An All-solid 8-string Primed for Acoustic-electric Performance
Whether you’re strumming on the stage or leading the band at your local bluegrass jam, the Gold Tone GM-55 delivers pro-level acoustic-electric mandolin performance. This classic A-style mandolin’s solid spruce top is paired with a striking set of solid curly maple for the back and sides, dishing out a crisp projection and focused attack. Chop through a fiddle tune rhythm or pluck a lonesome melody, and these fine tonewoods allow your playing to rise above any ensemble. On the other end, you get a curly maple neck finished in a slick satin lacquer finish, along with a non-radiused rosewood fingerboard. What’s more, Gold Tone’s Zero Glide nut combines a traditional bone nut with a zero fret to reduce nut binding and ensure your open strings ring with the same character as your fretted notes. And no matter whether you’re pickin’ in the studio or jamming at a summer festival, rock-solid Gold Tone tuning machines, an adjustable ebony bridge, and a cast tailpiece keep your setup solid. Finished off with a gig-ready pickup, the Gold Tone GM-55 is ready to serve as your go-to performance and recording mandolin.
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All-solid-wood excellence
For more than a century, the go-to tonewood combination for steel-string mandolin players has been a spruce top paired with maple back and sides. The GM-55 carries on that tonal torch, featuring an A-style frame with solid tonewoods — a premium construction method that offers a more complex, resonant sound compared to laminate timbers. The result is a clear, bright, and crisp character that’s equally suited toward traditional bluegrass, folksy strumming, and more, providing a voluminous projection that cuts through the mix of any acoustic ensemble.
Zero Glide: patented precision makes playability smooth
Gold Tone’s Zero Glide nut is a tiny piece of hardware that drastically enhances instrument performance. The patented design pairs a sustain-boosting bone nut with a hard nickel-silver “zero fret” for enhanced reliability and sound. Zero Glide nuts grace the headstocks of electric guitars, acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos, and even ukuleles. The benefits are clearly universal! Zero Glide’s precision-cut string slots further reduce string contact by a staggering 93% at the nut, meaning fewer tuning breaks and better resonance, especially when playing gets aggressive. Zero Glide also narrows the sonic differences between fretted- and open-string notes while solving common intonation issues, delivering innovative accuracy without compromising character.
Gold Tone: a legacy of music
The origins of Gold Tone go back to the folk music scene of the ’70s, when musicians Wayne and Robyn Rogers opened a small music shop. Fifteen years later, they founded Gold Tone Banjos in Titusville, Florida. The company’s first product, the TB-100 banjo, was designed by Wayne. As demand for this critically acclaimed instrument increased, the company expanded its offerings to include a selection of fretted instruments that combine modern innovation and timeless vintage design. The goal? To inspire all musicians, from beginners to professionals, to realize their musical dreams. Today, Sweetwater is pleased to offer you Gold Tone’s exciting range of 4-, 5-, and 6-string banjos, metal- and wood-bodied resonator guitars, Weissenborn Hawaiian steel guitars, and mandolins.
Gold Tone GM-55 Features:
- All-solid-wood acoustic-electric mandolin, perfect for seasoned pickers and musicians looking to expand their sonic palette
- Solid spruce top with solid curly maple back and sides resounds with a classic 8-string “chop,” packed with a crisp attack and focused clarity
- Comfortable curly maple neck finished in sleek satin lacquer
- Ebony fingerboard offers a traditional non-radiused playing experience
- Zero Glide nut combines a standard bone nut with a zero fret, providing enhanced stability and a more cohesive tone between fretted and open notes
- Bridge-mounted transducer pickup electrifies your tone with authentic acoustic accuracy
- Road-ready hardware includes an adjustable ebony bridge, a cast tailpiece, and Gold Tone tuning machines
