choice for someone on a budget?

What are your opinions on the quality of Gold Tone instruments in general?

Thanks!

Fred

MUSICO · From: Jeremy Williams in Spain

No opinion on their resonators....but I have a banjo of theirs, semi custom built (6 string with the wide neck of a 12 string).

They were very good to work with. Very helpful and straightforward and in my opinion extremely good for the price. In fact one day a banjo player asked me what I paid for it and due to an error in mental mathematics (dollars to pesetas to €uros) I told him 10 times the price...and his comment was "expensive but well worth it, it´s such a quality instrument"!!!!!!!

So just one person´s opinion from just one instrument but it´s a big plus for gold tone.

Jeremy Williams
Barcelona Spain

Mark Eaton · Posted 14 Dec 2005 9:46 am

IMO the Goldtone "weissie" is the best instrument in that price range, for that style of guitar. An apples-to-apples comparison would be the Goldtone vs. Superior. I prefer the Goldtone.

The resonators are very good instruments, particularly if they have been set up at the Beard shop in Maryland. Proper setup makes a big difference on a resonator guitar.

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Mark

Russ Young · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

My apples-to-apples comparison had the Superior easily coming out on top, but the GoldTone is less expensive and available through many dealers (e.g., it's more likely that you can sit down and try one before buying.) And many people don't like the Superior's extra-wide string spacing.

I have read enough good things about the GoldTone Hawaiians (I hate to call them "W**********s") to wonder if the one I played was an aberration. Your results may vary.

Bill Leff · From: Santa Cruz, CA, USA

I've played several of the Goldtone Weisses and wouldn't recommend them.

Mark Eaton · Posted 14 Dec 2005 11:05 am

I must have gotten the "golden apple" when I took a Goldtone weissie for a test drive. But then this was not a shop situation where I could do a side-to-side comparison with Superior.

For that matter, I have played two actual Weissenborns and was underwhelmed. The best instruments I have played in that category were built by Todd Clinesmith. I have not played any other high end modern takes on the Weissenborn from companies like Bear Creek, etc.

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Mark

Russ Young · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

Mark, I keep wondering if I got the "road apple ..."

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I have a Superior Weissenborn and had a local luthier narrow up the string spacing and now it is an excellent sounding, playing and appearing instrument.

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

In my search for a reasonably priced Weiss clone, I had no Superior to compare to , but heard of their reputation..I did play a Gold Tone ...I also play Reso , and the Beard/Goldtone Reso sounded GREAT for the money ...The Weiss was a major disapointment though....I checked out 2 of them, and one was as bad as the other ....After hearing some of Steinar's recordings, I had to get a Lazy River .....I am REALLY glad I did ...
I wouldn't have paid 1/2 the price for the Goldtone, yet I would have paid twice as much for the Lazy River .... The Maple Goldtone/Beard Reso was a completely different story ....Highly reccomended .. Jim

John Dahms · From: Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA

I took a chance and bought a Gold Tone Mahogany SM model at a good price. It had terrible sounding strings on it when I got it. It was not bad after the string change but lacked definition and the bass was strong but indistinct. So... I removed the bone saddle, slotted it with a fret saw and installed some banjo fret wire on the top of the saddle. It made a tremendous improvement to the responsiveness and clarity. Now it has a voice.
This should hold me over until my Lazy River comes.

Travis Bernhardt · From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Said it before, but I guess it's worth repeating every time this question comes up—I didn't care for the Gold Tone Weiss copy that I played. It sounded like a cheap guitar. I like the reso a lot, though.

-Travis

Fred Kinbom · From: Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.

Thanks everyone for your input! Now I'm of course curious about how much a Lazy River Weissenborn costs?

Would perhaps be a good idea to save up for something really good... In the meantime, I have my $81 30s Oahu!

Fred

Terry VunCannon · From: Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

Got a Lazy River here & glad I did!!! Email Rance on his website, I think they run in the $1300/$1400 range.

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'49 & '51 National Dynamics, Harmos Model One, Lazy River Weissenborn, Mesa Boogie DC-3, SRV Strat.
http://community.webshots.com/user/keefriff

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

Fred,- forumite Bill McCloskey has one for sale now. Click here.

