Gold Tone OB-2 Mastertone “Bowtie” Five String Banjo

Since the success of Gold Tone’s OB-3 Twanger, they were kicking around ideas for the next tribute banjo when the bowtie banjos of 1960 to mid-1964 were brought up. This was when the bowtie was at its peak of quality. A unique nineteen-hole flathead tone ring (versus the previous twenty-hole version) was used during this time. The banjos were built in Kalamazoo by some of the same people that worked there in the thirties, and the tone rings were still cast by the same foundry that made them back before The War. A full thickness rim and nickel-plated hardware were still used as well.

With those specs in mind, Gold Tone set about creating a worthy modern evocation of this great old banjo: the Gold Tone OB-2 Bowtie. The feature set closely adheres to the original banjo: mahogany neck and  resonator, a beautiful golden sunburst finish and even a nineteen-hole flathead tone ring. Updated features include superb quality Gotoh machine heads, the renowned Snuffy Smith bridge, a Presto-style tailpiece and dual coordinator rods for precise adjustment.