Gold Tone Ukulele [2023 Review]

Gold Tone is a banjo manufacturer based in the United States that produces both standard and ukulele banjos. They are known for producing some satisfactory instruments. You probably have heard great things about this Gold Tone ukulele and that is the reason why we are writing this Gold Tone Ukulele review for the curious ones.

Gold Tone ukulele was Summer NAMM 2018’s “Best in Show” Award recipient. The rim and resonator of this little gem banjo are made of composite see-through material, and it comes in four gem colors. The maple neck, amazing sound, and sealed tuners are the things we liked the most. This ukulele also comes with a gig bag.

If you are interested in this model, keep reading our Gold Tone Ukulele review for more information below.

Gold Tone Ukulele Review

About: A bright colored banjo-ukulele just seems so perfect for the ones who would like to show off. The Little Gem line of concert-sized banjo-ukes from Gold Tone comes in a rainbow of colors, including ruby, sapphire, diamond, and amethyst.

Features: The Little Gems from Gold Tune are a set of four 15″ concert scale banjo ukuleles that feature a combination of traditional and non-traditional design features. They are planned in the United States but are produced in China for money reasons.

The painted but clear acrylic rim and resonator on which the fully clear banjo head and drum sits is probably the not traditional part of this instrument. The rim and resonator of a banjo are usually made of wood, but here we switch to clear acrylic.    

The acrylic comes in four colors: clear, blue, purple, and red. Those are the colors of Diamond, Sapphire, Amethyst, and Ruby, and the name Little Gem comes from that.

This Gold Tune ukulele comes with a resonator. However, you can remove it if the sound you get from this instrument is too high for you. We know that there are lots of people who prefer ukulele banjos without a resonator.

Removing the resonator will also give you access to the inside of the ukulele, but we are not sure if you would like to that if you are a complete beginner with ukuleles.

A flat-bar tension hoop is attached to the rim and holds the clear plastic eight-inch drum head. That is supported and tensioned by twelve brackets in the traditional banjo style. You will also get a tension wrench for adjusting this and tuning the head. However, you can only do that if the resonator is removed as we need to mention in this Gold Tone Ukulele review.

The Little Gem comes with different and bright colors but when you combine it with a maple-finished neck and a star inlay at the fifth fret, you get something different but amazing. Some people may not be able to pull off the bold look, but there is no denying that it looks really nice.

We have to say in our Gold Tone Ukulele review that this banjo-uke is not a toy. For ages, Gold Tone has been creating special, inexpensive, and high-quality instruments. There is no exception for the case of the Little Gem.

With a genuine banjo-style maple neck and piercing tones, it is a real joy to play this ukulele, and it also arrives with sealed tuners and a gig bag. This implies you can have a nice time when carrying it around with you.

The bridge is a three-footed maple bridge with an ebony cap. However, you have to suit and set yourself for scale length and intonation. But that is the case for almost all banjos. Like all banjo ukes, the Gold Tone ukulele is also curved to maintain the string spacing.

Gold Tone has a scale measure to help you get the bridge precisely where you want it without having to go through some difficult procedure. That is really useful if you ask us in our Gold Tone Ukulele review.

We should warn the ones who are planning to buy this instrument in our Gold Tone Ukulele review. Apparently, the bridge comes separated from the body and the package does not include a manual on how to put the bridge together with the body. For that reason, you might need to do some research yourself.

The fret edges seem to be rough enough to hurt if you have sensitive fingers. Overall, we would not recommend this to a professional who is planning to use it as a primary instrument according to this Gold Tone Ukulele review.

Conclusion: Gold Tone Ukulele [2023 Review]

As advertised, the satin finish on the neck feels like satin. It is slick and elegant and the frets and nut are smooth, making fretting a breeze. The Little Gem is heavier than most ukulele players are used to. It weighs over two and a half pounds.

A strap will likely help you out if you want to play this ukulele with ease according to this Gold Tone Ukulele review. When your hand gets used to this banjo uke’s really fast playing style, you will hear a really characteristic sound which probably will make you satisfy.

If you are looking for a bold look and a bold sound from a banjo-uke, Gold Tones produced this amazing-looking ukulele at an affordable price. We hope you liked our Gold Tone Ukulele review and it was helpful.

By the way, you can also take a look at our review of Kadence Ukulele.