New Gold Tone Mandocello Video

[Tom C]

Folks making comments about the volume. Don't forget F-hole guitars are the same way so this seems as no surprise. Not a bad thing. just different.

[NotMelloCello]

Folks making comments about the volume. Don't forget F-hole guitars are the same way so this seems as no surprise. Not a bad thing. just different.

<Inappropriate. No need to talk down to forum members in that manner simply because they don't share your views. No further warnings>

[jtv]

I am glad you got yours and are enjoying it. What did you think about the set up from Elderly? Was it playable out of the box? Action to your liking?

I'm no expert in setups, especially on an instrument I've never played before, but I find it perfectly fine. Very playable and the action seems great (I can play way up the neck and it's still quite playable but I haven't had issues with fret buzzing).


As far as volume goes, I'm wondering if yours is a dud or something NotMelloCello. Mine isn't going to overpower a room full of people and instruments, but is certainly loud enough for me isn't too much quieter than my acoustic guitar, especially if I start throwing chords around.

[foldedpath]

Folks making comments about the volume. Don't forget F-hole guitars are the same way so this seems as no surprise. Not a bad thing. just different.

I'm not sure that's a fair comparison. An archtop F-hole mandocello has more strings with more total tension driving the soundboard than an archtop F-hole guitar. If anything, it should be louder. My archtop F-hole Weber octave mandolin has plenty of volume, and I'd expect a 'cello version to be the same.

It may just be that this Gold Tone 'cello is on the quiet side, which would be fine for anyone planning to use it amplified. Might even be a benefit for feedback control. But it's important for prospective buyers to know that.

[Mandobart]

Folks making comments about the volume. Don't forget F-hole guitars are the same way so this seems as no surprise. Not a bad thing. just different.

I've not played one of the new Gold Tone 'cellos, but my f-holed Eastman guitar bodied 'cello has plenty of volume. And there are some plenty loud acoustic f-hole arch top guitars out there that were built to keep up sonically with horns etc. in a swing band.

[Tom C]

That sounds like a legit observation.

[NotMelloCello]

I am sick and tired of having posts deleted because I speak the truth.

[mrmando]

[zoukboy]

I am sick and tired of having posts deleted because I speak the truth.

So leave. You won't be missed.

[Rodney Riley]

Just another opinion, but, this mandocello is the cheapest on the market today!!! It is an entry level instrument. And if they sell well, I expect improvements overall from Gold Tone. Yes it's quiet. About the same difference in volume as my Weber is to the Fender I had. (Kinda wondering if it would be louder if Stephen Perry could do some "MandoVoodoo" on it)

When doing my father-in-law's funeral. Had the guitar player play my father-in-law's Gibson Hummingbird unplugged. Wish now I would have had him play the father-in-law's Martin. The Martin is a cannon, the Gibson, quiet like a hummingbird. The Martin 0-15 was the cheapest Martin made in 1940. The Hummingbird was Gibson's second most expensive guitar behind the J-200 at it's introduction in 1960. So some instruments have the projection and some don't. We won't be getting rid of the Gibson just because it is quieter than the Martin.

I still love this Mandocello. Just like I loved playing a Fender mandolin. Because I was making music with a wooden box!! How cool is that?

[Mandobart]

Actually the Morgan Monroe, if available, costs less. I have not played or actually seen either one.

[Rodney Riley]

Actually the Morgan Monroe, if available, costs less. I have not played or actually seen either one.

Yes. Saw that after I had posted but didn't have time to edit the post.

No pick guard or pick-ups. Don't see case or gig bag listed. The case that came with my Gold Tone is better than the one that came with my Martin.

[Bad Monkey]

bearing in mind that I'm commenting only from hearing youtube videos with all their limitations, but does the instrument sound unbalanced tone-wise across the courses? meh, youtube is worthless for this kind of thing.

[jtv]

Not gonna be playing mine this Sunday Was going to try some heavier gauge strings to see if they would stop some buzzing I'm getting. And I heard the same dreaded question from Jordan that he asked me a few years ago about my Weber Gallatin. "What about this crack?" Noooo!!!!! But then he said, "And this one here?"
At least it wasn't the headstock like my Weber. The ebony tailpiece has a couple cracks. We think it's from the wood drying out as the tailpiece doesn't seem to have any finish on it. And since it made an ocean voyage. Then think it was in Florida for awhile. Very humid environments. Now here where the furnace is our best friend is just too dry. ( I do have a humidifier attached to it and working) He thought it would be alright thru the weekend but I don't want to take a chance on it getting worse. So I left it with him to fix.

