Re: Gold tone
I've purchased several Gold Tone instruments, all in the banjo family -- Cripple Creek Mini travel banjo, banjola, cello banjo (4 string). I also have a long-neck banjo hardshell case and a gig bag from the same company. Overall I've found their products decent quality and reasonably priced. Gold Tone also fearlessly offers instrument types that no one else seems to build now: banjo-ukuleles, banjo-mandolins, short neck "Irish tenor" banjos, the aforementioned banjola, which is basically a mandola body with a 5-string banjo neck, etc. They also license some US makers' designs, like Rigel mandolins and Beard resonator guitars.
I haven't played one of their "regular" mandolin family instruments; they build OM's and bouzoukis as well as mandolins and mandolas. I'd play one first before ordering one on-line, but I think if you find a weakness, it'll be design-related, rather than construction quality or finish quality. A pretty reputable company, in my experience -- but again, I can't speak from experience about their mandolins.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
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