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 15 December 2005 at 08:50 AM.]

Russ Young · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

Don't underestimate those $81 Oahus, Fred -- I've owned a couple that compared favorably with the GoldTone W*********n that I played!

(Just for the record, I agree with all the comments about GoldTone/Beard dobros; they are an amazing guitar at that price. And as for Lazy River guitars, I'm not sure I can fight off the GAS attacks much longer ...)

Tom Baylis · From: Portland, Oregon

I'm with you Russ, some of those cheapie Oahu's are pretty fine sounding instruments. Some were made from "orange crate" types of woods, others are more robust. A parlor-sized squareneck student model made of mahogany that has a wonderful warm tone came into my possession for $90. Then I recently acquired a jumbo body '38 Oahu squareneck for around $300 with a spruce top and either maple or sycamore back/sides (don't know my woods very well) that has great tone and projects really well. It needed a new bridge and a peghead crack repaired, but she really sings now. I'd guess that it was made by Regal, but who knows?

That said, and to segue back to topic, one day I would love to acquire a "proper" Weissenborn...so I appreciate all the insight shared here.

Tom

Arthur Herrmann · From: New Jersey, USA

Got to put in a good word for the Lazy River. Got one of their black walnut, spruce top Weisses two months ago and I can't put it down. The sound is incredible, the bass has a sort of growl to it which is great for the blues tunes I mostly play on it, and the high notes have a harp-like quality. Did a lot of research and talked to a number of builders before I came to the conclusion that the Lazy River at $1300 was a great value for the price. And Rance White is a pleaure to deal with.

Jon den Boer · From: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Ditto on the Lazy River... I got mine back in January, and this thing has really come alive in that time. I do play it quite a bit, which obviously helps, but even brand new it had this 'aged' sound to it. It is made from Tasmanian Blackwood and is striking to look at as well. I don't think you can go wrong with Rance, he's great to deal with and his prices are fantastic.

Jon

Bill Blacklock · From: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Fred,

Go with a Celtic Cross baritone weissenborn.
Amazing tone and pricing, I just love mine.
I've owned mine for a year and a half now and it's still the instrument I play 90% of the time. The tone's is huge, very sweet but with lots of big growl.

If you like to use a capo the 30" scale lets you go up four keys before you get to a regular 25" scale, no mandolin sound.

I own two Celtic Cross weissenborn's and I'm hoping to get a new Celtic Cross Kona in the new year.

I can't say enough about Neil and his instruments, impecable craftsmanship at a very fair price. These really are instuments that you keep for a life time.

Best of the season, Bill

Fred Kinbom · From: Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

Russ and Tom - I really do like my $81 Oahu! It's got quite a tone, is surprisingly loud for a parlor size guitar (the aluminium bridge, I guess) and is fun to play. Probably the best value-for-money instrument I've got.

Bill - how does a baritone Weissenborn differ from a normal one in measurements and tonal range?

I think I'm leaning towards getting a quality instrument made by a luthier - eventually. Before then I have to do a lot of saving up and selling of some other instruments...

Merry Christmas everyone!

Fred

Bill Blacklock · From: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Hi Fred,

I got myself an $80. Oahu a few months back and I like it a lot, I tune it up to a F6th,
there a great little guitar. Im going to stick a fishman sound hole pickup in it and see how it sounds through my amp.

I picked up the Oahu to tie me over until I can afford a new Celtic Cross to leave in a 6th tuning. I can't see sending hundreds of dollars on a Gold tone or a Superior if your going to be less then happy with it.

The baritones have more range with a 30" scale. You can take a 25" scale "D" shape (151351) all the way down to "A" or even "G". My string guages are .80-.65-.52-.35-.26-.19, the bigger guages give alot more bark.

I can e-mail a piture of mine and a sound clip (I think I can)if your interested, I have no idea how to post them on here.

Enjoy the Oahu, there great little guitars

Cheer, Bill

Fred Kinbom · From: Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.

Bill, I'd love to see a pic and hear a clip! Please e-mail to fkinbom@yahoo.co.uk - thanks a lot!

Merry Christmas!

Fred

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