GEARREVIEW
BY ERIC DAHL
NEW F-6 & F-12 MANDOLIN GUITARS PROVIDE GOLD TONES!
Gold Tone Music Group was established in
KEY FEATURES
Guitar Style Neck (Radius
Fingerboard)
Mandola F-Style Body with
Matte Sunburst Finish
If you’ve ever
1993, but in 2016 the Titusville, Florida company
began placing their hybrid instruments under a
wanted a
line they call “Folkternative.” The series is aimed
at musicians who are looking for different tones
Passive Bridge Pickup
or sounds but can’t make the time investment
Form-fit case with shoulder
straps
to learn an entirely new instrument or the
mandolin sound
without the
chords/scales required.
learning curve,
I purchased one of the 6 string Banjitar models
these are
to back up my daughter at a recital and provide
realistic ragtime sound. Previously I had a
the instruments
budget 6 string banjo, but I was seeking better
quality build and a built in pickup with volume
for you.
control which the GT-750 provided.
Gold Tone F-6
Gold Tone F-12
For added accompaniment at church I started
(which is easier for a guitarist to navigate). It
researching Gold Tone six and twelve string
also comes equipped with a passive bridge
mandolin guitars, and then they released their
pickup installed and a nice form-fit case with
new F style models. If you’ve ever wanted a
shoulder straps. Both models are a lot of fun to
mandolin sound without the learning curve,
play and jam with, although the F-12 provides
these are the instruments for you. All of my
more mandolin-ish tones while the F-6 is easier
musician friends that play one want one, and
to play and chord on. After using both of them
I’ve been receiving rave reviews from the
in praise music situations I find myself using the
church congregation since adding them to my
F-6 more frequently as it fills the middle ground
instrument vocabulary.
between the guitar and piano tones.
The F-12 and F-6 models (end number denotes
If you are seeking some new textures for
number of strings) are essentially octave tuned
your worship or praise music I think you will
guitars with a guitar style neck and a mandola
be surprised how much listeners will notice
F-style body. The F styles have a longer scale,
and appreciate the added sounds. If you can
matte sunburst finish and a radius fingerboard
find them locally, play both instruments and
compare them. The F-6 lists for $699 and the
F-12 is $799.
A friend of mine that owns a studio in Nashville
said more and more studio musicians are
bringing in at least one of these hybrid
instruments to add diversity to their sound. To
check out their full line, visit their website.
PRICE
F-6 $699
F-12 $799
CONTACT
GoldTone.com
10
Jul Aug 2016
WorshipMusician.com