I suspect this might be a design flaw of the instrument. Mine just had a similar thing happen, though much more dramatically. Instead of developing a small crack, it just broke off. Terrifying to hear a small creaking sound from your instrument, go to grab it, and have the end of the tailpiece shatter a little bit on you.

The good news is that it seems to be only the tailpiece that is damaged.

Definitely was quite enjoying it and anticipate continuing to in the future once I fix this.

[Rodney Riley]

jtv, definitely get ahold of Gold Tone or your dealer for a replacement. I didn't take any pictures of the cracks and my repairman didn't either so wasn't able to get any compensation for him glueing mine up. I look at mine now every time I take it out of it's case. So far nothing else is showing up.

[jtv]

Yep, already sent in a message to elderly and they're talking with goldtone to get a replacement.

[jtv]

Still a shame that it happened, but Elderly talked to GoldTone and they got me a replacement tailpiece shipped nice and quick and it was a nice easy fix once I got the replacement. That being said, it appears to be identical to the first one which seeing as I'm not the only one who has had a problem makes me a bit nervous.

Sounding great again and I can't wait for more time playing it.

[Rodney Riley]

Mine's still holding glued up. Having lighter guage strings put on. My old fingers having a hard time getting good clean sound out of the heavier strings I'd put on it. Was wanting it a little louder acoustically, but since I use it plugged in, the heavier strings are really not needed.

[jtv]

I should consider that. Bringing the strings back up to pitch really reminded me how much tension is in them. I think I did something with the (very amateur) way I adjusted the bridge to try to get the action just right since the low strings are really singing good now.


You said you play yours largely in church, right? What sorts of stuff do you do with it? Looks like I'll probably be doing similar in the near future.

[Rodney Riley]

jtv, I use the Mandocello on these three songs;

On Hillsong Worship's "Broken Vessels(Amazing Grace). Capo at 7th fret. And play instrumental starting about halfway thru the song. Playing the riff except for a little break till the end of the song. A string of 1/8 notes,
g,d,g,d,a,b,a,g | g,d,g,d,a,b,a,g | c,b,a,g,c,b,a,g ( can be played on the D and A strings without capo. But fingers get tired with the stretch. Does strengthen the pinky tho )

On Zach Williams "Chain Breaker" Strumming chords. (In key of C, all chords are just 2 finger chords)

And on Meredith Andrews "Open Up The Heavens" play the Cello part

[Rodney Riley]

jtv, I use the Mandocello on these three songs;

On Hillsong Worship's "Broken Vessels(Amazing Grace). Capo at 7th fret. And play instrumental starting about halfway thru the song. Playing the riff except for a little break till the end of the song. A string of 1/8 notes,
g,d,g,d,a,b,a,g | g,d,g,d,a,b,a,g | c,b,a,g,c,b,a,g

Must've been tired when I wrote this. Should be one more measure of the g,d,g,d,a,b,a,g in there.

[Rodney Riley]

Well it hasn't "opened up" and become a cannon. With the lighter guage strings it is really quiet. But plugged in is a joy to listen to. I don't like the sound of the bridge pickup, so don't use it. Have to have the volume all the way up on the Mag or it has a hum/buzz to it. Also found that with lighter strings it needs a lighter touch. Unless fretting just as close to the frets and with just enuff pressure, all the notes go sharp. Everyone that sees it comments on how beautiful an instrument it is.

Has there been any more shipped?

[jtv]

Ya, the pickups are definitely an interesting mix. I hadn't done much besides make a few test recordings with them and enjoyed the way it sounds acoustically, but probably will be experimenting more with them in the near future.

On the volume note, I just restrung mine to octave mandolin tuning and it feels like it's projecting a lot more. I'll have to play around and see if I can't figure out why and get that to transfer to mandocello mode

[NotMelloCello]

So..... No one bought any more Gold Tone Mandocellos? I haven't seen any for sale anywhere..... Maybe they weren't gonna be the big hit Gold Tone thought.

[jtv]

Well I'm not sure they've actually had a second shipment of them make it over.

The fact that the tailpieces seem to be awfully unreliable probably doesn't help.

Good news on that front btw. Mine broke (again) a bit ago and this replacement is apparently a different design since the factory that made the old ones is now out of business. (Gee, I wonder why). Should be in tomorrow or so and I hope to be able to report back about it.


I do hope they're just spending some time to work out some of the kinks and plan to continue. Mandocello is great fun and I think having an entry level model like this is good for the instrument.