Chris Pile
Well-known member
Here I am picking it up at the store. Waited over a year for it. Pretty sure I hate it.
NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
- Thread starter Chris Pile
- Start date
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
That's pretty cool! I bet that adds cool unique tones to any music.
Do you play it the same as you would mandolin? Or play more chords, like Tiple or Uke? Or more single notes / runs / bass lines, like Tenor Guitar?
That's pretty cool! I bet that adds cool unique tones to any music.
Do you play it the same as you would mandolin? Or play more chords, like Tiple or Uke? Or more single notes / runs / bass lines, like Tenor Guitar?
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
That looks cool as hell. I always wanted one but could not find a decent one under $3000. Please tell me how you like it I might be interested in buying one. $824.25 is a hell of a deal for a Mandocello.
http://www.elderly.com/gold-tone-mandocello.htm
That looks cool as hell. I always wanted one but could not find a decent one under $3000. Please tell me how you like it I might be interested in buying one. $824.25 is a hell of a deal for a Mandocello.
http://www.elderly.com/gold-tone-mandocello.htm
Chris Pile
Well-known member
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
List price is $1,099 in case you're interested. Initially, they were shooting for a price of $950. The first run of 16 was already sold when they were shipped. Supposedly they are making run #2 right now.
Why do I hate it? Because over the 2 years I've been talking to Wayne Rogers at Gold Tone and other folks there, I wanted a neck width of at least 1 5/8", hopefully 1 3/4". Many mandocellos have a neck 1 1/2" wide - pretty damned narrow. Guess what they did? Plus, right out of the box with the action high as a cat's back - the frets buzzed in 3 places. First thing when I got home - fret level. Nut was stupid high, too.
Supposedly, it has a solid spruce top.... it must be spruce plywood, because the acoustic volume is very low, and the tones are dead down low even with new strings. So you can't play it unplugged with an acoustic group. It has a humbucker which sounds OK, and a nasty sounding piezo built into the bridge that sounds scratchy as hell. The setup was horrible, and there have been many problems getting it playable and sounding even decent.
I've put about 10 hours into it already, with a long way to go. If you want to read a long thread about it on Mandolin Cafe, click on the link below, go to page 4 and scroll down until you see my picture. I dissect this thing completely.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?118608-Gold-Tone-mandocello
Why didn't I take it back? Like I said, I waited a long time for it. The salesguy and I have been friends over 30 years, and he ordered for me with no money down. I payed cash for the very good price which was lower than $825.... So I feel like I owed my pal to take it, and not stiff him. The upshot - I will split hairs on this thing until it's slick, smooth, and righteous and the best Gold Tone Mandocello out there. If I decide to keep it, fine - if not, someone else will be able to buy the best sorted out, lowest action, and great sounding version available.
List price is $1,099 in case you're interested. Initially, they were shooting for a price of $950. The first run of 16 was already sold when they were shipped. Supposedly they are making run #2 right now.
Why do I hate it? Because over the 2 years I've been talking to Wayne Rogers at Gold Tone and other folks there, I wanted a neck width of at least 1 5/8", hopefully 1 3/4". Many mandocellos have a neck 1 1/2" wide - pretty damned narrow. Guess what they did? Plus, right out of the box with the action high as a cat's back - the frets buzzed in 3 places. First thing when I got home - fret level. Nut was stupid high, too.
Supposedly, it has a solid spruce top.... it must be spruce plywood, because the acoustic volume is very low, and the tones are dead down low even with new strings. So you can't play it unplugged with an acoustic group. It has a humbucker which sounds OK, and a nasty sounding piezo built into the bridge that sounds scratchy as hell. The setup was horrible, and there have been many problems getting it playable and sounding even decent.
I've put about 10 hours into it already, with a long way to go. If you want to read a long thread about it on Mandolin Cafe, click on the link below, go to page 4 and scroll down until you see my picture. I dissect this thing completely.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?118608-Gold-Tone-mandocello
Why didn't I take it back? Like I said, I waited a long time for it. The salesguy and I have been friends over 30 years, and he ordered for me with no money down. I payed cash for the very good price which was lower than $825.... So I feel like I owed my pal to take it, and not stiff him. The upshot - I will split hairs on this thing until it's slick, smooth, and righteous and the best Gold Tone Mandocello out there. If I decide to keep it, fine - if not, someone else will be able to buy the best sorted out, lowest action, and great sounding version available.
Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
Damn.
At least you've got the chops/skillset to unFeckit,& not be "that guy" who brings it back & *****es about it...
Something's telling me they may have a few of those,if yours is any indication...(?)
Anywho,good on ya,sure you'll be able to get it sorted...
Before you sell it to Bruce
Damn.
At least you've got the chops/skillset to unFeckit,& not be "that guy" who brings it back & *****es about it...
Something's telling me they may have a few of those,if yours is any indication...(?)
Anywho,good on ya,sure you'll be able to get it sorted...
Before you sell it to Bruce
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
Laughing Kookaburra
Active member
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
Interesting. There is a used Goldtone octave mandolin at Elderly, and the discussions I've read have been positive about Goldtone. Sounds like I should proceed with caution.
Interesting. There is a used Goldtone octave mandolin at Elderly, and the discussions I've read have been positive about Goldtone. Sounds like I should proceed with caution.
Chris Pile
Well-known member
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
Just shipped the Gold Tone to Chicago. Hope the new owner gets on with it better than me.
Just shipped the Gold Tone to Chicago. Hope the new owner gets on with it better than me.
Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
Did you do any work on it?
Did you do any work on it?
Chris Pile
Well-known member
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
Did a fret level as soon I got it home, then lowered the nut and set the action at the bridge... lowered the pickguard to get out of my way, cut the ridiculously tall volume knobs down a quarter inch and inlayed some dots on them to see the settings, raised the humbucking pickup for sensitivity, got the ebony bridge intonated, fixed the piezo pickup so it would touch the saddle properly, and so on - about 20 hours of work.
In other words, I saved the buyer about $200 in service work getting it sorted out.
Did a fret level as soon I got it home, then lowered the nut and set the action at the bridge... lowered the pickguard to get out of my way, cut the ridiculously tall volume knobs down a quarter inch and inlayed some dots on them to see the settings, raised the humbucking pickup for sensitivity, got the ebony bridge intonated, fixed the piezo pickup so it would touch the saddle properly, and so on - about 20 hours of work.
In other words, I saved the buyer about $200 in service work getting it sorted out.
Chris Pile
Well-known member
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
Jimmy ordered it for me on my say-so.... no money down. Then he listened to me ***** for a fricking year until it was delivered. When it arrived, he practically gave it to me for cost since I paid cash. So.... I wouldn't screw him by returning it for a refund. I've known the cat for 30 years, and I don't treat my friends that way. Besides, he's not the one who made it crummy - the Chinese did.
Jimmy ordered it for me on my say-so.... no money down. Then he listened to me ***** for a fricking year until it was delivered. When it arrived, he practically gave it to me for cost since I paid cash. So.... I wouldn't screw him by returning it for a refund. I've known the cat for 30 years, and I don't treat my friends that way. Besides, he's not the one who made it crummy - the Chinese did.
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
I just picked up my Goldtone Mandocello from the Post Office. First inspection everything looks and sounds great. I think this is run #4 for of this instrument for Goldtone. I need to spend more time with it but so far I am very happy. I can't wait to play this through the JC120 with a bit of reverb and chourus. It is definitlly going through the Marshall at some point with varrious amounts of gain.
I just picked up my Goldtone Mandocello from the Post Office. First inspection everything looks and sounds great. I think this is run #4 for of this instrument for Goldtone. I need to spend more time with it but so far I am very happy. I can't wait to play this through the JC120 with a bit of reverb and chourus. It is definitlly going through the Marshall at some point with varrious amounts of gain.
PierceOkken
New member
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
Very interesting guitar, but I can't go without a bridge pickup on my axe
Very interesting guitar, but I can't go without a bridge pickup on my axe
Chris Pile
Well-known member
Re: NMD - Gold Tone Mandocello
It's not a guitar. It's a MANDOCELLO, and it has a piezo pickup in the bridge (2 volume knobs - 1 for each).
CC-GG-DD-AA.... basically, it's a bass mandolin. The C is below the E on a guitar, so it's pitched just like a cello.
Check out Mike Marshall on his Monteleone....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAMe9pZwogY
It's not a guitar. It's a MANDOCELLO, and it has a piezo pickup in the bridge (2 volume knobs - 1 for each).
CC-GG-DD-AA.... basically, it's a bass mandolin. The C is below the E on a guitar, so it's pitched just like a cello.
Check out Mike Marshall on his Monteleone....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAMe9pZwogY
